Father Iulian in Aiud prison
I met Father Iulian in Aiud… it was around ’63. We were in a transition room, in the section where people came from other prisons – there were about 80-100 of them – among them was Father Stoicescu: tall, handsome, without a beard – there they didn’t allow beards for priests – straight as a fir tree. We made friends immediately, in two or three days, when Colonel Crăciun (the Aiud prison commander, n.n.) came to visit us with the whole “staff” – majors, captains, platoons… He stopped at the door (he knew who everyone was, he had the reports):
– “I’ve come to propose that you work in the factory”.
It was ’63, towards the end of re-education, and he put those who were healthy, young, in the factory.
– You, standing there with your forehead down… were you a priest?
– I am a priest, Colonel – we held some communal prayers there, although we didn’t know the people –
– Pray all you want until your knees buckle, but don’t let me hear you say you’re sorry for me! I know priests like that, bastards who take women to confession…
Father Stoicescu was stunned.
– Do you still believe in God?
– Colonel, I believe in God!
– Hey, don’t start a sermon about your faith, or else…
Father took him to the factory. I didn’t see him for a long time. When I went to the factory three months later, I was in the same room with him, there in the station, and Father was next to me. That’s when we got to know each other better – we stayed until we were released, about five months. There were about 40 people in room 7. In the factory they put us in the ovens… I worked with him, helped him with tools, talked to him…
They started to push for re-education. Talking with him and others, we decided not to take part in re-education.
Father had an extraordinary attitude. I mean, without any compromise, all the time in line with the Church. Different people came to the factory, he confessed to them – they couldn’t supervise everyone, there were about 200 of us – people came to tell him their problems, their worries, about their family, their faith…
They didn’t see him praying. You never saw him angry, angry at anyone, never looking at the bottom of the mesh tin, never asking for extra food.
I loved him so much. He was in control. He was with God.
I spent years out here with him. We saw each other at least once a week, and we sent dozens of people to confess and commune with him – students, engineers, doctors…
(Testimony of former political prisoner Romeo Pușcașu – A priest of fire. Father Iulian, edited by Costion Nicolescu, Bizantine Publishing House, Bucharest, 2000, pp. 150-151)