Father Calciu was one of the most important Romanian anticommunist militants, his beliefs and actions against the Romanian totalitarian system leading to more than 21 years spent in prison (1948-1964, 1979-1984). Born on November 23, 1925 , Father Calciu first opted for a medical career, but his university studies were stopped after 2 years, when he was expelled from the Medicine Faculty for political reasons, being subsequently convicted to prison. After the general amnesty in 1964, he graduated the Theology and Philology Universities and continued to protest against the communist system both as the priest of the “Radu Voda” Church and as a professor at the Theological Seminary in Bucharest . His attitude condemning the violation of human rights and the demolition of churches in Romania brought him a new sentence to prison in 1979. He was released in 1984 at the pressure of important Romanian Exile personalities (Mircea Eliade, Virgil Ierunca, Eugen Ionescu, Monica Lovinescu, Paul Goma) and international political leaders (Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II). He was forced to leave Romania and came to the United States in 1985.
In America , Father Calciu continued his religious work and support for Romanians. He initiated the Romfest – the festival of Romanians in exile – whose first event took place in 1992. He became the priest of the “Holy Cross” Romanian Orthodox Church in Alexandria , VA in 1989. Father Calciu was the soul of the efforts aiming at beginning the construction of a new Romanian Orthodox church in the Washington area, a church that will be built in Potomac , MD.
Father Calciu was a close friend of the Embassy, being actively involved in the mission's activities, both the professional ones, as well as those related to important events in the life of the Embassy's personnel.
May He Rest In Peace!