In the heart of Moldova, a small republic located between Romania and Ukraine, and specifically in its countryside steeped in tranquility and deep Orthodoxy, an incident occurred that sparked both bewilderment and panic: the disappearance of a priest inside a monastery, without he leaving it and without any trace of him being found, as if the earth had swallowed him.
Story beginning
In 2012, a priest known for his piety and devotion to meditation and seclusion entered an ancient monastery known as Vărzăreşti Monastery. This 16th-century monastery is one of the oldest in Moldova, surrounded by dense forests and fog. Locals have been telling strange stories about it for decades.
His purpose was to spend forty days in silence and contemplation, a ritual known in some ancient Orthodox traditions. He registered his name in the entry book and was seen passing through the massive stone door, then vanishing.
Disappearance Mysterious: No Door He Came Out Of
Days passed, then weeks, and Dumitru did not appear. When the monks tried to contact him, they discovered he had not been seen since the first night he entered his cell.
They searched throughout the monastery, then the surrounding forest, but to no avail. The authorities were notified, and search teams arrived equipped with police dogs and drones.
But there was no trace of him at all. Even stranger: the only camera at the monastery gate did not record his departure, nor did it record anyone leaving or entering after him.
Investigations
The police put forward several hypotheses:
- Voluntary escape: unlikely, because his papers, belongings, and everything he owned remained in his room.
- Kidnapping: No signs of a break-in or struggle, and no clear motive.
- Suicide or accident: no body, not even a trace of clothing or blood.
Suspicious Testimonies: Voices and Screams in the Night
Several monks reported hearing strange sounds on the night Dumitru disappeared. Some reported moaning or chanting in an unknown language. Another claimed to have seen a strange light shining from Dumitru's cell, but it disappeared when he approached.
Local residents revived an ancient legend surrounding the monastery, which says that a 17th-century monk opened a portal between the two worlds—the human and the spirit world—while attempting to summon angels, and ended up disappearing in the same way.
Paranormal Analysis: Are We Facing a Rift Between Worlds?
Paranormal researchers have taken an interest in the case and have classified the incident as one of the paranormal disappearances, which are sometimes recorded in places with a high spiritual charge.
One Romanian researcher has stated that there is a possibility that the monastery contains an anomalous energy point, or what is known in local folklore as the "mouth of the earth," a place that can swallow both time and space.
Nothing new after years
As of the date of publication of this article, nothing new has been discovered. Dumitru remains hidden and the monastery has become more mysterious than ever. Some visit it to seek blessings, while others avoid it for fear that what happened to the priest will happen to them.
Between faith and doubt
The disappearance of Father Dumitru remains one of the strangest disappearances in Eastern Europe, surrounded by legends and questions, without ever coming close to the truth.
Did Dumitru enter a state of spiritual ecstasy and melt into the universe? Was he the victim of a secret ritual whose consequences he couldn't bear? Or did he simply exit through a door we can't see?