On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at the Cultural, Educational and Social Center „Dosoftei Mitropolitul” in Suceava, took place the historical colloquium entitled „Romanian Orthodox Religious Romanian Fund in Bucovina. 240 years since its foundation: genesis, evolution and historical role in the life of the Church and of the Citadel”, organized with the blessing of His Eminence the Most Reverend Father Calinic, by the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților, in collaboration with the „George Barițiu” Institute of History of the Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca branch.
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
