Memories of the martyred priest Aurel Lazarov

But in the dormitory[1] I also heard biographies that strengthened my conviction that man is created in the image and likeness of the heavenly Father. I will begin with that of the young priest Aurel Lazarov: “After graduating in theology, I got married and then, after being ordained, I was sent to a small village near Isaccea as a parish priest. Because the people were poor, I often went hungry with my young wife. One day she said to me: “Dear Father, we are going to have a child and we need to feed it. Please ask us to move to a wealthier parish”.

“I made the request and it was granted. It was Christmas Eve and I was worried about how to tell the parishioners that I was leaving. But they beat me to it. I woke up at the gate with a delegation who gave me the following speech: “Father, knowing that you have nothing to eat, we have crowdfunded and brought you seven sheep to be yours to feed your wife and the child she will bear, but do not leave us.

I stayed in my poor parish. That is where our little boy was born, whom we called Zefir. And there I was arrested”.

Father didn’t know then that he would never see his dear Zefir or his beloved wife again. […]

I have never met a miner who has drilled a tunnel with such precision as Father Lazarov. I think he has geometry in his blood. Out of 12 holes he got one metre of advance with a perfect profile.

(Nicolae Goga – Triangle of Death. Memories from Baia-Sprie 1950-1952, Ed. Marineasa, Timișoara, 1995, pp. 41, 70)

1. The action takes place in the Baia Sprie forced labour camp.