On May 25, at the „Mitropolitul Dosoftei” Orthodox High Theological Seminary in Suceava, took place the launch of the book „Letters from Father - sharing with God”, signed by Father Archimandrite Iustin Taban and published by Crimca Publishing House. The event was held with the blessing of His Most Reverend Father Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților, and gathered people close to culture, literature and spiritual life of Bucovina.

During the presentation it was emphasized that „Letters from my Father” is a book of religious reflection, deeply confessive and literary, built in the form of a dialogue between the Heavenly Father and the man who is trying to understand his life, his wounds and his meaning.

The poet and essayist Alexandru Ovidiu Vintilă, PhD in history, member of the Romanian Writers„ Union and president of the Society of Writers from Bukovina, spoke about the deeply personal and authentic dimension of the book. He described the book as ”a poetics of the self„, its structure resembling the famous epistolary model of Kafka's ”Letter to the Father", but in a spiritual and luminous key.

In his speech, Alexandru Ovidiu Vintilă emphasized that the book proposes „a lived, authentic dialogue” in which man is called to „a continuous deciphering” of his own existence and his relationship with God. He also noted that one of the great successes of the book is the light it transmits and the way in which the author masters and develops the theme of communion and dialog. „It is a book about mysteries,” he said.

Mrs. Alis Niculică, head of office at the Bucovina Library „I. G. Sbiera” in Suceava, spoke about her personal encounter with the texts of Father Iustin. She confessed that when she received the first letter by e-mail from the author, she had the feeling that the text was addressed directly to her. In her intervention, she emphasized that in the pages of this book, love is discovered in people, in nature and in the simple things of everyday life.

At the same time, Mrs. Alis Niculică noted how the author transforms his own inner emptiness „into an academy of meanings”, pointing out that, although he speaks about himself, Father Justin speaks, in fact, about the experiences and wounds of many people.

The writer Paraschiva Abutnăriței, president of the „Arboroasa” Branch of the „Pro Bessarabia and Bucovina” Association from Vatra Dornei, emphasized the importance of inner and spiritual progress, showing that man is called to grow in understanding and sensitivity.

In the final part of the meeting, Fr. Archimandrite Justin Taban spoke about the discreet way in which God works in human life, saying that „God conquers your thoughts before you understand it”.

During the event, excerpts from the book were also read, including the passages „Know, first of all, that you are a happy idea of Mine” or „He wrote me letters in peacetime, in the peace of His heart”, which set the tone for a meeting that spoke about man's search, his wounds, love and the mysterious way in which God continues to draw near to each soul.

The volume „Letters from Father - sharing with God” continues the direction cultivated by Father Justin Taban in other publications published by Crimca Publishing House, such as „Do you believe that I love you?” or „Thoughts from Father to Son”, books that explore the relationship between God and contemporary man in a warm, poetic and deeply personal language.

The volumes can be found in the Crimca online shop.

Priest Dr. Ștefănel-Stelian Ciurciun,

Director of the Publishing and Printing Department

Articolul Întâlnirile Crimca / Lansarea volumului „Scrisori de la Tata” de părintele arhimandrit Iustin Taban apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

On Saturday, May 9, 2026, during the LIBREX Book Fair in Iasi, took place the launch of the book „Behold, I have told you! - Preocupări de pedagogie pastorală comparată”, signed by Fr. prof. univ. dr. habil. Constantin Valer Necula, professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology „Andrei Saguna” in Sibiu.

The event was held at the Casa Cărții in Iasi, in the Art Galleries, and gathered readers, students, teachers and people close to the work of Father Constantin Necula, in a warm atmosphere, as are usually meetings around his books.

Father Ciprian Blaga, counselor of the Cultural Sector of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților, Mrs. Daniela Ceredeev, inspector and Father Ștefănel-Stelian Ciurciun, director of the Publishing and Typography Department, spoke about the book. The interventions emphasized the topicality of the themes addressed by the author and the need for a pastorate that responds to the concrete man, in an increasingly fragmented and hurried world.

The launch took place on the eve of the Sunday of the Samaritan woman, and this closeness gave the event a special significance. Like the dialog between Christ and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, this book is also built around the idea of encounter and inner search. Fr. Constantin Necula does not propose rigid answers or ready-made pastoral formulas, but invites the reader to reflection, sincerity and inner repositioning.

One of the central ideas of the book is that pastoral ministry cannot be reduced to administration or the management of external activities. The author speaks of the danger of an „office pastorate”, in which the priest risks becoming merely an administrator of holy things, losing touch with the person and his thirst for meaning. On the other hand, the book proposes a return to the deeply vocational dimension of ministry, to the priest who once again becomes a teacher of faith and a real companion of the community.

The book also impresses with the way it manages to combine theological rigor with accessible and vivid language. The numerous metaphors and images used by the author transform the reading into a continuous dialog with the reader. The parish is described as „an embassy of the kingdom of heaven on earth” and baptism as the beginning of a lifelong journey of formation. These are images that stay in the mind and give the book a strong pedagogical dimension.

In essence, „Behold, I Have Told You!” is a book about authenticity, about the relationship between the Church and contemporary man and about the need for a ministry that goes beyond efficiency, statistics and appearances. It is an invitation to depth, to dialog and to the rediscovery of a living pastorate, capable of responding to the true questions of the soul.

The book launch was part of the program of the 31st edition of LIBREX Book Fair - „Books Spring in Iasi”, one of the most important cultural events dedicated to books in Romania.

The book can be purchased on the Crimca Publishing House website.

Priest Dr. Ștefănel-Stelian Ciurciun,

Director of the Publishing and Printing Department 

Articolul Întâlnirile Crimca / Lansare de carte la LIBREX 2026: „Iată, v-am spus vouă!” – un nou volum semnat de părintele Constantin Necula apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

The event brought together clergy, researchers and many lovers of Church history in a common endeavor to better understand the role that the Bucovina Church Fund has played in the ecclesial, cultural and social life of this region.

From the very beginning, the meeting was placed under the sign of faith, with the Easter hymn „Christ is Risen!”, a gesture that set the tone for an evening in which academic reflection was naturally interwoven with the awareness of belonging to the Church.  

