Elie Câmpean was born in 1859 in Goreni, near Reghin, in a family that had a long history of fighting for the Romanians' national freedom. His grandfather and his father had both participated in the Revolution of 1848. In 1883 he graduated from the Theological Seminar of Blaj and worked as a primary school teacher and later became priest in the village of Subcetate-Mures, dedicating himself to the problems of the Romanians living in the area. Between 1897 and 1916 he was arch-priest of Gheorgheni. As arch-priest, he contributed to the establishment of Romanian schools and supported the activity of “Astra” as means of spreading Romanian culture into the szeklar areas. After the end of the First World War and the Unification of Transylvania and Romania, Elie Campean was a deputy in the National Romanian Council and chairman of the Romanian Committee. Elie Câmpean spent the period between 1922 and 1937 (with short interruptions) in Tirgu Mures as arch-priest and prefect. Together with Emil Dandea, then mayor of the city, he played an important role in the building of the "Buna Vestire" Church - also known locally as the Small Cathedral - which until 1948 belonged to the Greek-Catholic Community.