Iustin

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

• He was born on 23 June 1961, son of Ștefan and Maria Hodea in Rozavlea, Maramureș County. He received the baptism name of Ioan.

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 1976 – enters the monastic life at Saint Ana – Rohia Monastery, Maramureș County, whose abbot was at the time Archimandrite Serafim Man;
• 1978-1983 – pupil at the Orthodox High Theological Seminary in Craiova, transferring himself after the first year of studies to the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Cluj-Napoca;
• 1983 – is ordained deacon at the Saint Ana – Rohia Monastery, Maramureș County, by His Grace Justinian Chira, Assistant-Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj;
• 1984 – is ordained celibate priest at the Saint Ana – Rohia Monastery, Maramureș County, by His Grace Justinian Chira, Assistant Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj;
• 1985 – enters the monastic order, receiving the name Justin and having as godfather His Grace Justinian Chira, Assistant Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj;
• 1985-1988 – fulfils the duties of secretary of the Saint Ana – Rohia Monastery, Maramureș County;
• 1988 – he is appointed interim abbot of the Saint Ana – Rohia Monastery, Maramureș County, by His Eminence Teofil Herineanu, Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj;
• 1988-1992 – studies at the Orthodox Theological Institute of University Level in Sibiu / Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Andrei Șaguna” within the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, obtaining the Bachelor’s degree in Theology with the thesis entitled Mănăstirea – Parte constitutivă a Bisericii, focar de spiritualitate și trăire duhovnicească (Monastery – Constitutive part of the Church, Centre of Spirituality and Spiritual Experience), under the scientific guidance of Archdeac. Prof. Dr. Ioan Floca;
• 24 May 1989 – is appointed abbot of the Saint Ana – Rohia Monastery, Maramureș County, by the head of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj;
• 1990 – is elevated to the rank of protosyncellus by His Eminence Justinian Chira, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Maramureș and Sătmar;
• 15 August 1993 – is elevated to the rank of archimandrite by His Grace Justinian Chira, Bishop of the Orthodox Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar, at Rohia Monastery;
• 22 March 1994 – is elected Assistant-Bishop of the Orthodox Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar, with the title Sigheteanul, and on 17 April 1994 he is ordained bishop by His Eminence Antonie Plămădeală, Metropolitan of Transylvania (Ardeal), together with a group of hierarchs;
• 2006-2011 – attends doctoral studies at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the “Babeș-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca;
• 25 November 2011 – defends his doctoral thesis at the “Babeș-Bolyai” University of Cluj-Napoca, entitled: Personalitatea Sfântului Ioan Botezătorul între mărturie și mesianism iudaic, în descrierea Evangheliilor și a literaturii necreștine (The Personality of Saint John the Baptist between Testimony and Jewish Messianism in the Description of the Gospels and non-Christian Literature), under the guidance of Rev. Prof. Dr. Stelian Tofană;
• 16 December 2016 – is elected Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, being enthroned on 27 December 2016 by His Eminence Andrei Andreicuț, Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramureș and Sălaj, accompanied by a group of hierarchs, in the Episcopal Cathedral of Baia Mare, Maramureș County.