Fr. Gavriil Stoica (en)

Father Gavriil, the covetous monk and wise confessor

When I think of my good friend, Father Archimandrite Gavriil Stoica, the first image that comes to mind is his cheerful face on a late December evening in 1958, an evening that I did not know at the time that I would never forget. I was in the hermitage of Ciocanu, near Câmpulung Muscel, and it was quite late when I heard some knocking at the door of the chapel. I opened the door and saw the face of the one who was to be my dear friend for the rest of my earthly life, and whom I have no […]

A man of the Holy Liturgy and a great householder

I met Fr. Gavriil in the struggle. It’s not just about knowing about a disability, about the diagnosis, but about the struggle to heal the disability. I observed him when he was young, in the monastery of Căldărușani, I even mediated his priesthood, because he was a deacon. He had a lot of zeal and often managed to go beyond himself to help, to save things. He was very conscientious, very energetic. We had a spiritual bond and we counselled each other. I was his spiritual father and he was mine. He was objective and generous.

“No, sir, I cannot cooperate. You can’t make me a Jew”

Straight as a fir tree, with a thunderous voice, uncompromising but humane in all spiritual decisions, with remarkable vitality for his age, which he never betrayed anyway, with a measured sense of humour – this is how I know him, and this is how all those who cross the threshold of Zamfira Monastery will carry him forever in their hearts. Whether from the pages of the magazine “World of Faith”, from the PAX broadcasts or directly from the pulpit, the eloquent presence of the venerable priest is captivating. His sincerity, his spiritual culture, his life, but above all his unwavering […]

A lover of God, a pillar of Orthodoxy, a true monk and a great friend

To write a few lines about someone, one must have a special motivation or simply an inclination to record certain events. For me it is a special motivation, based on a special friendship, to talk about a great friend, confessor and man, Archimandrite Gavriil Stoica of the Holy Monastery of Zamfira. I cannot say that I have known Fr. Gavriil for a lifetime, only for a few years, but these years have been a lifetime for me. A trivial event brought us together. On his return from a trip, Father Gavriil lent a shirt to Father Archimandrite Nifon Stoica of […]