{"id":562508,"date":"2026-03-13T12:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=562508"},"modified":"2026-03-13T12:02:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:02:08","slug":"salcia-communist-labour-camp-victims-commemoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/salcia-communist-labour-camp-victims-commemoration\/","title":{"rendered":"Lower Danube Archbishop commemorates victims of communist labour camp at Salcia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Archbishop Casian Cr\u0103ciun of Lower Danube on Monday commemorated the martyrs of the Salcia labour camp in the Great Br\u0103ila Island, where hundreds of anti-communist political prisoners died in suffering.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The memorial service was held in connection with the feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste and Romania\u2019s National Day of Remembrance for anti-communist political prisoners from the period 1944\u20131989<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So far, a team of archaeologists has uncovered the remains of 16 political prisoners from the communist era in a mass grave in the village of Agaua, Br\u0103ila County.<\/p>\n

Archbishop Casian highlighted the sacrifice of those who died for the Orthodox faith. Thousands of people were forced to work in the camp located on a branch of the Danube River.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs in Sighet Prison Memorial and in other places, here at Salcia, on the Great Island where we are on pilgrimage, more than 500 heroes and martyrs became one with the welcoming earth, like the grain of wheat, so that the Orthodox faith and the confession of the Lord might continually flourish anew, as He taught us: \u2018Everyone who acknowledges Me before others, I also will acknowledge before My Father in heaven\u2019 (Matthew 10:32),\u201d the archbishop said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe were deeply moved in Frec\u0103\u021bei, Br\u0103ila County, by meeting pupils from the local school. We then continued the pilgrimage to the 24 stone crosses where the Ossuary Altar of Gratitude will be established, once the church programme blessed by Patriarch Daniel of Romania is completed, according to the decisions of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Romanian law, welcoming the specialists led by Professor Marius Oprea,\u201d Archbishop Casian added.<\/p>\n

A memorial service was also held at the cemetery in Agaua, where a monument stands in memory of those buried without a priest, a name, or a cross.<\/p>\n