The Archdiocese of Bucharest held commemorative religious services on Friday in memory of the victims of the Colectiv nightclub fire.
Priests from Bucharest’s Sector 4 and those serving in the capital’s public cemeteries prayed both for those who died and for those whose lives were irreversibly changed by the fire on 30 October 2015.
The commemorations began with the Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas–Broșteni Church, celebrated by a group of clergy led by Fr Ionuț Bărbulescu, Dean of Bucharest’s Sector 4.
A memorial service followed near the entrance to the former Pionierul Factory, where the Colectiv nightclub was located. Clergy led by Fr. Ionuț Bărbulescu, along with Fr. Gheorghe Dilirici, coordinator of the priests serving in Bucharest’s public cemeteries, officiated.
Prayer as a source of healing
“We prayed, convinced that their souls are immortal,” the dean said at the conclusion of the service.
“We prayed that they might be granted rest, as one of the prayers of the memorial and funeral services says, in a place of light, where there is no pain, sorrow or sighing, but life everlasting.”
“For the families of the young people who died, there is only one remedy to ease their pain, and that is the prayer we can offer to our good God, especially during the Divine Liturgy,” Fr Ionuț Bărbulescu added.
He explained that the Divine Liturgy is the service in which the sacrifice of Christ the Saviour on the Holy Cross is made present in an unbloody manner.
“During this service, we clergy pray at the Proskomedia and throughout the rest of the Liturgy for both the living faithful and those who have fallen asleep,” he said.
“You see, we call them ‘those who have fallen asleep’, rather than ‘the deceased’, precisely to show that their souls are immortal, as I mentioned.”
The Church’s support for the victims
Clergy of the Archdiocese of Bucharest hold annual memorial services for the 64 young people who lost their lives in the fire.
Among the first to arrive and offer assistance at the scene was Orthodox priest Fr. Vasile Bîrleanu, who served at the Dealul Spirii Emergency Inspectorate chapel and supported victims and emergency responders.
The Church also provided material assistance to survivors, distributing food and hygiene supplies to four hospitals in Bucharest.
Victims and their families also received financial assistance from the Archdiocese of Bucharest and other Romanian Orthodox dioceses.
For more pictures, please visit our Photo gallery section
