On 6 September 2025 at 11am, the Roman Catholic Church will solemnly proclaim the beatification of Mgr Eduard Profittlich as a martyr on Freedom Square (Vabaduse väljak) in Tallinn (www.profittlich.eu).
On 4-5 September, on the occasion of this historic event, the Dominican friars and lay members of the Dominican Fraternity Fra Angelico in Tallinn will organise an uninterrupted public reading of the names of the 22,600 Estonian men, women and children who died as victims of the Communist regime during the Soviet occupation of Estonia (1941-1990).
With this initiative, the Dominicans, who have been associated with the history of Estonia since 1239, aim to commemorate and honour all victims from Estonia and elsewhere who, like Mgr Eduard Profittlich, suffered persecution and died under Communist repression. The Dominicans want to signify that their suffering, whatever their conviction may have been, has not been forgotten and is like a seed for a peaceful future. Their deaths serve as a reminder and an invitation to each one of us to be peacebuilders in a world where lack of justice and freedom still denies full human dignity to all.
The reading out of the names of Estonians who died in that repression will also be a means of expressing the profound empathy of the Roman Catholic Church with the Estonian people. As Christians, Dominicans believe that each human being is created in the image of God, and therefore worthy of respect and love. During approximately 21 hours, from Thursday, 4 September 2025 at 4pm until Friday, 5 September 2025 around 1pm, about 150 readers from various walks of life will proclaim the names of 22,600 victims as established by the tireless work of NGO Memento and the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory Foundation (Eesti Mälu Instituut).
This act of commemoration will take place in the mediaeval Dominican priory of Tallinn and will be broadcast live on the Dominicans' YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@DominiiklasedTallinnas
and onlline: www.dominiiklased.ee
So that people, wherever they live, can participate in this event. In the cloisters of the mediaeval Dominican priory, the public can come and lay flowers and candles (entrance through the Cathedral courtyard, Vene street).
At the end of the reading ceremony, the list of the victims will be carried to the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul where a concert will take place on the eve of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich's beatification.
Date: 4 September 2025, 4 PM – 5 September 2025, around 1 PM (GMT+2).
Place: Mediaeval Dominican Priory in Tallinn (entrance through Roman Catholic Cathedral Courtyard, Vene street).
Organiser: Dominican friars and Dominican Lay Fraternity Fra Angelico.
More information: In Nomine communication agency
Toomas Kään, +372 5010 715, toomas@innomine.ee
Mariann Saar, +372 5788 8740, mariann.saar@innomine.ee
