Wonders in prisons (en)

A young prisoner, barely twenty-three years old, was brought to Barracks[1]. His name was Alexie. He had been sentenced to twenty years under Article 58—a student, inexperienced and full of youthful enthusiasm. Unsurprisingly, he soon clashed with the hardened criminals around him. He had never been in a prison or camp before, and he did not know the unspoken law: if you wish to survive, you must remain silent, keep to yourself, and comply. Alexie’s clothes were almost new. The murderers decided to humiliate him. Old habits dictated that they played cards with the clothes of newcomers: the winner held […]

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I was arrested and taken to the Securitate headquarters in Pitești, on Equality Street. Then followed the investigation—the horror of horrors. It lasted nearly two months and was unimaginably cruel. (…) One night, after another brutal beating, though I was in unbearable pain, the Mother of God granted me sleep while I prayed. Late in the night, I woke and stirred. Thinking it was the guard, I asked, “What is it, Mr. Guard, are you taking me away again?” I opened my eyes and saw, in the dim light of the cell, a luminous figure—a nymph-like presence. “Is that you, […]

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Fr. I.: Once a guard brought a priest from Moldova who was also imprisoned. He said to me, “Do something, Father, his bleeding doesn’t stop.” I asked, “Why?” He replied, “Because I signed the divorce decree during visitation.” R.O.: His wife divorced him? Fr. I.: Yes, and he had been forced to sign it. He asked me, “Father, but can he do that? A grown man, with student boys—separate me, a priest, from my wife?” I don’t know why, but I felt inspired, and I said: “He’s not wrong. You have children at school, and she is serving others. They […]

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After curfew, I fell asleep for a short while, only to be woken and taken upstairs for questioning. Another sleepless night awaited me, filled with persistent, tormenting questions about everything I had seen and heard in Germany. The interrogation stretched on long into the night. When I finally returned to my cell, I could not rest. I wondered how long I could endure this deprivation, and whether exhaustion would force me to speak words I should not. I did not want to betray myself. Better death! I thought I would rather die than surrender my soul—but how? With what means, […]

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At Christmas, [Valeriu Gafencu, n.n.] was somewhat restored in strength. On the holy night of the angels’ song, he composed a beautiful hymn for the prisoners of Târgu-Ocna. In the bed beside him, Archimandrite Gherasim Iscu gave his soul to God. I will never forget that Christmas night. I went from one sick man to another, taking their pulse and tending to them. From time to time, I looked toward Valeriu. He was serene, his eyelids half-closed, his head bowed upon his chest, his face radiant with an inner joy. Rest eluded him, yet he seemed filled with peace. After […]

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A Miracle in the Danube Delta I would like to recount what happened on 30 January 1962, the day of the “Three Holy Hierarchs: Basil, Gregory, and Ioan.” It was a foggy, cold morning, with mist and dampness that penetrated every layer of clothing and bone. We were dressed in the striped uniform typical of prisoners—just a coat and a torn shirt, which we wore in all conditions, whether 40°C heat or -30°C frost. We sat on ferries in the Danube Delta, on the Russian border, using a 200-litre metal barrel for warmth. We used cut reeds for fuel. It […]

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The Candle of My Soul During my years in Miercurea Ciuc, I had enough experiences of isolation. In my first winter, I was punished twice with seven days of solitary confinement—reported by L.—because I had been caught using our “hieroglyphics” to mark the place on the toilet wall where the mail for Gigi, Adela, and the other girls upstairs was to be taken from. Later, I received another five days—reported by “Orlanda”—for a similar act. In total, I spent nineteen days in isolation, one after another, with only two days in between. The isolation ward was on the ground floor, […]

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The person with whom the following miracle occurred asked me not to reveal his name, and I will respect that request. If God wills it, He Himself will make it known. During the night—or even during the day—one, two, three, or more prisoners would die in a single room. In the morning, when the doors were opened, the dead were placed at the doorway. After a report, the ordinary prisoners on orderly duty would carry them to the mortuary (in the cellar). By evening, ten, twenty, or more bodies would accumulate from across the prison. At night, they were loaded […]

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We were taken to Jilava Prison before being sent back to Aiud. The situation did not disturb us; in fact, we felt a little more refreshed after the long languor of prison life. Even amidst the relentless oppression, an unusual event occurred—one that we experienced fully, with all its intensity. In Jilava, we were put in a separate room, only thirteen of us. It was around February 1962. Outside, the winter was harsh, freezing cold. Inside, the thick-walled barracks maintained a damp cellar-like temperature that pressed down on our bodies, already dried out from so much suffering. One day, the […]

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Let me tell you a little story from prison. Someone was arrested and spent 20 years in prison, a young man who had grown old in suffering. In the midst of an extraordinarily difficult investigation, he lost his patience and set out to find a way to end his life. But he remembered that in his youth, when he was free, his grandmother used to tell him: “If you are in trouble, pray to the Virgin Mary.” He remembered this and said: “I didn’t have the courage to pray to the Redeemer – because he had his faults – but […]

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