On January 6, 2003, he passed to the Lord Father Archimandrite Mitrofor Dr. Vasile Vasilachi, vicar of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada and parish priest at The Church of Saint Hierarch Nicholas and Saint Great Martyr George in New York. Although he is 93 years old, Father Vasile was on that day in a pastoral visit, on the occasion of the great Christian celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.

The dedication service and funeral took place on Thursday, January 9, in New York, and were officiated by I.P.S. Dr. Nicolae Condrea, the head of the Archdiocese, surrounded by a council of priests and deacons.

Born in 1909, in Idrici, Rosesti commune, Vaslui county, in a priest's family. Studies at the Seminary in Husi (1921-1929) and at the Faculty of Theology in Bucharest (1929-1933), then at the one in Chisinau, where he obtained his doctorate. Monk at the Neamt monastery (September 6, 1936), deacon and priest at the metropolitan cathedral in Iasi and director of the diocesan Chancellery (1936-1940), patriarchal secretary (1940 - 1944), archimandrite, preacher at the patriarchal cathedral, for a time editor of the magazine "Romanian Orthodox Church", abbot of the Antim monastery (1944 - 1948), then at the Pocrov hermitage (1949 - 1959). Arrested in 1959 and sentenced to 8 years in prison, released in 1964, he was appointed priest in Bobâlna, Cluj county ( 1964 - 1969). In 1969 he went to the United States, where he served in the parishes: Southbridge - Massachusetts (1969-1977), Detroit-Michigan (1977-1979), Windsor-Ontario in Canada (1979-1984) and at the church "St. Nicholas" from New York (1984-2003); vicar of the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Archdiocese of America.

There were five children in the family of Archpriest Gheorghe Vasilachi, three of whom wore the priestly robe. The first brother, Mihail, died shortly after he was released from Gherla prison. The other, Archimandrite Mitrofor Haralambie, who was also abbot of the Cernica Monastery in Bucharest and abbot of the Neamt Monastery, died in 1962, in Gherla prison. He got sick of his stomach and was "mutilated" in detention, as Father Vasile tells, and from this intervention he died. He never got to be released. Only in 1970, his remains were brought and deposited by believers in the Cernica Monastery cemetery All three brothers were imprisoned during the communist era for political reasons.

 

Father Vasile was born on January 29, 1909 in Idrici-Rosiesti commune, Falciu region (today Vaslui county). "The Falciu region has produced important people", says the father with joy, "Metropolitan Veniamin Costache was born there. But Dimitrie Cantemir, Kogălniceanu and Cuza also grew up in those lands. All of them were great people of this country, but they were exiled , kept in prisons and then died abroad. But their bones were then brought to their country." When he says this, the father seems to make a wish. "We humans, one by one, come and go from these earthly dimensions of time and physical space without knowing the beginning, nor the end, nor the year, nor the day. What is required of us is to live with God, according to His eternal wisdom ." This is how father Vasile learned to live.

 

SHARED IN HIS NATION'S HISTORY

He did his first years of studies at the Seminary in Husi and, being Moldovan, he studied Theology in Bucharest, where he also obtained his license. It was the time of his youth when he attended Nicolae Iorga's history and literature courses. He always repeats "I take great pleasure in talking about the history of my nation". Then he got his doctorate at the Faculty of Theology in Chisinau, within the University of Iasi. At the age of 26, he became a monk at the Neamt Monastery, during which time he also became the editorial secretary of the Moldova magazine. In 1939, i.e. four years later, he was appointed secretary of the Bucharest Patriarchate, he was already serving in the Cathedral, where at that time services were broadcast on the radio. He remembers having 400 sermons delivered this way. The war caught him abbot at the Antim Monastery in Bucharest - where he was appointed in 1944. Until 1948 he worked day and night, "during a cruel and unjust war, in poverty and sadness", to restore the monastery. He endowed it with the large library, built a pottery kiln, organized conferences, supported the promotion of talents among the parishioners. He gave prizes year after year and even founded a publishing house. But he mostly talks about the poor children he helped and the good girls he endowed: "I didn't have mercy from the monastery, because it didn't have any, nor from the Patriarchate, but from what mercy and the blessing of his example it was given to us by Father Antim Ivireanu, its immortal founder.”

 

"WICKED PEOPLE OF THE WORLD..."

After the election of Patriarch Iustinian, under the pressure of those who held political power, Father Vasile Vasilachi was however removed from the Cathedral and from the monastic life, on the grounds that he is part of the spiritual movement, in fact the religious circle, "The burning pyre". The same thing happens to his brother, Archimandrite Mitrofor Haralambie. Both are first thrown somewhere in the country. Father Vasile goes to the Neamt Monastery, then to the Moisei Monastery in Maramureș, to Horaita and to Secu and, finally, to the Pocrov Monastery. He does not crack and faithfully serves the One Above. But the attempts do not stop here. In 1959, both brothers were removed from monasticism and priesthood and sent to live in their native village. Shortly after that they are closed. At Gherla. When he tells the story, the father has the same serene look, as if he had forgiven all those who hurt him a long time ago.

