His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat on Saturday commemorated seven Greek football supporters who died in a road accident on Jan. 27, 2026, in Lugojel, Timiș County.
The metropolitan officiated a memorial service and blessed a funerary monument erected in their memory at the site of the crash.
About 120 supporters of the PAOK Thessaloniki football club attended the prayer service, along with members of the bereaved families.
“Beloved brothers from Thessaloniki, the journey of your brothers ended here, in this place. Yet from here they have begun another journey, toward Heaven,” Metropolitan Ioan said.
“I pray to the Holy Apostle Paul, who loved Thessaloniki so much, to the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, and to St Gregory Palamas to watch over their souls and grant them rest. May God grant them rest in peace.”
After the memorial service, the Metropolitan offered koliva and traditional funeral bread to those present in remembrance of the young men who died.
Monument erected at crash site
As a sign of fraternity, supporters of the Știința Politehnica Timișoara football club prepared a concrete base at the crash site on which the memorial monument was placed. The monument consists of a black marble cross and an icon of St George the Trophy-bearer, brought from Thessaloniki – the city of St Demetrius and St Gregory Palamas.
“The commemorative moment was a testimony of Christian solidarity and communion in prayer, showing that beyond borders and differences, faith unites people’s hearts in the face of suffering,” said military chaplain Mihai-Adrian Venter.
Romanian Patriarch Daniel sent a message of condolences and solidarity after the accident in Timiș County. Metropolitan Ioan also prayed for the victims at Timișoara’s Traian Vuia International Airport before the repatriation of their bodies.
Photo: Metropolis of Banat