A key institution in the history of Bukovina

In the interventions, it was emphasized that the Church Fund, established in 1783, was a concrete expression of the Church's concern for the life of the community, concentrating monastery and episcopal legacies and supporting, over time, the central institutions of the church life in Bucovina.

At the same time, it was emphasized the moment of rupture that occurred in 1948, when the patrimony of the Fund was abusively confiscated by the communist regime, which deeply affected the autonomy and functioning of the Church in this part of the country.  

In the current context, the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților continues its efforts to recover this heritage, through a serious approach, based on historical documentation and solid legal arguments.

Academic contributions and archival research

An important moment of the colloquium was the conference given by deac. Mircea-Gheorghe Abrudan, researcher at the Institute of History „George Barițiu”. His lecture brought to the forefront the results of in-depth research in archives in the country and abroad, providing a clear picture of the real status of the Church Fund and the abusive nature of its confiscation.

It was also emphasized that these approaches are not just a one-off, but are based on years of research, careful consultation of documents and collaboration between specialists from different fields.

Launch of the book „The Church Fund in Bucovina (1783-1949)”

The meeting continued with the launch of the „The Church Fund in Bucovina (1783-1949)”, by Fr. Sorin-Toader Clipa, published by Crimca Publishing House.

The author of the book is the parish priest of the Parish „St. Hierarch Spiridon” in Suceava and is known for the rigor and perseverance with which he approached this topic. 

The work, over 1000 pages long, is the result of over two decades of research and is one of the most extensive contributions on the subject. The author reconstructs, with rigor and attention to detail, the evolution of the Church Fund - from the time of its creation, to its dissolution during the communist period and to contemporary attempts to recover it.

The volume is an important tool for understanding the legal and institutional framework of this reality, providing a solid basis for current efforts to regain heritage. 

A joint effort, carried forward

In closing, thanks were expressed to all those involved in the organization of the event: His Eminence the Most Reverend Father Calinic, the guests, the participants, the organizing team, as well as to the staff of the Crimca Publishing House and Printing House for printing the volume.

The event was both an academic meeting and a new opportunity to better understand a heritage that belongs both to the Church and to society as a whole. It was an evening to talk openly about the past, with responsibility, but also with a sense of what we have to do next.

Volume „The Church Fund in Bucovina (1783-1949)” can be purchased on the Crimca Publishing House website.

Priest Dr. Ștefănel-Stelian Ciurciun,

Director of the Publishing and Printing Department 

Articolul Întâlnirile Crimca / Colocviu istoric și lansare de carte la Suceava: o recuperare a memoriei și a adevărului despre Fondul Bisericesc din Bucovina apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

A few decades ago, and it's almost even a century since then, „trying to paint”, as he himself confessed, „the spiritual face of St. Hierarch Calinic”, whom our Church has appointed April 11 as his feast day, our Holy Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae Confessor based his devotion to him on a wealth of achievements and virtues:

            „St. Callicus is the choicest flower that sprang up and grew in the soil of the spirituality of the Knights, developing to the supreme degree its three characteristics: asceticism, mercy and practical concern-gospopore. (...) The realism of St. Calinic can be seen both in his zeal and in his capacity as builder and organizer. Wherever he goes, churches and establishments for religious life spring up around him. He builds large, luminous churches, true cathedrals, and by accepting this style and realistic painting, he is moving with the times.”

            At the same time: „It is astonishing how the contemplation of the divine world and the attentive look at the details of concrete life, the alertness that follows the subtlest thoughts of the mind and the attention that combines and realizes prudent and precise plans of building, organization and housekeeping, were able to fit together and harmonize in him. In the beautiful harmony of divine reasoning St. Calinic contemplated the beautiful harmony of divine reasoning, St. Calinic contemplated the orderly scheme of the plans that he had to realize below, and in those below he caught the rays of the light from above. For St. Calinic loved books and was a man of prayer.”

             And Nicolae Iorga, in  History of the Romanian Church and Romanians' religious life, also evokes the patriotism of the wise, merciful and tireless house-keeper bishop of Râmnicul-Noul Severin, who deeply loved his country and his nation and ended in reality „with valor the line of pure monks without silver, of the founders of books and buildings of worship, of the souls of archpriests, who never for a moment imagined that their deed or thought escaped the watchful eye of God.” More recently, the Patriarch reiterated that we are talking about „one of the most representative Romanian saints, the most balanced in the link between word and deed, between faith and culture, between love for God shown in prayer and love for his fellow men shown in good deeds; (...) a model to follow in terms of the balance between building souls and building new altars of prayer.”

            This year, in the preface of the days recalling the call to „go down into the depths of your heart, recognize the weaknesses of your nature and follow the path of humility as the beginning of a new reality” (verse 6, Decalogue on Holy Saturday), is also the liturgical time dedicated to Saint Hierarch Calinic of Cernica, recognized „teacher of unceasing prayer”, elected spiritual patron of the Most Reverend Father Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților.

            Between the incense medallions of confession and prayer in the book Saints - our true friends (Doxologia Publishing House, 2020), which bears the signature of our Father Archbishop, we also find a „portrait in words” of the saint who was the Bishop of Ramnic, born in 1787, canonized in 1955, „inscribed - here on earth - in the diptychs of the Church of the nation, and there - Up in the choir of the Holy Hierarchs, with whom he will participate in the Archpastoral Liturgy of love, in the great cosmic cathedral of God”.

            I read and re-read the portrait of this chosen of Heaven, so beautifully and wholly set in a medallion of prayer and words, and I cannot help thinking that I find so poignant notes of self-portrait of the Vlădicăi of today, from the Citadel of Suceava.

            St. Calinic of Cernica „was a monk par excellence, dedicated to the spiritual life since childhood, showing himself in all things temperate, demanding with himself, but generous to others. He was the hierarch who never abdicated from the fundamental moral principles by which, moreover, he guided his life, whatever the mission entrusted to him. (...) He knew how to build both churches of the wall and of the soul. The architecture of his foundations breathes the architecture of his soul”. (pp. 73-75)

            A hieratic portrait, like the one put into words by Father Confessor, recently canonized in Sermon at the canonization Mass of Saint Calinic of Cernica, October 23, 1955. The Archpriest of Christ had, therefore, a kindness springing from an authentic mystical experience and he distinguished himself both by his literary and spiritual - missionary and cultural - activity, as well as by his organizational and spiritual activity.

            And, as I was saying, „they seek me” and they find me, reconfirmations that each of these iridescences of an archieresque portrait is also found in the „architecture” of the soul of Father Archbishop Calinic, untiring in serving unceasingly and fully the Most High Heaven, bathed in the light of the saints. I first come to mind countless testimonies from the hundreds of pages of the homage number Theologica Pontica (no. 1/2021, University „Ovidius” Constanta, Academy of Orthodox Theology - Chișinău), which was - some time ago dedicated to him: more than three decades of sacrificial service, more than 100 published works, „works that will last in the soul, in history and in eternity” - thousands of services performed, more than 400 churches built, more than 800 churches restored and painted, the construction of countless social establishments, as well as almost 1000 parish and social houses built from the ground up.

            In the same measure, just mentioned from the rush of thought, in the first year, in Suceava, the reopening of Solca Monastery and the appointment of the first abbot after 236 years; the reopening of Pătrăuți Monastery and the appointment of the first abbess after 200 years; the program „No house without the New Testament”; the establishment of the „Dimitrie Suceveanu” Psaltic Group, the reconfiguration and resizing of the church objects shop, which now includes the „St. Joseph of Arimathea” colporteur store, the „Arimathea - Joy to the Soul” pangar and the „Arimathea - Light to the Soul” candle holder.

            Or, in the second, as it is clear from just a first glance at the 456 pages of the Activity Report - 2021, published by Crimca Publishing House: the anniversary events „Putna Celebration -150. The Continuity of an Ideal”; hundreds of pastoral visits to parishes and parishes, monasteries and hermitages; dozens of visits to social, medical and cultural-educational establishments; many editorial projects, many books published, countless articles and words of teaching written; the reopening of three more monasteries (Ilișești, Ițcani, Bălinești) and the establishment of the Arbore Monastery; coordination and support of numerous regional and national educational-cultural and philanthropic projects for children and young people; campaigns and programs for people in need in the parish communities of Suceava County; the Ecclesiasaria „St. Jacob Putneanul Metropolitan”; the Trapeza of the Communion „St. John the Merciful Metropolitan”; ongoing coordination of the work at the Eparchial Center „Dosoftei Episcopul” and the Eparchial Center offices „Metropolitan Silvestru”.

            Then, in the Year of our Lord 2022: approval of the restoration project of the whole ensemble of the Monastery „St. John the New” and the beginning of works; completion of the House „Dositei Bishop” for the monastic staff, continuation of the construction of the Cultural Center „Silvestru Andrievich Metropolitan Silvestru Andrievich”; construction of a candle factory in the vicinity of the Monastery of Camârzani; the numerous events organized under the aegis of „Mussatinian Heritage - Culture, Faith, History”, events organized on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the consecration of the Church „St. Great Martyr Gheorghe” of the Monastery „St. John the New of Suceava”, the foundation of Bogdan IIIrd Voievod and Ștefăniță Voievod, the 500th anniversary of the consecration of the Church „All Saints” Sunday„ - Părhăuți, the foundation of the boyar Gavril Trotușan, and the 400th anniversary of the consecration of the Monastery ”Saints Apostles Peter and Paul" - Solca, the foundation of Ștefan Tomșa IInd Voievod.

            Also in the same year, 2022, the constant concern to help those close to us, so tried by the war: „(...) he went several times to the Siret border point, spoke to the volunteers, thanking them and encouraging them to persevere in the sorrowful work of serving their neighbor, made sure that the actions to support those in need were going well, talked with those directly involved in this philanthropic endeavor, in order to respond promptly to the difficulties and needs identified. Last but not least, he tried to comfort and strengthen, through prayer and blessing, the saddened, frightened and bewildered souls of those who found themselves overnight part of a conflict they little understand.”

            What was the year that followed? I quote from the Lumina Newspaper, which - in the last 20 years of uninterrupted publication - has consolidated its place and confirmed its role as the chronicle of the Romanian Patriarchate: „the completion and reopening of the Museum and Multicultural Centre „Cazinoul Băilor”, the enrichment of the diocese with four new monasteries, the consecration of the monastic complex Sihăstria Râșcăi, the organization of the National Religious Olympics for theological seminaries, the organization of events under the aegis of the „Ciprian Porumbescu” Cultural Year, the implementation of the project „Prayer Book as a gift for Romanian souls” (for Romanian families in Ukraine), the provision of social-philanthropic support for more than 60.000 people, the beginning of the process of consolidation and rehabilitation of the complex of buildings of the Monastery „St. John the New from Suceava”.

            And the retrospective, so far from being exhaustive, of the accomplishments of the last five years in the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților, would not be complete without those presented in the movie „2024 - 100 minutes of the year that has entered eternity”, launched in the Eparchial Assembly earlier this year. Among those devoted to culture and books: more than 60 books, including two volumes with printed cant, a first for the Romanian theological publishing environment, published by Crimca Publishing House; an impressive number of theological and cultural-artistic events (symposia, conferences, round tables and workshops); the International Symposium „Metropolitan Dosoftei - Saint, Ctitor, Scholar - Jubilee 400”; the launch of the film „A life under the sign of the Cross, Bishop Gherasim Putneanul”, produced by Trinitas TV, the Romanian Patriarchate's television channel, and a whole series of liturgical, cultural-artistic, educational and pastoral-missionary events, on the centenary of the birth of the archbishop and the twentieth anniversary of his departure into eternity; also to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Father Archimandrite Iachint Unciuleac, Abbot of Putna Monastery from 1977-1992 and spiritual father for the whole of Bucovina.

            The 22 books published by Fr. Archbishop Crimca Publishing House in the last few years are not to be befriended with silence. New titles, reedited volumes, revised and completed editions: Family and philanthropy - two divine-human institutions, Cevensong at the vigil hour, Paraclete of Our Lady. A letter of repentance of the soul, Tanatology and Immortality,  (an 2021);  Parables. Gems of Jesus' teaching, St. John the Baptist. The seal of the two Testaments, Trilogy of the Word, Miraculous springs and icons, The logic of the Trinity, The Lord's Prayer. A comment for the man in a hurry, Happiness in unhappiness. A comment for the man in a hurry, Prayer Book. Jubilee Edition (2022); The man beyond death. A comment for the man in a hurry, Funeral sermons, Confession. 86 typologies, Mother of God in the light of Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition, (in 2023); The Triod. Calvary of repentance, Miracles - revelations of the Holy Trinity, About the Sacraments and the Mysteries, (2024); Prayers for various needs (2025); The Decalogues - moral landmarks for modern man and Decalogues to the Triod, Pentecost and Octoih - moral landmarks in search of meaning (2025).

            In fact, in the past year, the Homage Year of the Centenary of the Romanian Patriarchate, which was addressed to us as a call to a renewed celebration of the past, to gratitude to our ancestors, and to reflection on the role of our Church in the life of the Romanian people, we also celebrated 30 years of writing activity of His All-Honorable Father Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților. Three decades in which his pastoral, liturgical, spiritual, missionary, cultural, social, administrative, administrative, educational and philanthropic activity, postgraduate studies, theological research, as well as inter- and multidisciplinary research, have meant the elaboration and publication of an impressive number of books, an ever reconfirmed, continuous and renewing fulfillment of the evangelical words which testify that „every scholar who is a teacher of the kingdom of heaven is like a housekeeper who brings out of his treasure new and old” (Matthew 13, 52).

            And in a still not rigorous enough attempt at categorization on our part, the written work of the Father Archbishop, amounting to 100 titles, comprises 15 categories of content: doctrinal works, works of biblical exegesis, hymnographic writings, liturgical books, books of theology and liturgical commentaries, homiletical works, parenetical writings, biographical books, volumes of celebration or evocation, bilingual monographic albums, multilingual monographs, dogmatic-liturgical books for the general public, missionary-pastoral publications, paperback volumes - commentaries and summaries for the „man in a hurry”, pastoral writings. Also, from a different perspective, that of elaboration and publication, works of authorship, co-authored books, coordinated volumes, works of editing, collaborative book translation. Publications in Romanian, but also some bilingual and multilingual editions (English, French, German).

(https://www.arhiepiscopiasucevei.ro/100-de-carti-trei-decenii-de-slujire-si-misiune-continuitate-innoitoare/)

          From all of them, the vocation of the founding is steadfast. In the fulfillment of each one of them, they are prayers. Prayers among those that strengthen and confess the faith in truth.

All the best to His Beatitude Archbishop Calinic!

Daniela Ceredeev, school inspector for religion

Articolul „A iubit cărţile şi a fost un om al rugăciunii”. Diptic de ziua Sfântului Calinic de la Cernica apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

The cultural, artistic, spiritual and educational event that brought together many lovers of God's most precious gift, life, including teachers, mothers, priests, nuns and students, was held in the „Metropolitan Vladimir of Repta” Hall of the Campus of the Orthodox Theological High School Seminary „Metropolitan Dosoftei” in Suceava.

Only one day after the Feast of the Annunciation, the meeting celebrating the Christian mother and the family, moderated by Prof. Daniela Ceredeev, inspector for religion, began with the The Lord's Prayer. According to the organizers, the title of the conference was inspired by the fifth article of Mom's Decalogue, composed by the Primate of the Eparchy of St. John the New of Suceava: Affirm your eternity through motherhood and own God through your motherly love.

The meeting, adorned in a special way with icons on glass and traditional icons, turned out to be a testimony „about the power of human transfiguration through self-sacrifice, through the learning and practicing of virtues; about overcoming events that could prove limiting through the staunchness of faith, determination, and a strenuous concern to remain in the Light and on the path of Goodness and about the consecration of sacrificial love for eternity”.

Both those present at the event and those who watched the online broadcast provided by the Sector Media and Communication,they learned among other things how a mother lives her faith, how we prepare ourselves, day by day, even here, to meet Christ, how difficult or easy it is to fulfill the confession.

Evening of high emotions began with an artistic moment prepared by the students of the Vocal Group of the „Vasile Tomegea” Secondary School Boroaia, coordinated by the young teacher and artist Gabriel Treteag and Mrs. teacher and priestess Georgeta Meleștean.

Next, „several ladies who are active in the cultural, educational, artistic, administrative and social fields of the diocese, Christian mothers who fulfill a form of apostolate both through their personal vocation and their profession” spoke about the fulfillment of answering the call to witness and serve.

The series of testimonies began with Mrs. Iulia-Ionela Niță, icon painter, mother, priestess, teacher and director of the Secondary School „Bogdan Voda” from Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and continued with Loredana Bertisan-Pop, vice-president ArtViitor, analyst on international electoral processes for the OSCE, project manager at the Center for Independent Journalism (media education field), visiting fellow at Cornell University USA on a board of expert practitioners on global democracy.

A unique moment followed, celebrating 90 years of life of a warm soul from Wonderful Dumbrava of the Buciumeni Monastery, of the one who declares herself twice sister, „nurse and convent sister”Adela Crainiciuc. All those present at the event congratulated her for her nine decades of life in Christ, giving her flowers, one for each year of life, and a cakeanniversary.

Whereas the Forum „Affirm your eternity through motherhood!”. Vocation and mission for the Christian mother! is dedicated to both Christian mothers and „children of the sun”, people affected by Down Syndrome, the young Teodora-Elena Irimia gave the audience a touching musical moment, after which her mother, Prof. Delia Irimia Irimia, director of the Technical College „Samuil Isopescu” from Suceava and member of the „Down Activ Moldova” Association, shared her from the experience of life with a child sun. About the joy, blessings and challenges of being a parent of a bright child spoke also Prof. Daniela-Cristina Casandra, coordinator of Secondary School No. 2 from Marginea, member of the Association „Down Activ Moldova”.

The evening continued with a talk by two of the authors of the collective volume „Two Calls, One Climb. Confessions”, published, with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Calinic, at the end of last year at the Editura Crimca of the Archdiocese of Suceva and Rădăuților, an editorial project dedicated both The Romanian Patriarchate's Centenary Year and, anticipatory, The Ecumenical Year of Christian Family Ministry in the Romanian Patriarchate, Aurora Hrestic, retired librarian, „Eugen Lovinescu” Municipal Library, Balticeni, presbyter, alumna of the National Orthodox Women's Society of Romania, Balticeni Branch, and Mrs. Elena Irimia, retired accountant and priestess.

There followed the testimony of a mother „who has fulfilled 5 times her vocation to be a co-worker with God in the life of the world”, mother, priestess and teacher of Romanian language and literature at the Economic College „Dimitrie Cantemir” in Suceava, Prof. Elena Mihalcea, first grade. As mentioned by Mrs. Daniela Ceredeev, the initiator of this event, the guest „is one of the mothers who, through their profession, are committed to educating and inspiring the children and young people of the world, thus dedicating them and dedicating themselves to eternity. She is inseparable from her children, has achieved remarkable results with them at school Olympiads and competitions and is part of working groups set up by the Suceava County School Inspectorate in the subject she teaches”.

The floor was then given to Mrs. Vera-Elena Bîndiul, teacher of Romanian language and literature and religion at „Mihai Eminescu” Secondary School in Rădăuți, methodist of the Suceava County School Inspectorate, coordinator of extracurricular educational projects and programs, and prof. Miriam-Leon Postolache, methodist for religion, coordinator of extracurricular educational projects and programs, from the National High School „Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi” Rădăuți, who shared her experience, challenges and achievements as a religion teacher who has every year students who have won prizes at the national stage of the Religion Olympiad and also notable results at the interdisciplinary Olympiad „Romanian Culture and Spirituality”.

Georgeta Meleștean, a member of the Advisory Council for Religion of the Suceava County School Inspectorate, teacher Georgeta Meleștean, from the „Vasile Tomegea” Secondary School in Boroaia, is among those who coordinate projects, programs and activities subsumed under the School-Church partnership, fulfilling her mission of serving her fellow human beings as a priestess in the „Buna Vestire” Parish in Bărăști.

Last but not least, the event was also attended by three ladies from the management team of the Solca Home for the Elderly, including the director Andreea-Mirabela Sandu, who spoke about the countless projects in the last 10 years in collaboration with the inspector, to the joy of the elderly people. grandparents with longing.

A surprise moment followed, with the awarding of prizes to the ladies who spoke at the 3rd Forum „Affirm your eternity through motherhood!”. Vocation and mission for the Christian mother!. „Deaconess Olympics” Diploma” was offered by His Most Reverend Father Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților, „in appreciation for the efforts made in the service of others”. Pr. Ștefan Mihalcea, counselor of the Sector Media and Communication of the Suceava Eparchial Center, read the text of the grama and presented the distinctions, as a delegate of the local vicar.

As always at such multidimensional events, there was no shortage of books, within the salon „Book with book, for the library of the Christian mother” being prepared a volume signed by His Most Reverend Father Archbishop Calinic: Decalogues in the Triod, Pentecost and Octoih. Moral landmarks in the search for meaning. To conclude, Prof. Daniela Ceredeev presented a selection of apophthegmatic ideas from this work. „Each Decalogue, of the 73 here, develops a step towards the understanding of divine pedagogy, accessible to children and young people, of course, respecting the cognitive, emotional and spiritual age particularities, which is based on divine teaching and proposes an exercise of becoming, practiced continuously, together with others, in the Family, in School, in the Church. You will find in this volume 730 verses and as many summary-ideas and archiepiscopal advice that know the answer to any question, or any troubling thought, or any need for wise and wise counsel we may have”.

Last but not least, the participants thanked His Eminence Archbishop Calinic for his blessing and support, the Suceava County School Inspectorate for the project carried out in partnership with the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților, through the sectors Media and Communication and Cultural, and representatives of the Orthodox Women's Society „Maria de Mangop”.

Irina Ursachi

Photo credit: Sebastian-Andrei Lazarus

Articolul A treia ediție a Forumului „Afirmă-ți eternitatea prin maternitate!”. Vocație și misiune pentru mama creștină! apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

The fourth Sunday of Lent, March 22, 2026, was an occasion of communion in prayer at the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Suceava, a monastery that enjoys the blessing of St. John the New through the presence of his relics in the City of Muscatines. His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților, blessed the congregation and the worshippers who had come to the monastic settlement, and then shared a profound word anchored in the teaching St. John the Scary, who through his work has brought to attention the thirty steps by which man acquires the soul virtues.

The Primate of the diocese celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy together with a group of priests and deacons at the external altar of the monastic complex dedicated to St. Great Martyr George, the bearer of the Victory, and St. Great Martyr John the New.

The liturgical responses that adorned the Mass were offered by the mixed choir of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Suceava, conducted by Fr. Ionuț Lucian Tablan Popescu.

During the communion of the clerics, Fr. Ștefan Mihalcea, Sector Councilor Media and Communication of the Suceava Eparchial Center and parish priest of the Church „Saints Apostles Pentru and Paul” Boureni in Gura Humorului, explained the spiritual meaning of the Holy Gospel ordained for this day. Entitled „Between Faith and Doubt: Man's Ascent to God”, the sermon emphasized that the approach to God begins with the recognition of one's own powerlessness, reflected in the deep prayer: „I believe, Lord! Help my unbelief!”

Referring to the writings of Saints Gregory Palamas and Isaac Sirul, St. Paul the Apostle, as well as St. Cleopas of Sihăstria and St. John the Scary, the counselor emphasized the essential role of prayer and fasting as a means by which man is cleansed from sins and prepares himself for the encounter with Christ.

„The father in the Gospel was not a theologian, nor a tried and tested devout man, nor the bearer of perfect faith. He was just a man wounded by suffering. But it is precisely this wound that becomes the place of his encounter with Christ, for it is at that moment that he utters one of the most poignant of prayers: I believe, Lord! Help my unbelief! It is the prayer of a humble and pure heart that God receives. For God does not seek people without fault, but open and humble hearts. St. John the Martyr teaches us that the ascent to God begins when man truly sees his condition and begins to rise, step by step: with falls and rises, with tears and hope. This is Scara. And perhaps the most important step is not the one at the end, but the first: the moment when man confesses: Lord, I need you. If we have the courage of this honesty, then God will work in our lives. For today's Gospel reveals a truth too easily overlooked: to believe in God's power requires the personal strength to entrust yourself totally into his hands. He who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do... (John 14, 12). It is the grain of faith that will bear fruit. Perfect faith grows in a heart that not only wants to believe, but maybe to believe and, believing, it shrinks and makes room for God's grace. And it comes and begins to heal: in silence, patiently, but with real power.”

At the end, His Eminence Archbishop Calinic thanked the guest for his helpful words and recalled that the exegesis of this day can be read on the diocesan website, then recalling the importance of reading the writings of St. John the Scary, summarized by His Eminence in the volume entitled „The Triod - Golgotha of repentance”, published by the Crimca Publishing House of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților. Thus, the classification of the steps was presented Stairs of St. John, also known as John the Sinaite or John the Scholastic, as well as The Decalogue of St. John the Scary, „good thoughts to take home, a synthesis of the philocalic syntheses”.

The local priest pronounced prayers of deliverance and prayers for bodily and spiritual health and blessed those present by sprinkling holy water.

„The Ladder of Heaven” is read especially during Lent, when Christians seek to enrich themselves spiritually so that at the end of Lent they can taste with the Savior Christ from the tree of life and thus enter into the light of the Resurrection.

Daniela Livadaru

Irina Ursachi

Articolul „Scara Raiului” a fost evocată în cea de-a patra duminică din Postul Mare la Catedrala Arhiepiscopală din Suceava apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

March is about Her, about the love that never tires, about the soul for which no sacrifice is too great and which bears such a beautiful and gentle name, just like the spring that is just upon us: MOM.

We invite you to turn your gratitude and love for mom into words full of light! ✍️❤️

Competition details:

• Sections: Short prose | Poetry
• Categories: Middle school (V-VIII) | High school (IX-XII)
• Central message: #Mama | #SWriteWithHeart | #DGiveLifeGlas
• Organization: in each diocese of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților

Application period: March 16 - 25, 2026.

Celebrating the gift of life is your chance to put into words the beauty of life and the values that unite us.

Get your pen ready and let your talent shine! ✨

Arhid. Marius-Gabriel Filip

Educational-Theological Sector

Regulation

1. Organizer

The contest is organized by the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților, with the blessing of His Eminence Calinic, through Educational-Theological Sector, in collaboration with Catechization, Youth and Life Education Sector, Social Welfare Sector and the five Protopopiate.

2. Aim of the competition

• Promoting the value of life and motherhood.
• Stimulating students' literary creativity.
• Encouraging artistic expression through poetry and prose.

3. Target group

The competition is aimed at two categories of students:

• Category I: Secondary school (classes V-VIII)
• Category II: High school (classes IX-XII)

4. Sections

Short prose

Poetry (category II only)

5. Theme

General theme: Mom and the gift of life

The works should reflect the importance of life and maternal love, the value and dignity of man, the beauty and uniqueness of each child, and the responsibility we have towards the gift of life.

Texts can highlight the mother's role in shaping character, nurturing moral values and unconditional support for the child, as well as the deep connection between love and sacrifice.

We encourage approaching the theme from a personal, reflective or narrative perspective, emphasizing sensitivity, authenticity and respect for life in all its stages. Entries should convey a positive, constructive and responsible message in line with the Month for Life.

The participants are invited to use the expressive resources of the Romanian language, to show originality in the construction of ideas and to offer their own perspective on the proposed theme.

6. Conditions for participation

Entries must be hand-written, original, unpublished and must belong exclusively to the entrant. A student can only enter one entry/ section.

Poetry: max. 2 A4 pages.

Prose: max. 3-4 A4 pages.

7. Registration

• Papers should be submitted electronically (PDF/PNG) to invatamant@arhiepiscopiasucevei.ro.
• In order for the registration to be validated, the e-mail must contain the following information about the participant: full name, age, parish and diocese, school of origin, personal phone number/phone number of a parent/legal representative.
• Deadline: 25.03.2026.

8. Evaluation criteria

• Respect the theme
• Originality
• Message consistency and clarity
• Fairness of expression
• Emotional impact and creativity

9. Awards

Will be granted:

• 1st Prize (500 RON), 2nd Prize (400 RON), 3rd Prize (300 RON), 3 Mentions (200 RON), prayer book and other gifts for each category and section
• Participation diploma for all participants

10. Project timetable

• March 16 - March 25, 2026: reception of creations
• 26 March 2026: evaluation of creations, centralization of results
• March 27, 2026: winners announced
• March 28, 2026: awards ceremony at the end of the March for Life

11. Final provisions

By participating, the contestants agree that the awarded works may be published (with mention of the author) on the website or Facebook page of the Archdiocese of Rădăuților. The best works will be included in a volume to be published by Crimca Publishing House.

12. 12. Correction scale

Articolul Mărgăritare pentru darul vieții apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

„On the first Sunday of Lent, which reminds us of the culmination of the efforts of the Ecumenical Synods to clarify the expressions of the true faith, based on the teaching of the Savior Christ, The Way, the Truth and the Life, His Eminence Archbishop Calinic, Archbishop of Suceva and Rădăuților, addressed through The Decalogue on Orthodox Sunday the exhortation to (re)affirm the cult of holy icons, theophanies of the inexpressible and a graceful space of encounter with God and His saints.”

In Sunday of the victory of the true faith, March 1, 2026, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților, and His Eminence Damaschin Dorneanul, Bishop-Vicar, celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great with a group of priests and deacons, at the external altar of the Archbishop's Cathedral in Suceava.

Sunday of Orthodoxy, established as early as 843, in the time of the Byzantine Empress Theodora, represents the victory of the right faith over those who opposed the cult of holy icons and all the heresies and false teachings of faith of the first eight centuries. Praying with piety and hope either to the Savior or to the Mother of God or to the saints represented in the holy icons, they strengthen us and help us to overcome temptations and sins.

In the enclosure of the monastery that has as its patron saints the Holy Great Martyrs John the New and George, the bearer of victory, resounded the liturgical responses offered by the mixed choir of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Suceava, conducted by Fr. Ionuț Lucian Tablan Popescu,

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, arch. Bogdan-Mihai Hrișcă, director of the Theological High School „Metropolitan Dosoftei” in Suceava, read the pastoral message sent in the year of our Lord 2026 by the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, on the occasion of the first Sunday of Lent.

There followed the sharing of ten exhortations of the Primate of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților, summarized in The Decalogue on Orthodox Sunday composed especially for this day. His Eminence Archbishop Calinic encouraged those present to base „the honoring of icons on the reality of the incarnation of the Savior Jesus Christ, described in words and colors preserved by Sacred Tradition, the living witness of the Church”, but also to defend „with zeal the truth about the honoring of icons in the face of unbelievers, living the faith of Veronica, on whose mahram the image of Christ was imprinted”.

On the occasion of this liturgical feast, the local archbishop recalled one of his writings, the volume Miraculous springs and icons of Our Lady, published by Crimca Publishing House of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților. The work presents some of the holy icons and springs located in our country, places blessed by God through which the Virgin Mary gives healing of body and soul.

At the end of the Mass, His Eminence Archbishop Calinic and His Eminence the Most Reverend Father Damaschin Dorneanul read prayers for the health of soul and body and prayers of deliverance.

In remembrance of the victory of Orthodoxy over iconoclasm at the Seventh Ecumenical Council, after the Divine Liturgy there was a procession with the Holy Icons to the Paraclis of the Monastery of „St. John the New”. The hierarchs, priests, deacons and the faithful brought glory to God and to all those who fought for the honor of the holy icons. The vestments were carried in the hands of those present as a sign of the importance of the cult of the icon in the life of the Church. After worshipping at the reliquary with the entire relics of St. John the New, the faithful received as gifts icons depicting The Sobor of the Holy Romanian Women, icon The 2026 Jubilee Year.

Irina Ursachi

Articolul Duminica Ortodoxiei la Catedrala Arhiepiscopală din Suceava, locaș al cinstitelor moaște ale Sfântului Ioan cel Nou apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

In 34th Sunday after the Pouring out of the Holy Spirit, which sets before the Christian two types of sons, both deficient in understanding the generous love of their father: one who believes that the charms of life can only be tasted outside the filial relationship and the other who, by his loving obedience, fails to overcome the mentality of a money-lender, they have chosen to offer a prayer to the Merciful God and to re-evaluate their own spiritual state and their relationship with the Father.

On the morning of the second Sunday of Triod, whose evangelical theme - return of the prodigal son - brings back to attention the importance of repentance in the Christian's relationship with God, but also of fulfilling His will with humility, without expecting reward, His All-Holiness the Most Reverend Father Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților, was welcomed with great joy by clergy and faithful in the paraclete where the relics of the first patron of Moldova are placed for a while.

After giving thanks to the great martyr of Trapezunt for his unceasing intercession before the Heavenly Throne for the Church in these lands and putting on the vestments of the service, the hierarch celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy at the altar set up near the bell-tower of the monastic complex which is undergoing a major restoration process. His Eminence was surrounded in Eucharistic communion by a choir of priests and deacons, which included ministers of the monastic settlement spiritually guided by Abbot Serafim Grigoraș, as well as clergy of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral, coordinated by Arch. Valerian Radu, great ecclesiasarch.

The dialog between the choir and the altar was supported by the mixed choir „St. John the New” of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral, directed by Fr. Lucian - Ionuț Tablan Popescu, who offered liturgical responses to the prayers and ectens raised to God by those who were ordained by the Sacrament of Ordination.

During the communion of the clergy, Arch. Hrisostom Ciuciu, a resident of Putna Monastery and assistant professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology „St. Dumitru Stăniloae” in Iasi, explained the spiritual meaning of the parable recorded by St. Luke the Evangelist and appointed for this day, starting from the need to broaden the concept of fasting. It should not be limited to „a hard and exhausting struggle, of privation and of endurance”, but should be accompanied by „an effort to be seated in the truth”, realizing not only „cinema is us and cum we relate to God and our neighbor”, but also „Cinemais God and where He wants us to be.”

Emphasizing that „the emphasis should not be on restraint as an end in itself, but on orienting life towards God, prize towards which we are called to run”, and that in this endeavor it is good to distinguish honestly between genuine freedom and false freedom, the archimandrite brought one of the characters up to date, explaining that prodigal son symbolizes the man who confuses freedom with autonomy and ends up, by turning away from the Father, in a form of slavery and loss of dignity. The moment of crisis awakens him, and his real mistake is not waste or sin itself, but alienation of Him Who created it, Who is the source of life and light, and the illusion of freedom, because „freedom without an anchor paradoxically becomes a form of slavery to one's own instincts or to social pressure”.

Concluding, Fr. Hrisostom pointed out that repentance puts an end to the self-sufficiency of the son and puts him back on the way to the Father, with hope and trust in His love. „Repentance is, in the words of St. John Chrysostom, «returning to the heart of God». This parable teaches us that it is not only possible, within the reach of anyone, no matter how fallen, even dead in soul, but more than that, it is what resurrects us. We learn that we can return to the heart of God primarily because that heart is always open. Let us think more often of the Father and of the love he bears us and we will desire repentance, we will love it and no longer fear it. In this way repentance will make us like the Son who was „dead,” but now, behold, he is „risen”; what is more, behold, he is now heir. This is the way God wants us to be, this is the way we want us to be, and our return to God's heart will be smooth, fruitful and full of joy. So may God help us to spend our lives from now on.”

At the end of the Holy Mass, as the host, Archbishop Calinic thanked the guest for his words of instruction, those who wish to deepen the rich theological meaning of this parable having the opportunity to read the exegesis of the hierarch, Coming - the sine-qua-non condition of salvation, on the website of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților.

The Primate of the diocese then gave communion to those within the walls of the monastery dedicated to St. „Great Martyr George, the bearer of victory and St. Great Martyr John the New”, The Decalogue for the 34th Sunday after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (a the return of the prodigal son), included in the volume „Decalogues at the Triod, Penticost and Octoih. Moral landmarks in search of meaning”, one of the most recent publications of the Crimca Publishing House of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților. Decalogue summarizes the meaning of today's Gospel parable, point 9: Come to yourself, humbling yourself, and you will be worthy to receive the garment woven of grace and light, the ring of engagement with Christ and the shoes needed to walk on the path of virtue. emphasizing the rich fruit of repentance in a heart cleansed from selfishness.

Before blessing the faithful by sprinkling them with holy water, His Eminence Archbishop Calinic read prayers of deliverance for the health of soul and body, but also for those who are gripped by the merciless disease of depression.

Spiritually enriched by participating in the most important Mass of Orthodox worship and by understanding the words of the Savior, those present on this day at the Archbishop's Cathedral in Suceava enjoyed, in addition to the blessing of the Archbishop, also the meeting with their beloved patron, and prayed a prayer at the shrine with the holy relics of the young John, the great and speedy helper and miracle-worker, benefactor of Moldavia and of the whole country, to strengthen them in their resolve to fulfill what is right and to enjoy the banquet prepared by the heavenly Father for His children.

***

The Triod is one of the three great periods into which the liturgical year is divided, totaling ten weeks, from Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee and until Holy and Great Saturday, in which prayers, songs and specific rites accompany the faithful on the ascent to the Lord's Resurrection. The parables to be read on the ten Sundays are a repeated exhortation to self-searching, a necessary step for the renewal of the soul and the reception of the crucified and risen Christ within the heart. This liturgical period is notable for the canons sung in the pews, which consist of three hymns (odes) rather than the usual nine, the hymns being mainly about repentance and turning to God. Another characteristic of Triod is the celebration of all three Holy Masses of the Orthodox Church: of St. Basil the Great, of St. John Chrysostom and Mass of the Most Holy Gifts.

Daniela Livadaru

Irina Ursachi

photo credit: Mihai Grosu

Articolul <i>Iubirea părintească</i> vs <i>libertatea nesăbuită și ascultarea egoistă</i>, reiterate la Catedrala Arhiepiscopală din Suceava în a doua duminică a <i>Triodului</i> apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

Today, January 25, 2026, the Primate of the diocese patronized by St. John the New, His Eminence Archbishop Calinic, was at the Archiepiscopal Cathedral, the monastery that houses the entire relics of the great martyr, patron of the city of Suceava. The Hierarch celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy at the external altar of the monastic complex surrounded by a choir of priests and deacons, which included servants of the monastic settlement under the spiritual guidance of Abbot Serafim Grigoras, as well as clergy of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral, coordinated by Arch. Valerian Radu, great ecclesiasarch.

Directed by Fr. Lucian - Ionuț Tablan Popescu, the mixed choir „St. John the New” of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral adorned the Mass by offering liturgical responses, the moments of prayer together bringing joy and comfort to all those present.

Marian Mihoc, protopope missionary in the Suceava I Deanery, gave a word of teaching on the text of the Holy Gospel of St. Luke the Apostle about the encounter of the Savior Jesus Christ with Zacchaeus the tax collector. „The Gospel shows us that there is a way out of this bondage. Zacchaeus, encountering Christ, radically changes his perspective: wealth is no longer an idol, but an instrument of justice and love of neighbor. This remains the essential lesson for today's man: it is not the quantity of possessions that loses us, but our attachment to them. True wealth begins when the heart detaches itself from the idol of gold and clings to God. True faith, then, is seen in deeds: in almsgiving, in making amends, in making reparation for wrongs done. Zacchaeus was not only saved, but through him the whole house was blessed.”

His Holiness also explained the spiritual meaning of the sycamore tree, which in today's society represents the courage to assume our faith with humility, with authentic living; an essential condition for meeting Christ. „The sycamore becomes the symbol of the courage to make an unusual gesture in order to see and be with Christ. Zacchaeus humbled himself and, according to the mentality of the people, shamed himself by climbing a tree, even though he was a rich man with social standing. Today, in a secularized world where God is increasingly excluded from public life and even from the personal lives of many, sycamore It can mean going to church, confession, sincere prayer, forgiving an enemy - simple things, but they require stepping out of your comfort zone and visibly taking on faith. The shame of being seen as too religious, fear of the world's mouth, pride, all these things keep us the sun, far from meeting Christ. The reason we cannot see Jesus is because we are ashamed to climb the sycamore. Only those who are willing to humble themselves and risk a little (as Zacchaeus did) will see Christ and hear his call: Today I want to stay in your house.”

His Eminence the Most Reverend Father Calinic thanked the guest for today's exegetical word and shared with those within the walls of the monastery fortress dedicated to St. „Great Martyr George, the bearer of victory and St. Great Martyr John the New”, The Decalogue on the 32nd Sunday after the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (of Zacchaeus), which can be found in the volume „Decalogues of the Triod, Pentecost and Octoih. Moral landmarks in search of meaning”, one of the most recent publications of the Publishing House Crimca of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților.

The tenth point of the bouquet of exhortations written by the local patriarch, „Use the powers of your soul, spending them to the point of self-sacrifice for the great ideals of the Gospel of Christ, so that you may win a place in the Kingdom of God”, was a moment of deep reflection on the fundamental values of Orthodoxy.

Before blessing the faithful by sprinkling them with holy water, His Eminence Archbishop Calinic read prayers of deliverance for the health of soul and body.

For the joy and peace of soul to be complete, those present worshipped the relics of St. Great Martyr John the New from Suceava, the great helper and miracle-worker, known defender of the faith and intercessor before the Throne of God, which are at this time in the paraclis of the monastic settlement.

Irina Ursachi

Articolul Pocăința, postul, rugăciunea, smerenia, credința, nădejdea, iubirea și ascultarea – arvuna unui loc în Împărăția lui Dumnezeu apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.