"Bad people, from the bad world, kept blocking my path", remembers the poet's father Vasile. In 1964 he was amnestied. Haralambie's brother had died in prison, and his brother Mihail, shortly after his release. All that was left for him was to turn to the other brothers of the faith and priesthood. But the Patriarch cannot receive him, neither can Metropolitan Iustin from Iasi. Finally, Bishop Teofil calls him to the parish in the village of Bobâlna in Transylvania, where he happily goes. He was persecuted from place to place in his country, but others, located at such a great distance, wanted him by their side.

 

 

"I DO NOT GIVE THE BLESSING OF ARCHIMANDRITE VASILACHI”

The Orthodox Missionary Episcopate in America and Canada was founded in 1934. By the 60s it had already grown a lot and consolidated. In 1966, after the death of Bishop Andrei Moldoveanu (+ March 14, 1963), Archimandrite Victorin Ursache, who came from Jerusalem, where he had been a priest at the Tomb of the Lord for a decade, was elected Bishop of this diocese. The American Consulate called him to come to America also because he had previously been a professor at the Theological Seminary in South Canaan (Pennsylvania). Being elected and canonical, he was recognized by the Synod of the Romanian Patriarchate. Archimandrite Victorin Ursache is ordained Archbishop, and next to him are placed two other Archbishops, Epiphanius and Aristobulus, who also came from Jerusalem. The Romanian Episcopate in America and Canada was now led, by God's will, by Bishop Victorin. He needed more priests and asked the Romanian Patriarchate to send them out of the country. He made a list of requests that he had passed and the name of Father Vasilachi. "This happened during the time of the communists, in 1968", says the father who has an extraordinary memory. Patriarch Justinian puts a clear resolution on the received list: "We approve all those requested, but we do not give the blessing of Archimandrite Vasilachi". But those across the Ocean strive and finally get the call. "When I presented myself at the chancellery of the Patriarchate, Bishop Antim Nica welcomed me with his hands raised to the sky, telling me the following words: "How is it that you, unapproved, leave the first among those approved?”

 

FULFILLING THE LORD'S WORK IN THE USA AND CANADA

On April 8, 1969, I left for America with the blessing of my venerable father, Archpriest Gheorghe Vasilachi, who told me: "Go, but do the Lord's work there, and send me good news!" First, he worked together with Bishop Victorin for the autonomy of the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate in America and Canada from the Patriarchate of Bucharest. This independence was achieved only in 1974. The Holy Synod of the B.O.R. (Romanian Orthodox Church) approved, on 12 December 1974, raising the bishopric to the rank of an archdiocese, with all the autonomous rights of government. This work, however, did not remove him from his clerical duties. He was priest of the parish of St. Michael, in Southbridge, Massachusetts, where he served for years to "a worthy community of Macedonians who had built a beautiful church, to which they had added a parish apartment". He held conferences, spoke weekly on television to the sick in the hospital, collaborated with the local newspaper and gave religious lessons to children. He is the one who he founded the "Alexandru Macedon" museum in the parish and, for all his zeal, the Massachusetts state government awarded him an honorary diploma. In 197 3, Archbishop Victorin appointed him Vicar of the Archdiocese and then transferred him to the diocesan residence in Detroit, giving him the task of taking care of the archdiocese's printing works. At that time, Father Vasile founded the Theological Collection "The World of Life", a collection in which books on Romanian Orthodox culture and spirituality appear in both languages spoken by Romanians in the States: Romanian and English. At the same time, he holds conferences on the radio, gathers the Romanians together and helps them keep the flame of Orthodoxy unextinguished. Everywhere he goes, because from Detroit he goes to the "Descent of the Holy Spirit" parish in Windson, Ontario, Canada where Father Vasile does missionary work. In Canada, he does a spiritual movement of Bible studies with adults and religious lessons at school with children. The Orthodox priests there elect him president…

 

AT 75 YEARS, HE RAISES THE HOLY CHURCH

He return to the USA in 1984, as a priest at the parish "Sfantul Nicolae" in New York. He was 75 years old. But the holy grace seemed to give him eternal youth. His mission was to teach the Romanians how to keep the faith and to build places where Orthodox Christians can find the Lord. With the help of Christians in Queens, he buys a place for the church and begins to endow it with the required items. The work, lasting six years, the cost was 85,000 dollars, and the amount been raised by "the good Romanian Christians in the area". His Holiness Archbishop Victorin consecrated the church on December 9, 1984 and since then he always returned here with apostolic gifts and with fatherly love towards the faithful of this parish - Archbishop Victorin died in July 2001.