Richard Wurmbrand - a small biography for a great man

Richard Wurmbrand (Bucharest, 24 March 1909 - Glendale, California, 17 February 2001) is one of the largest Christian preachers of the twentieth century, founder of the organization Voice of the Martyrs.

Born to a Jewish family, he spent his childhood in Istanbul. It was 9 years old when his father died and his family returned to Romania in 15 years.

Young, he is interested in Marxism: he went to meetings held secretly by the Romanian Communist Party, then illegal, and went to Moscow to study political science. Pursued by the secret police, he is incarcerated in prison Doftana. He later abandoned his political ideals.

He married in October 1936 with Sabina Oster. He converted to Christianity in 1938 and joined the Anglican mission to convert Jews. After the Second World War, he was ordained Lutheran.

Accused of proselytizing (against the Red Army), he was arrested on 29 February 1948 and his wife, Sabina, in 1950.

Released in 1956, he resumed his sermons, and was again arrested by the Securitate in 1959. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and was tortured. In 1964, 2 Protestant associations are free Richard Wurmbrand, paying a deposit of $ 10,000.

He now defends the persecuted church. He went to the U.S. Senate in 1965, which reflects the situation.

In 1967, he founded the association Jesus to the Communist World, which later became Voice of the Martyrs, defending the right of Christians in communist countries and Muslims.

He wrote several books in English and Romanian.

Who we are

St. Basil the Great Greco-Catholic Byzantine is to-day a Pan-Orthodox Parish of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The languages and culture of this Orthodox Parish are Canadian, proper to the Canada’s human environment, as: French, English and Romanian. This is a first one for the city of Ottawa.
It opened its doors on January 30, 1994, in Ottawa.

The opening day was an act of trust in God's desire to plant a presence of the Orthodox Faith, Hope and Love in that neighbourhood.

In 2005 we moved out of Ottawa, to Laval – 14th Avenue du Crochet, Quebec, H7N 3Z2.
Here we joined the Mission Aid to the Martyr Churches (Canada) Inc. and the Holy Transfiguration Greco-Catholic Byzantine Parish in Montreal.

This environment helps us to concentrate our efforts in front to develop our projects and accommodate all our needs. All the work in the building, including the chapel, was done by volunteers.

Holy Transfiguration Greco-Catholic Byzantine is to-day a Pan-Orthodox Parish of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

It opened its doors on January 30, 1992, in Montreal.

The Parish uses the chapel of the rectory and supports also the work done at the St. Basil the Great Parish.

The languages and culture of this Orthodox Parish are Canadian, proper to the Quebecer’s human environment, as: French, English and Romanian. This is a first one for the city of Laval.
Sunday office:

11.30 a.m. Divine Liturgy/Reader Service
Followed by Agape meal
For confession, Church’s sacraments or for discussion with a priest, call Father Radu Roscanu at tel.: 450-967-7792
The Mission Aid to the Martyr Churches (Canada) Inc. is at this time the only charitable intercultural inclusive Mission in Laval and Montreal.

The Mission opened its doors in 1988, in Montreal.

The opening day was an act of trust in God's desire to bring help to the poor, the sick, the people persecuted for their faith. Many projects were accomplished throughout the Eastern Europe, Africa and Central America.

There is much work to be done. The hungry need food, the lost need purpose, the sad need comfort, but the heart of all we do is the place of intimacy with God who is Trinity.
St. Basil the Great Parish, as well as Holy Transfiguration Parish, and Aid to the Martyr Churches Mission are all incorporated as non-profit charitable corporations and issues tax receipts.

Since twenty years, the Mission had had strong local roots, while fostering a concrete solidarity with the persecuted and poor not only in our area, but throughout the world, especially in Eastern European countries, in Caribbean countries and in Africa.

Our life has been also centered on prayer. In order to truly be present to those who need our help, one needs to know how to live in the presence of God. Prayer is our means to do a work rooted in our faith,

The Very Rev. Radu Roscanu is the founder and the priest of the Mission.

Aid to the Martyr Churches (Canada) Inc.
Mission
14, Avenue du Crochet, Laval, Qc,
H7N 3Z2
Tel: 450-967 7792; Fax : 450 669 5016
www.entraidefraternelle.com
Charitable Registrations: # 89328 1832 RR 0001

For more information please visit us at www.brotherlyhelp.com and www.entraidefraternelle.com.

