7/31/2019 Our Patriarch Passed Away

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Our

Patriarch

Passed Awayby Reverend Dr. Doru Costache

On the 30th

July 2007, the clock

ceased to count the moments for

Patriarch Teoctist, allowing his soul

to extend its wings toward the horizon

without setting of the Kingdom.

Of course, many things may be stated about the activity of a hierarch

who dedicated to the service of the Church more than seventy years ofhis life; I am certain that those who knew him closely can bear

testimony to all these. I would like however to add to this cloud of

witnesses a personal detail, which I have never shared till now outside

a small circle of close friends. It was more than four years ago. I do

not remember the reasons why the Patriarch invited me to his office.

What I am certain of is the fact that, arriving early in the morning, to

my surprise I found together with His Beatitude one of the spiritual

fathers of the patriarchal cathedral. By the end of the meeting, and

with no relation to the discussion, the Patriarch made a comment

which probably I will never forget. In short, he observed that even the

professors and lecturers of the theological faculty need a spiritual

father and the sacrament of confession indicating to the father next

to him and who kept silence throughout the meeting. I remained

speechless. It was as if he was able to read my soul: it happened that

(although strange to my habits) those days I have been without a

spiritual guide for almost a year. Anyway, I left touched by the

observation of the Father, also amazed by what looked to me as being

a manifestation of the gift of clear vision

It is likely that testimonies of this kind are as necessary as any of the

details of a public biography, in order to give contour to a personal

profile, putting in relief less visible aspects of such a biography. And

even if the Patriarch will remain in the collective memory of the

faithful for various dimensions of his activity, I shall keep the memory

of that meeting and of the words that were fatherly told to me.

May his memory be eternal!

Reverend

Dr. Doru CostachePEACE AND HARMONY

anulXXXII

M

ay-July2007

The Revd. Dr. Doru Costache

64 Linthorn Avenue

Enfield South, NSW 2133

Dear Fr. Doru

I am writing on behalf of the New

South Wales Ecumenical Council to ask

if you can pass on to the Romanian

Orthodox community in Sydney theshare sorrow of our member Churches

on hearing of the death of His

Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist.

We give thanks for all that His

Beatitude contributed to the

development of the Church in the face

of the chances and changes of political

and contemporary life and we join our

prayers with the Romanian Orthodox

Church at this time.

May God continue to bless you and the

Romanian Orthodox faithful in your

important ministries and strengthen you

by the Holy Spirit in all that you are

and do in Christ.

Yours in the Love of Christ,

Rev. Dr. Jonathan Inkpin

General Secretary

NSW Ecumenical Council

NSW

ECUMENICAL

COUNCIL INC.