23 July 1913 – Saint Pious IOAN (JACOB) THE HOSEVITE was born to the family of a ploughman, Maxim and Ecaterina Iacob in Crainiceni village, county of Botosani, and baptized Hie. He studied at the school in his native village, then at the Gymnasium in Lipcani (Hotin) and at the Secondary School of Cozmeni; in 1932 he passed his school leaving examination at Cernauti. He joined monasticism at Neamt Monastery, in 1933. In 1934 he would settle for a few months at Turnu Monastery, on the Olt Valley. He went back to Neamt Monastery where he was a librarian. In November 1936, he went to the Holy Land together with two other monks. He retired for two years into a cave in Jordan desert, then to “Saint Sava” Monastery. During the eight years he spent here he learned Greek, Arabian, and English and took care of the sick, was a chapel man, a guide and a librarian. On 14 September 1947 he was ordained a priest in the church of the Holy Sepulchre and appointed abbot to the Romanian skete of “Saint John the Baptist”, on Jordan Valley, where he stayed for five years. In 1952 he retired into a cave dedicated to “Saint Anna”, on the bank of Hozeva river. He passed away on 5 August 1960, when only 47 years old, and buried in the cave. On 7 August 1980, the not rotten body of the Pious man was taken out of the cave and put into a special ebony shrine, in the church monastery of “Saint George the Hosevite”, together with the relics of Saint George the Hosevite. The Greek monks painted his icon and drafted his religious service, calling him Saint John the Romanian. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized him on 20 June 1992, to be celebrated on 5 August. In 1968 and 1970, his disciple, Ioanichie Paraiala, published two volumes of his poetry, translations and meditations, with the title “Spiritual food”.