Other testimonies
We thank Hieroschemamonk Mina, the abbot of "Vârful lui Roman" Monastery, who gave us details about Father Antonie's life and passing. Knowing Father Antonie since 1995, for thirteen years, while he lived in Cozia Monastery, he visited him in his cave for spiritual benefit. "Just the fact that I went to him and saw him calmed me down. It wasn't necessarily needed for him to give me advice," Father Mina testifies. And Father Antonie, a short time before his repose, asked him to tonsure him into the monastery where Father Mina had become abbot, an event that occurred with the blessing of the local bishop.
Here is a very beautiful incident from Father's participation in a Resurrection service. One year, he came down to the monastery, and Easter found him there. He did not wish to stand in the nave for the Resurrection service but seated himself somewhere high up, hidden in the choir loft. At the end, the monastery's abbot greeted him with: "Christ is Risen!", and Father Antonie responded softly, these being the only words heard from his mouth during his years of silence: "Indeed He is Risen!"
Another testimony from someone signing as "Bogdan" is posted online, immediately after the scandal caused by the press: "I am from Călimănești and I know Father Antonie. I have climbed up to him many times. Praise be to God, I was an atheist before, but this man made me Orthodox through the gifts he possesses. I am sorry and I weep for the sins of my life as an atheist. Then I was dead, now I live. Father Antonie does not speak, and he tells you everything you want. He writes on paper and tells you all your thoughts. Saints still exist today. He lives far away, high in the mountains."
Another very beautiful testimony is given by Marius from Bucharest: "I was once with him, at the cave. As far as I remember, I was sitting on the wooden ladder in front of his cave in the Apuseni Mountains, and he was writing on sheets of paper. At one point, a wasp appeared and kept buzzing around us. I'm quite afraid of such insects, and to ward it off, I swatted with my hand. But it kept coming back, kept buzzing around me. I swatted again, but it still didn't leave. Then, Father Antonie extended his index finger towards the wasp, as he usually held it, slightly bent. And the wasp came and landed on his fingernail. He looked at it like a small child, as if he were seeing a wasp for the first time in his life. He kept looking at it like that, with wonder, up close, then he rotated his finger a bit, and the wasp flew away. It flew away and never returned. At the moment, I didn't realize that something out of the ordinary had happened. I just felt bad that I had swatted at it, while he had made such a simple, natural gesture..."
The Repose of Father Antonie
In April 2018, Father Antonie began to express his eagerness to leave Bucharest for the monastery. He had already been formally tonsured into "Vârful lui Roman" Monastery, and now he was very impatient to leave. He frequently asked when the Fathers would arrive, as they seemed to be delayed due to certain reasons related to car repairs. When, finally, the Fathers came to pick him up, he appeared very eager to get into the car. Thus, he arrived at the monastery on Wednesday, April 25th, in the afternoon. However, the long years of asceticism in caves had taken their toll, and he could not move by himself to the cell that had been entrusted to him. He was helped by the Fathers.
Three days after his arrival, on Friday evening, Father Antonie called the abbot and gave him the holy relics he possessed, asking him to also take the seeds and fruits from his cell. No one suspected the reason. During the night, some movements were heard in his cell until around midnight, when all movement ceased. The monks believed that the Father had finally reposed.
In the morning, when one of the Fathers arrived to make him a fire, he thought he was asleep. But he had fallen into his final sleep, thus, in secret, just as he had lived. After three days spent at the monastery, he passed to the Lord, simply, alone, free, like a hermit. This happened between midnight and two in the morning, as confirmed by the doctor. Few were present at the funeral: the three monks of the monastery, two laypeople from Bucharest, and three from the local area, who had dug his grave in the stony ground of the mountain.
A wonderful event occurred immediately after the repose of the Father. One of the laypeople who had known him returned late to Bucharest, from a delegation hundreds of kilometers away, on the very day of Father Antonie’s repose. He had learned of the Father’s passing, but thought it impossible to attend the funeral. However, towards morning, around 6 AM, he dreamed of Father Antonie lying on the catafalque. He approached the coffin, and the Father touched his shoulder with his foot, making his well-known silent gestures, through which he asked him: “What are you doing, why aren’t you coming?” Father Antonie kept his vow of silence even in his dream! Our man woke up, bursting into tears. He told his wife what had happened, sent a message to his spiritual Father, from whom he received an immediate blessing, and set off for the mountains. He arrived much faster than a car normally would, entering the monastery just as they were carrying the reposed body of the Father out of the church. He confessed to me that a state of joy accompanied him for many days afterwards, even during the subsequent business trip to Thessaloniki.
Father Antonie's tomb is located near the walls of the “Vârful lui Roman” Monastery in Vâlcea County, not far from Horezu Monastery.
These are just a part of what I have learned about the hermit Antonie. The greatest part of his life will remain hidden in the Lord, as is proper for hermits. We thank God that He revealed him to us as much as was possible, for the strengthening we received.
Mircea Stanciu
From "Familia Ortodoxă" (Orthodox Family), April 2019
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