Priest Gheorghe Șerban – a gentle and wise man

A murder that shook the whole camp was the shooting of priest Gheorghe Șerban[1] from Constanța, inside the camp, in front of our eyes, on a sunny morning at around 10 o’clock.

Priest Gheorghe Șerban was a gentle and wise man. With calm words, an exceptional memory and a great sense of friendship, he often woke us from our after-hours slumber with stories of great humour. We called him Elder Creangă, so much did his memories and stories delight us.

A few months after entering the mine – as far back as I can remember – in the spring of 1951, Father Șerban displayed obvious signs of fatigue. We worked different shifts and only met him on the surface when we exchanged a few words of spiritual counsell.

One day I saw him looking very downhearted and asked him:

– What are you doing, Father? Why are you so sad?

– My heart, dear! My heart won’t help me anymore!

And he carried on working.

(Gabriel Bălănescu – From the Kingdom of Death. Pages from the History of the Iron Guard, Gordian Publishing House, Timisoara, 1994, p. 145)

1. The memoirist confuses the first name of the father. It is Radu Șerban, not Gheorghe Șerban.