The late Bishop Ruben Tierrablanca Gonzalez, who was reunited with the Lord in the hospital where he was treated for Covid-19 last year, was commemorated with a ceremony held at the Istanbul Holy Spirit Cathedral on the 1st anniversary of his death.
While many people attended the ceremony in the church to commemorate Bishop Ruben, in accordance with the pandemic conditions, many priests were also present at the ceremony to commemorate him.
In the opening speech, especially the personality of Bishop Ruben, the dialogues between people and churches, and his important services for Istanbul Caritas were explained.
While the newly appointed Bishop Massimilliano Palinuro was leading the ceremony, he was accompanied by the Syriac Catholic Chorebishop of Turkey, Monsignor Orhan Çanlı, and the Retired Archbishop of Izmir, and then the Apostle of Istanbul, Monsignor Lorenzo Piretto.
In his sermon, Bishop Massimilliano wished that Monsignor Ruben’s extraordinary goodness and service would always be remembered. Bishop Massimilliano stated that the more we remember the wonders of God, the stronger the life of faith will be. He talked about how hard he worked, especially for those in need. He explained that he established fraternal relations with everyone on communication and dialogue, that he continued his dialogue studies until the last day of his life and worked until the last minute. As bishop, he was a true “Pontifex”, “Bridge builder,” he said. He encouraged the crowd in the church, saying that his life plan is to be One in Christ, and that he fulfilled this purpose, “Let us embrace and continue without forgetting the teachings and services of Monsignor Ruben throughout his ministry.”
After the sermon, the blessing of the Holy Communion was followed by hymns. After the Communion was received, Father Nicola Masedu, Rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, read a greeting in Spanish to the family of Monsignor Ruben, and the ceremony ended.
