{"id":6488,"date":"2022-11-30T06:09:44","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T06:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/?p=6488"},"modified":"2024-03-11T17:53:16","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T17:53:16","slug":"archbishop-victorin-ursache-a-saint-among-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/2022\/11\/archbishop-victorin-ursache-a-saint-among-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Archbishop Victorin Ursache: a saint among us"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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For a time, we will postpone the eyewitness accounts about Archbishop Victorin in order to publish several notable letters from his early years on American soil. These letters belong to the correspondence he sustained with Metropolitan Visarion Puiu between 1955 and 1963. Metropolitan Visarion, who was living in France, was the confidant of Archimandrite Victorin throughout this entire period and the one who, as will be evident below, encouraged him in his travels to America.<\/em><\/p>

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Jerusalem. June 6, 1956.<\/p>

Your Eminence,<\/p>

If I would have written you yesterday, it would have been to announce that I\u2019ve definitively given up on ever leaving Jerusalem; so undecided am I on what to do. In the wake of the urgings of those who facilitate this travel, I found myself forced to accept, also \u2018definitively\u2019. The thing that swayed me most into deciding I was \u2018in favor\u2019 was Your Eminence\u2019s letter, which strengthened my hope that after so many years of waiting, the Good God will help me on this occasion also to see you.<\/p>

My departure is due more to an American vice-consul from Amman, (Greek-Orthodox) who, seeming to be my friend, \u201cpulled out all the stops\u201d so that I would receive a visa, with one trip paid for by them, to the USA. From there, I\u2019ve received proposals both on behalf of H.G. Trifa, as well as from H.G. Andrei and H.G. Teofil, to come to the U.S. \u201cto help them\u201d. But as you see, since I am traveling without any help on their part, I have no obligation toward anyone there.<\/p>

Why I am leaving \u2013 even I myself don\u2019t know yet. They gave me the visa sooner than expected, so I haven\u2019t had time to arrange with anyone from over there, what I might be able to do in the USA. In any case, I hope to God that I\u2019ll be able to do something and for an improvement of our situation here. Others wrote me from America, claiming I have \u201crelatives\u201d in Canada, yet I don\u2019t know them, it\u2019s possible they\u2019re just from the same village. I didn\u2019t write them, nor did anyone of them write me until now.<\/p>

From the USA, a certain priest Gl. Moraru, from the side of H.G. Andrei, is greatly insisting that I go \u201cto help them\u201d. I\u2019m not very clear on their situation. H.G. Trifa and those with him, are considered here to be schismatics at the least, and not only could they not serve, but anyone from here who concelebrates or communes with them would lose the right, in the future, to serve in the churches of the Patriarchate here. They had called a hieromonk from here for one of their parishes and when he went to ask the \u201cblessing\u201d of those from the Patriarchate to go, they told him that in the future he was not welcome in Jerusalem \u2013 so he had to decline to leave. Therefore, precisely in view of maintaining ecclesiastical relations with the Patriarchate here \u2013 to be sheltered from any suspicions or pretexts, I was thinking to ask that they send me an official paper, formulated as an invitation on behalf of H.G. Andrei to the Patriarchate here. H.G. Teofil is still not known here. Do you think I could manage not to get entangled too much, or that I could get along with them over there, even if only for a period of short duration? Their internal issues don\u2019t pertain to me at all; to me also, it seems impossible to reach any arrangement given the situation at present. Most foreign hierarchs are of the opinion that Your Eminence is the only one who could bring about peace among the Romanians in America, if you could go there personally.<\/p>

Going back to my problem, I am thinking to leave here around the beginning of next month (July). The rush was only to give them a definite answer, so that they could reserve a boat ticket for me. I preferred to travel by boat. In France, I\u2019ve arranged to stay about 15 days. But I\u2019d like to remain more or less incognito. My only desire is solely to visit Your Eminence. Some lines from Your Eminence, until my departure, would help me greatly in the disorientation in which I find myself. That\u2019s why I\u2019m allowing myself to place this paper in the envelope (1 pound) for stamps. [\u2026]<\/p>

June 6 was once a day of celebration for Bukovinians. For me, it has remained the same day of celebration even now \u2013 and with the same filial love, I wish you on this day, Many Years!<\/p>

