Moscow, February 16, 2017

Photo: Sihăstria Putnei Monastery

On Monday, January 28, the revered Romanian elder Proclu (Nicău) departed to the Lord, reports Tvm Neamt. He lived as a hermit in Mitocu Bălan in Neamt County, 230 miles north of Bucharest, offerings his prayers and counsels to all who came to him seeking spiritual advice and consolation.

He was found dead in the cell he had made himself and lived in his whole life as a hermit at the edge of the village. The cause of death seems to have been a stroke.

Elder Proclu was never ordained, but the people revered him just as they would a priest. He dedicated his entire life to Orthodoxy, having retreated into his cell while still in his youth. Those who knew him speak of his gentleness and grace, often comparing him to another great Romanian elder, Justin Parvu.

The elder had been sick for many years, receiving help from the nuns of the nearby Petru Voda Monastery. He was buried, according to his written desire, in the nearby Sihăstria Putnei Monastery on Tuesday, January 31.

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The elder knew how to speak words that struck right to the heart of those who came to him. He said exactly those words that each person needed to hear, for their souls to be soothed and minds enlightened. He spoke slowly and meekly, and his eyes always began to water when he learned of the plight of one of his beloved countrymen.

He taught the people saying, “When the Holy Spirit touches our hearts, we cannot stop from crying. And with this condition you often feel that you don’t want this world. And when you see that you no longer have any temptation, then expect new ones… Healthy people are not proud, but sick people… like me.”

Elder Proclu will be greatly missed. May his memory be eternal!

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View more photos from Elder Proclu’s funeral here.