Living in jail with God

Dear brothers and sisters,

"Walk in the Spirit..." (Galatians 5:16)


I am sorry I would have liked to paint the beautiful shining faces of Christians in Communist jail Their faces shone, and it was quite an achievement for the glory of God to shine on the face of a Christian in Communist jails. We did not wash (I had not washed in three years), but the glory of God can shine even from behind a crust of dirt. They had triumphant smiles on their faces.

I know about Christians who were released from Communist prisons. I was one who was stopped several times on the street by passers-by asking, "Sir, what is it in you? You look like such a happy man. What is the source of your happiness’?" I told them that I came from many years in Communist jails.

They could not understand this because they could not think beyond the difficulties of their own lives. They had not learned to walk in the Spirit and to experience the presence of God. So many would think, "If only you knew what a life I have - a husband who batters me, a wife who nags, children who break my heart - there are so many things." There are many material difficulties, tempests in your soul. I know these difficulties exist.

Horev was a Russian Christian who was in jail for many years. His father died in the same jail. Horev wrote in a letter, which he smuggled out from prison, that he was placed in a cell with common criminals. What they did to Christians is unimaginable.

The criminals beat Horev until lie fell unconscious. When he came to, he heard them talking among themselves, "We should grease some rope and hang him tonight." The others refused, because that was too complicated. They had better cut his throat and then place the bloody knife in his hand so it would look like suicide. That was the talk among them. You could believe it, because they did these things.

Then, walking in the Spirit, Horev envisioned another world for himself and said, "How beautiful it will be after they have cut my throat." He saw the angels receiving him, taking him in their armsto bring him to the bosom of Abraham. He saw himself encountering the martyrs of old. He enjoyed these things. He slept the whole night very quietly.

The next day, the criminals again beat him, and in the evening they talked about killing him. Horev said to himself, "But my father has died in this place. What an honor for me, and what a joy for my father, that I was not afraid and that I walked in his footsteps and will see Jesus." In thinking about this world that he envisioned for himself, he slept again quietly. It continued on like this until the eighteenth day, when he was moved from that jail. What he wrote is so beautiful: "I had to leave the cell. The criminal who had intended to cut my throat came to me, shook my hand, and said, "Truly, there is something supernatural in you."

What in the world does a criminal know about the supernatural? Horev was a page of the Bible, "an epistle of Christ ...written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the Living God" (2 Corinthians 3:3). The criminal knew from Horev, not from the Bible, that Horev belongs to Another. He has a divine nature. "There must be a God," the criminal said. "Every time we spoke about you, you were asleep and we did not think that you heard us. You kept your eyes closed. Why did you not jump at us? How could you sleep quietly and peacefully? Only one who really believes in eternal life can do this."

The criminal continued, "When you were taken for walk in the prison yard, you could have reported to the guard about us and requested to be placed in another cell. That is what is usually done, but you never did it. Why’? Why did you come back? Why did you not seek help with any man except with your God? Why did you pray on your knees every morning and every evening? You knew that we could kill you, as we have killed so many. Why did you give yourself quietly every day into our hands’? This is incomprehensible for us. Really, you have something supernatural in you." Once again he shook Horev’s hand and that is how they parted.

Horev did not live in this world.

We all expect that Jesus will come again and rapture us to heaven. No one will be raptured, I can assure you, if Christ hasn't raptured his heart already. No one will be in heaven if he is not in heaven already, if he does not live here in an entirely different world than the material world that surrounds us.

So whatever your circumstances - which initial be terrible for some of you - don't live this life. Live the new life, the eternal life, the timeless life, to which we are called by Jesus.

We were in prison cells with believers sentenced to death. As often as the door was unlocked, the prisoner did not know if he would be taken to a bath, to an interrogation or to be shot. Yet there was such a peace. There was no difference for him because lie knew he had eternal life.

I belong to the family of God. I have the nature of God. Because I also have the nature of a man, I know I may live sixty or eighty years. Since I have the nature of God, who in the world can kill me? Men can change only my outward form, but I will live in other circumstances.

We saw this peace - the peace of those who understood that godly nature - and I plead with you for this. You have your difficulties. You have your crosses. Trust in the God who makes faces to shine and know that in Him you have eternal life.

Sincerely,

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand