Father George Calciu, RIP

News came late today of the death in Fairfax, Virginia, of Father George Calciu, an Orthodox priest and immigrant from Romania. He served many years in communist prison there for his faith. My friend Frederica Mathewes-Green, whose spiritual child he was, has told me for years about the astonishing goodness of this gentle man, who bore suffering for the sake of Christ that few of us will ever have to. And now he has gone into eternity. Frederica e-mailed this Father George quote in his memory:

"What does the priesthood mean? It means to be an enduring witness to human suffering and to take it upon your own shoulders. To be the one who warms the leper at his own breast, the one who gives life to the miserable through the breath from his own mouth. To be a strong comfort to every unfortunate one, even when you yourself are overwhelmed with weakness. To be a ray of shining light to unhappy hearts when your own eyes long ago ceased to see any light. To carry mountains of others’ sufferings on your shoulders, while your own being screams out with the weight of its own suffering. Your flesh will rebel and say,‘This heroism is absurd, impossible! Where is such a man, where is the priest you describe so that I may put my own suffering on his shoulders?’ Yes,nevertheless, he does exist! From time to time there awakens within us thepriest of Christ who, like the Good Samaritan, will kneel down by the side of theman fallen among thieves and, putting him upon his own donkey, will bring him to the Church of Christ for healing. And he will forget himself and comfort you, O man of suffering."

UPDATE: Father George was in communist prison with Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. Read Father George's testimony, given after he was released by Ceaucescu and sent to the US, in which he talks about the most meaningful Eucharist he ever celebrated. And read Frederica's story about how Father George suffered communist brainwashing techniques, but came through. And here is a photo of Father George, with Frederica and members of her family. Look at the joy on his face. The joy, after all he saw and lived.

The joy.