Father Berghian – a martyr of the Romanian Orthodox Church

With Father Berghianu I lived an experience worthy of those back in the catacombs. Before the general hunger strike in Aiud, Father Berghianu gave the Holy Communion to the dozens of cells on the side where he was, using the specific means of the prison, and on the appointed day we confessed to Father Berghianu from afar, who gave us the sacrament of Holy Communion. (…)

The worthy priest suffered from serious illnesses all the time and was admitted to the prison infirmary. Here another prisoner helped him with something forbidden (it was probably medicine) and when this was discovered, without knowing who did it, pressure was put on the priest to reveal the “good Samaritan”. This was a typical communist prison method of treating sick people in the infirmary with pressure and questioning. The Father, although seriously ill, refused to betray his benefactor which led to his isolation from the other prisoners.

He died a hero. He is a martyr of the Romanian Orthodox Church!

(Liviu Brânzaș – Witness in a Moral Trial, Brad “94” Publishing House, 2000, pp. 12,13-14, 43)