Feast of Blessed Theodore

01.11.2013, 14:40
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Blessed Theodore (Romzha). Blessed Theodore is a martyr of the last century, who stood up for the Greek Catholic Church against communist oppression.

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Blessed Theodore (Romzha). Blessed Theodore is a martyr of the last century, who stood up for the Greek Catholic Church against communist oppression. 

Blessed Theodore Romzha (1911–1947)

On the 31st of October we celebrate the feast of Blessed Bishop Martyr Theodore Romzha, Bishop of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo. Being born in the Christian family of many children he received a good Christian formation. From the young age he had the desire to become a priest and after finishing the school he did his theological studies in Rome and lived in college Russicum. After his priestly ordination in Rome Blessed Theodore returned to Sub-Carpathia and was assigned to pastoral work in two parishes after completing first his military service from September 1937 to February 1938 in Prague (Czechoslovakia). Later in 1939 he was appointed as spiritual father and professor at the Greek Catholic Seminary in Uzhhorod.

In October 1944 the Red army reached the Sub-Carpathian region and settled its regime there. In this critical situation the Apostolic See had to nominate and appoint a new head for the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy. The candidate for the bishop office was Blessed Theodore Romzha in the age of only 33 years. His Bishop ordination took place in 1944 in Uzhhorod.

From the very first days of the Soviet occupation the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy fall under a strong attack. The new regime tried to convince Bishop Romzha to support and cooperate with the new government. However, Blessed Theodore was aware of his duties and responsibilities as Bishop and he did not break under the pressure of the new Soviet regime. Foreseeing his possible liquidation the Blessed Bishop not only by his teaching but also by his personal example prepared his priest and his faithful for the difficult times of persecution. He secretly ordained the Vicar Alexander Khira to Bishop in 1945 as his successor. Foreseeing the difficult times Bishop Romzha wanted to assure that the Eparchy will not remain without a shepherd. He prepared the priests who despite all the radical terror continued to guide their faithful and maintained the existence of this particular church throughout more than half of the century. The death of Blessed Theodore Romzha was a carefully prepared assassination, which was completed in the hospital of Mukachevo in 1947.

The first bishop after the legalization, Bishop Semediy (1921-2008), launched a unique case in the history of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo, namely the process of beatification of his predecessor Servant of God Bishop-Martyr Theodore Romzha who was proclaimed Blessed in 2001 by now Blessed Pope John Paul II.