Source: Bishop Klemes of Gardikion, Οἱ κατὰ Θεὸν Ἀγῶνες καὶ τὰ Θαυμαστὰ Παλαίσματα τοῦ Ὁμολογητοῦ Ἱεράρχου Ἁγίου Γλυκερίου ἐν Ρουμανίᾳ (1891-1985) (The Godly contests and wondrous struggles of the Confessor-Hierarch, St. Glicherie of Romania [1891-1985]).
On the Feast of the Holy Trinity
in the year 1935, St. Glicherie, then still a Hieromonk, was celebrating this
great day in Drăceni, where he received a telegram from the Holy Mountain
concerning the situation of the Old Calendarist strugglers in Greece, following
the accession of three Hierarchs—Germanos of Demetrias, Chrysostomos of
Zakynthos, and Chrysostomos of Phlorina—to True Orthodoxy, which had just then
taken place. Hopes that this historic step might have positive repercussions
also for the True Orthodox in Romania assuredly took wing in the soul of the
Hieromonk and Confessor, who began to give serious consideration to the
possibility of a new trip to Greece, in order to familiarize himself with the
situation from close at hand.
***
In the course of that year, the
struggle continued with undiminished intensity. It is altogether typical of
Father Glicherie that he was not animated by “zeal not according to knowledge”
and that he was not overcome by bitter zeal, but, in spite of the persecutions
that he endured from the New Calendarist innovators, in his soul there
blossomed a love for God and for his neighbor, and even for the very enemies
and persecutors of the True Faith. The incident cited in what follows shows the
forbearance of the Saint and his wise evangelical pastoral approach:
On one occasion, he journeyed to
Moișa in order to bless a Chapel. That night, the New Calendar Priest from an
adjacent village assembled a group of his own people, and they rushed to
“punish” the newly arrived “Old Calendarist troublemakers” who had appeared in
their locality in order to “disturb” their peace and quiet. The Saint, facing
the risk of provoking bloodshed, ordered all those were with him to hasten to
depart from the area, thereby giving “place to wrath” [i.e., restraining
anger]. However, one of the Old Calendarist faithful was arrested by the New
Calendarists and suffered brutal maltreatment at the hands of the innovators.
The following day, a hot-headed
Old Calendarist believer gathered others from the vicinity in order to go and
administer suitable “punishment” to the New Calendar Priest who had instigated
the persecution. He succeeded, in fact, in assembling several men, who
resolutely went forth to carry out the deed.
However, no sooner was the Saint
informed of this than he rushed to overtake them and stop them, in the name of
the peace of Christ. When he met up with them, he adjured them not to venture
upon an act of vengeance, emphasizing to them that evil is not overcome by evil
and that they ought to provide everyone with a genuine Christian example of
being peaceful and God-fearing folk. The sweet words of the meek and humble
struggler, Father Glicherie, had a profound impact on the souls of those
immature faithful, who returned, sought forgiveness, and called off their
un-Christian purpose.
***
As we have previously mentioned
[elsewhere in the work from which this excerpt is taken], following an episode
in June of 1932 in Rădășeni, Father Glicherie suffered a permanent wound to the
leg, which at times caused him unbearable pains. However, the Grace of God
miraculously strengthened and consoled him, so that he was able to perform his
extremely vital duties. Sometimes he experienced relief from the pain in his
leg while celebrating the Divine Mysteries.
On the Feast of St. Paraskeve the
New of Epivat (October 14), the minor Feast of the Church in Rădășeni, the
Saint was serving Great Vespers on the eve of the Feast, when he felt severe
pain from his wound, so much so that he could not go out with the Icon of the
Saint during the Lite. So, he fell down with tears and fervently besought the
Saint to allow him to do what he had to do, and at once the pain miraculously
ceased! Thus, he was also able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy the next day in
festive style, in honor of the great wonder-working Saint and patroness of
Moldavia.
On another occasion, he was
bedridden, completely incapable of standing on his wounded leg. While he was in
this condition, a man came to him and informed him that he should hasten
urgently to commune a woman of advanced years, who was dying. The Saint endeavored
to get up, but it was obvious that he could not stand on the leg that was
giving him problems. Thus, the man who had been sent to him departed. However,
he returned before long and announced that the woman’s condition had worsened
and that she was going to die shortly. Nevertheless, once again the Saint,
despite his efforts, was unable to stand on his sore leg.
When he was again alone, he was
tormented by the dilemma of what he ought to do in order that the woman should
not die without Divine Communion. So, he attempted to get up again, and—Oh, Thy
wonders, O Christ our King!—the pain ceased! He went swiftly to the Church,
prepared what was necessary, and walked the two kilometers or more to the house
of the dying woman without any difficulty, arriving in time reverently to
commune her. As soon as he returned to his lodgings, the pain in his leg
overwhelmed him and forced him back into bed! After scarcely a quarter of an
hour had passed, he heard the tolling of the Church bell announcing the repose
of the woman whom he had gone in a miraculous way to commune!
Truly, the judgments of God are a
“great abyss” [i.e., unfathomable]!
***
And yet, the struggle continued,
and the “protagonist,” the chosen servant of God, Father Glicherie—he who was
as one dying, and yet living and struggling—had to take matters in hand and
hurry to wherever the need summoned him.
During this period, the Saint,
while celebrating the Feast of the Holy Apostles in Rădășeni, learned about
certain tragic events in the village of Toporăști, in the region of Vaslui.
There, the villagers were
laboring to rebuild an Old Calendar Church, but the police hastened to thwart
them. The faithful resisted, and the police initially withdrew. However, after
a short time they returned and opened fire (!!) on these civilians, with the
result that three innocent men and one woman were killed on the spot!
As soon as the Divine Liturgy
finished in Rădășeni, the Saint, as he was, clad in his vestments, went in
procession with other clergy and a throng of people to the city of Fălticeni,
in order to protest to the authorities about the dreadful events in Toporăști.
The local New Calendar Protopresbyter, in the face of that impressive
spectacle, rushed in alarm to the police and requested that the army (!!)
intervene to disband the dangerous demonstrators! However, behaving wisely in
this instance, the police did not harass the faithful with Father Glicherie,
but listened to their protest; and thus the faithful returned to Rădășeni for
the Feast Day meal!
Also worthy of mention is the
terrible incident of April 23/May 6, 1935, when the persecutors descended on
the then newly established Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Cucova. There, in
the mêlée that took place, five Old Calendarist faithful were killed and thrown
into a well, and twenty-eight others were wounded. Thus were the pages of the
new Martyrology of the twentieth century enriched!
Source:
https://www.imoph.org/pdfs/2014/06/28/E20140628aNeaFasisAgonon-14%20Folder/E20140628aNeaFasisAgonon-14.pdf
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