On the last day of his Gustar, August 31, 2025, marking the end of the church year, with the blessing of His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuți, the Diocesan Competition „The Holy Wood That Resonates” took place at St. Catherine’s Church in Sfântul Ilie, Șcheia; this year marked the competition’s fifth edition.
Organized into two age groups—6–13 and 14–20—the competition brought together the winners of the first round, which took place in each of the diocese’s five deaneries: Suceava I, Suceava II, Rădăuți, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and Fălticeni. Thus, each deanery selected the two best players of the mallets—which give voice to prayer by striking consecrated wood—for each category, with a total of twenty participants competing in a display of skill yesterday.
The competition was conducted according to the criteria established by the judging committee, which included: Prof. Daniela Ceredeev, subject inspector for Religion Within the Suceava County School Inspectorate, serving as president, Archdeacon Vasile Plămadă, inspector in the Church Colportage Division; Archdeacon Marius-Gabriel Filip, director of the Continuing Education Center within the Division Educational–Theological, Ms. Gabriela Teișanu, ethnologist, president of the „Ciprian Porumbescu” Association for Culture, Art, and Traditions, and artistic consultant to the Bucovina Cultural Center, and Monk Lavrentie Toader, a monk at Putna Monastery.
The event, through which the organizers aimed to preserve, promote, and pass on the tradition of toacei beating, began with a welcome message from the cultural advisor to the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți, Fr. Constantin-Ciprian Blaga. His Grace shared a few thoughts on The Symbolism and Role of the Bell in the Christian Orthodox Faith, and then reading aloud the ten exhortations compiled in The Ten Commandments for the One Who Beats the Drum, composed by His Eminence Father Calinic, the head of the church in these lands, in which he outlines the spiritual profile of the one who, through the labor of his hands, becomes a forerunner and companion to the prayers offered to the Most High in churches, calling upon all living creatures to praise the Lord.
Next came the performances, starting with the youngest participants, with the jury watching every moment very closely to score them according to the announced criteria (rhythm, precision of execution, quality of the tone, expressiveness, number of flourishes performed, poise, and attitude). The jury’s task of distinguishing between the contestants was by no means easy, as the competitors demonstrated skill acquired through long practice—a sign of their growth within the Church, in the liturgical rhythm of the services. Not a single contestant forgot one essential thing: the three bows before beginning, proving that, beyond the artistic performance, the beating of the toaca is a profound dialogue with God, watched over by the angels who ceaselessly bring glory before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity.
The competition concluded with a demonstration by Father Lavrentie Toader, illustrating how this object—used in worship since the early Christian centuries—signals to the community the transition from everyday life, in which people are preoccupied with the material concerns of life, to liturgical season, when the Christian is called to cast aside worldly cares and lift his mind and heart to his Creator, savoring the joy and peace of Heaven.
After lengthy deliberation by the jury, first, second, and third prizes were awarded, with the winners in each category receiving, based on their scores, the golden hammer, silver and the one from a bronze medal, as well as a special award commemorating this anniversary year, The Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate. The award ceremony took place in the parish church, where applause was replaced by the liturgical greeting: „Christ is among us! He is and always will be.”.
The list of winners is as follows:
Age group: 6–13 years
First Prize – Alexandru Vornicu, Rotunda Parish, Fălticeni Deanery;
Second Prize – Ioan Nemțan-Nisioiu, Sâhla Parish, Câmpulung Moldovenesc Deanery;
Third Prize – Ionuț Istrate, „Ascension of the Lord” Parish, Vama, Câmpulung Moldovenesc Deanery;
Special Award – Marius-Constantin Isăcescu, Bălăceana Parish, Suceava II Deanery.
Age group: 14–20 years old
First Prize – Bogdan Rusu, Solca Parish, Rădăuți Deanery;
Second Prize – Petru Nemțan-Nisioiu, Sâhla Parish, Câmpulung Moldovenesc Deanery;
Third Prize – Ștefan Rusu, Cumpărătura Parish, Suceava II Deanery;
Special Award – Paula-Lavinia Gavril, Rotunda Parish, Fălticeni Deanery, and Daniel Gănuț, Rotunda Parish, Fălticeni Deanery.
Those who placed at the top were awarded diplomas and books intended to contribute to the spiritual development of those who wish to lead communal prayer services, from His Eminence Archbishop Calinic, through Crimca Publishing house and Arimatea – Joy for the Soul, in cash, with the support of the Bucovina Cultural Center. The gavel used for the awards ceremony was handcrafted by the dedicated monks at Putna Monastery.
All the other participants received the „Witness to Christ” award, in full accordance with the last point of the The Ten Commandments dedicated by the local bishop to those who carry out this ministry in churches: „Make your life a ceaseless exercise in self-denial and in following Christ, so that your devotion may be transformed into pure and authentic prayer, nourished by the truth of the Gospel.”
Prof. Daniela Ceredeev, subject supervisor Religion, addressed the participants in this year’s event, comparing the competition not to an artistic performance, but to a prayer offered on God’s knees, through which children and young people cultivate their rhythm, aesthetic sense, and inner discipline—but above all, the beauty of the soul.
In closing, Fr. Răzvan Cîmpulungeanu, in whose parish this moving event took place, expressed his gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Calinic for blessing the organization of the competition, to the members of the jury, those who supported this initiative, the participants and their companions, and, last but not least, those present who, in a reiteration of the theological concept of „Liturgy after Liturgy,” sacrificed their time of physical rest, in order to give the soul more time to rest in prayer, accompanied by the „holy wood that resounds.”.
