A memorial service for the victims of the Colectiv nightclub fire took place on Wednesday at the cross erected in front of the former club, marking nine years since the tragedy.
The service was led by Father Vlad Mândru, Human Resources Inspector within the Sector 4 Deanery, joined by other local clergy. Father Mândru shared that this gesture was both a pastoral duty and a personal one, as many of the victims were known to the clergy during their lifetimes.
“This is a shared sorrow—of the parents, their families, and the Church as a community,” said Father Mândru, emphasizing that the Church’s prayers make the memory of the victims eternal.
“Their remembrance is not limited to this service; it’s carried on through all the prayers we offer for those beloved souls who have passed, for their families, and for us as clergy who knew some of them, being fellow residents of Bucharest.”
The Colectiv fire claimed the lives of 64 people, leaving over 200 others with serious injuries. Since 2015, these commemorations have been held annually.
The Church has also supported Colectiv survivors with material aid in the form of food and sanitary supplies to four hospitals in Bucharest, as well as financial assistance to victims and their families through the Bucharest Archdiocese and other dioceses.
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Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
