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Prince and shepherd
Born in a palace in Constantinople
on Christmas Day, 1873, he was the grandson of the last sovereign of
Moldova. A Romanian Orthodox prince, of French origins through his mother,
he received a refined education, which put him in touch with the internationale
elite. During his brilliant studies in Toulouse and Paris, he discovered
the truth for which he had been searching so long: he officially converted
to Catholicism in 1902.
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Forerunner of the apostolate of the laity
His conversion saw the beginning of his intense
missionary and charitable work. Among other things, he founded the house of
the Daughters of Charity in Bucharest and helped all the poor people that
Providence placed in his way. As a layman, he consecrated a large part of
his life to prayer and his doctrinal formation. In Rome, he obtained from
the Dominican university his licence in philosophy and doctorate of theology
in 1905.
Pope St Pius X persuaded him not to become a priest for the time being,
because of his aged mother. But the saintly pope had appreciated the qualities
and the radiant goodness of the Prince and encouraged him to develop his
apostolate as a layman, as his prestige was so great among his Orthodox brothers.
World War One saw him struggle with all sorts of misery, as well as diplomacy.
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