03.12.2021,
Fr. Donald H. Calloway, MIC became known in the Catholic world during this year of St. Joseph for having penned two very rich and useful books dedicated to him: Consecration to St. Joseph. The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father (2020) and St. Joseph Gems. Daily Wisdom on Our Spiritual Father (2018). The latter, a collection of meditations on St. Joseph by various saints, blessed and popes, was translated into Romanian by ITI Associate Professor for Interdisciplinary Sources (Latin and Greek), Dr. Andrei Gotia, and was published at the end of November: Nestematele Sfântului Iosif. Înțelepciune zilnică despre părintele nostru spiritual (Cluj-Napoca: Viața Creștină, 2021).
Dr. Gotia, whose middle name is Iosif, felt inspired in March, shortly after the feast of St. Joseph, to offer Fr. Calloway’s book to a Romanian readership during this year dedicated to Our Lord’s earthly father and set immediately to work. By comparison to the original, this translation offers the seven new invocations added to the Litany of St. Joseph by Pope Francis in 2021. Another novelty is the addition of two prayers to St. Joseph written by Fr. Tertulian Langa, the translator’s grandfather. ITI graduate and brother of Dr. Andrei Gotia, Fr. Ioan Gotia, who painted the Byzantine Chapel in Trumau, contributed to the book an icon illustrating the month of September. A last touch to this family enterprise – the proofreading was done by Mrs. Maria Gotia and Fr. Cristian Langa, the translator’s mother and uncle. May this book help Romanian readers get to know St. Joseph better and follow in his footsteps: Ite ad Ioseph!