Kissing your hand most humbly,
Archim. Victorin<\/p>

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Jerusalem. June 9, 1956<\/p>

Your Eminence,<\/p>

It seems to me that everything says I should give up, this time too, on my departure from Jerusalem. I viewed this issue only with respect to the visa and travel, but too little did I ask myself what I might be able to do in America.<\/p>

Besides this, I see that I can\u2019t get along with the people from the Patriarchate here. They maintain that \u201cit\u2019s not the time for me to abandon Jerusalem.\u201d Maybe they\u2019re right \u2013 due also to their hardships.<\/p>

If Your Eminence would share the same opinion, you\u2019d help me greatly if you could send a directive, written in French, in which you could demonstrate that, as the one responsible for the oversight of properties in Palestine belonging to the Romanian Orthodox Church, I\u2019m obliged to remain in Jerusalem, until after these issues are resolved. With this, I could untangle myself from the American Consulate and from the people providing transportation. Ultimately, even a telegram saying \u201cstay in Jerusalem \u2013 letter coming\u201d \u2013 would enable me to inform them sooner that I\u2019ve given up on leaving and that they should cancel the boat ticket.<\/p>

In France, I might come, if God helps me, more toward autumn \u2013 only to Your E. [\u2026]<\/p>

With the same filial sentiments,
Archim. Victorin<\/p>

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\"\"<\/p>

Viels-Maisons (Aisne). France.
June 12, 1956<\/p>

Dear Abbot,<\/p>

The more man travels, the more he acquires new intellectual knowledge in numerous subjects and matters. So, if you have means more or less secured, embark with joy on your planned journey.<\/p>

When we meet, we will clarify together preemptively in conversation, more appropriately, the necessary issues relating to this voyage.<\/p>

The principal milestones for the journey would be: Stopping at Paris, then at the communities in USA and Canada, without any rushed commitments with anyone. You will make the final decision with thought and consideration only after the end of the journey.<\/p>

In Paris, to whom are you coming? Where will you be hosted? Who will guide you through this city? What proposals do you have and from whom?<\/p>

From Jerusalem, you should depart preserving all the friendships from the Patriarchate and from everywhere, \u2013 for now considering these travels as being tentative, and according to some, your return to our country might be drawing near; according to others, not so soon, because new domestic disturbances will follow, such that you might prefer to remain either overseas or back in Jerusalem. [\u2026]<\/p>

Before all else, my thought and advice is to find a way to stay in Canada (if you will encounter favorable conditions), in order to become the founder of an eparchy. I see that H.G. Teofil doesn\u2019t want to leave the USA for Canada, as was intended, I don\u2019t know why.<\/p>

Give me advance notice both of your arrival in Paris and of when you begin your journey from there to me. [\u2026]<\/p>

All the best,
\u2020 V<\/p>

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\"\"<\/p>

The Second Letter<\/p>

Dear Abbot,<\/p>

Through how many of these anxieties of soul did I also have to pass, wandering from country to country \u2013 without help from any of our own!…<\/p>

I sealed the envelope of the first letter just before the second arrived, to which I respond now.<\/p>

*<\/p>

I would desire for you to embark on such a journey, even if long and with certain difficulties, as it is greatly profitable. And if you have means of returning, then set foot with God\u2019s help. You will remain there only if the conditions will be agreeable. If not, then don\u2019t commit anywhere, leaving the tumultuous local situation to be clarified by the future canonical Synod of the country of tomorrow.<\/p>

*<\/p>

If, however, you change your mind definitively, then calmly write me again, and I\u2019ll send you the proposed telegram, followed (or maybe it\u2019s not necessary) by a letter. [\u2026]<\/p>

With warm well-wishes,
\u2020 V<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For a time, we will postpone the eyewitness accounts about Archbishop Victorin in order to publish several notable letters from his early years on American soil. These letters belong to the correspondence he sustained with Metropolitan Visarion Puiu between 1955 and 1963. Metropolitan Visarion, who was living in France, was the confidant of Archimandrite Victorin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-6488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-icon-from-within-nov-dec-22","tag-our-fathers-in-the-lord","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6488"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6641,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488\/revisions\/6641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}