The Passing of Fr. Roman Braga

What can one say of the passing of Fr. Roman?  He suffered terribly in a notorious prison camp during the time that Romania was ruled by the Communists.  This camp was known for its experiments in stripping people of there identity, their personality, even their humanity, and trying to rebuild them as the new Communist man.  What it inadvertently did was strip him of his false self and facilitated the development of a new life in Christ.  He was grateful to his tormentors for this help.  His suffering was transfigured in imitation of Christ and brought forth a love for all things, creation and creatures without exception, in union with the Creator.  He once told us that "monks love everyone and everything, even the demons."

When I first met him I was a confused college student being pulled in many contradictory directions.  I went on a retreat to the monastery where he was the spiritual father.  There was an opportunity for having confession with him.  He welcomed me into the small room beside the chapel and said, "Before I hear your confession, let's just have a little talk."  He asked a few basic questions and then told me of something to watch out for, how to handle this thing, how to understand it so as to not be deceived.  He then heard my confession.  Several weeks later I went through this very thing and I did not handle it as I had been lovingly instructed to do so.  It did not turn out well and only too late did I remember the words of fatherly love that he had spoken to me.      

May his memory be eternal.