Valeriu Gafencu

Martyr Valeriu Gafencu commemorated at Târgu Ocna on 70th anniversary

Valeriu Gafencu, one of the most beloved 20th-century Romanian martyrs, was prayerfully commemorated on Friday, February 18, on the 70th anniversary of his martyric repose in the Lord. The Divine Liturgy and a memorial service were officiated at the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen in the eastern town of Târgu Ocna, where Gafencu died…

Feb 21, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Monument to new martyr Valeriu Gafencu blessed in his hometown

On Thursday, October 1, a bust of Valeriu Gafencu, one of the most beloved 20th-century martyrs of the Romanian Orthodox Church, was unveiled and blessed in his hometown. Gafencu was arrested by the communist authorities in 1941 and died 11 years later at Târgu Ocna Prison at the tender age of 31. He was dubbed…

Oct 4, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

“The joy of being alone, a stranger, forgotten, humiliated, hit, but never defeated.” Commemoration of martyrs at Târgu Ocna

“If you read the poems and texts of those who suffered in communist prisons, you will see that every word they uttered reflects another way to rejoice. The joy of being alone, a stranger, forgotten, kneeling, hit, but never defeated,” said Archimandrite Pimen Costea, administrative vicar of the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău Thursday, February…

Feb 22, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu