An event dedicated to the Mother of God, who is considered God's Gift to Mankind, marked the beginning in a special way Triod in the Diocese of Suceava, a period known as the Lenten season leading up to the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.
On the evening of Sunday, February 25, 2024, in the museum of Moldova’s oldest stone church, Bogdana Monastery in Rădăuți—a former episcopal residence—one of Crimca Publishing House’s most recent publications was launched: the book Theotokos. Theological Encyclopedia, in the presence of the author, Prof. Remus Rus, Ph.D., a specialist in the history and philosophy of religions.
Along with the hosts, the congregation—spiritually guided by Archimandrite Irineu Lichi, those present at the event—held with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Calinic—included His Grace Damaschin Dorneanul, Vicar Bishop, who also signed the preface to the volume launched that day, advisors to the Suceava Diocesan Center, representatives of local authorities, such as Mr. Bogdan Andrei Loghin, Mayor of Rădăuți, as well as theologians and clergy, including Fr. Ionel Constantin Maloș, Archpriest of the Rădăuți Deanery, monks, and faithful from throughout the diocese.
After paying homage to the holy relics of Saint Leontius and Saint Theodosius of Brazi, which are enshrined in the first voivodal necropolis, the meeting—moderated by Fr. Ciprian Constantin Blaga, advisor to the Sector— Publishing and Printing of the Suceava Diocesan Center, began with The Lord's Prayer and a special artistic performance—a recital of hymns dedicated to the Mother of God, presented by the „Timotheos” vocal group of the Youth Center Ecclesia from the Rădăuți Technical College, coordinated by Prof. Elisabeta Marici.
This was followed by a presentation by Fr. Ciprian Constantin Blaga on the most important aspects of Mr. Remus Rus’s life, as well as a sharing of his story the moving events that led to the creation of this volume, namely receiving a unique gift, an icon of the Mother of God by Roman Catholic background.
His Grace Damaschin Dorneanul spoke to the large audience about the fruits of Professor Rus’s nearly 20 years of work—a seminal work for future publications in the field of Mariology—and outlined three of the reasons why this volume, a literary gem that delights both our eyes and our hearts, should be discovered by theologians and others as well. They have been brought to light meticulousness research, providing the most representative bibliographic references, as well as high-quality graphic design, the result of a fruitful collaboration with the dedicated members of the Wincero design team.
„In this book, you will find many, many excerpts from Church writers, from the Holy Fathers. The texts are taken either from existing translations, from Bible Institute Press or from the recent translations by Father Professor Ioan Ică Jr. published by Deisis or from other sources; most of them—the overwhelming majority, if not all—are cross-checked against the original, whether Greek or Latin, because the Greek transliteration or the Latin text is also provided in parentheses. Doing this with so many texts is no easy task. Then, at the end of each article in this encyclopedia Theotokos There are several bibliographic references, and they’re up to date. (…) In other words, the most recent studies are included, which means it’s a book of scientific rigor, a book of high academic caliber. One reason I’m glad to have a book like this is that it’s a book that helps. It helps theologians first and foremost—though not exclusively—but I’ll speak a little about theologians, since we’re at an academic, scholarly, and spiritual event. In this single book, you’ll find what, if you needed it, would otherwise require consulting who knows how many other books. It is a great blessing to have, within the covers of this single book, references to the Mother of God from Orthodox Fathers, from ecclesiastical writers of the Latin tradition, and from ecclesiastical writers of the Monophysite or Miaphysite traditions. Or Mariological ideas that are hard to find in Syriac literature, for example. As such, it is an indispensable tool for anyone who wishes to study, delve deeper into, or use such a book for a future work in the field of Mariology.”
Last but not least, His Grace conveyed the gratitude, appreciation, and blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Calinic.
Professor Remus Rus, Ph.D., expressed his gratitude to all those who contributed to the publication of this encyclopedic volume, sharing his experience of bringing this work to life, as well as special moments from various periods of his life—as a student or doctoral candidate, as a professor at the „Justinian the Patriarch” Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Bucharest, or as a researcher—witnessing divine providence at every stage. „You should know that writing a book of this kind is not difficult at all. On the contrary, it is very, very easy. It’s very easy because you always have the feeling that someone is lovingly watching over you and guiding you, because, to be honest, much of what is said in this dictionary—the insights I’ve shared—I don’t believe belong to me; they don’t come from my own mind. I believe they were given to me from somewhere—from somewhere outside myself—and that “somewhere outside” could only be the One to whom I wished to dedicate this work. It is an attempt to transcend oneself in the context of fully experiencing a reality that is always with you; the Mother of God is always with us wherever we go; she accompanies each one of us, just as Christ, Her beloved son, It accompanies us everywhere. I should describe a few aspects of the content of this dictionary, but I’m not sure to what extent I might be venturing a bit too far into theology; what I want to tell you is that the Mother of God is always a point of reference throughout our entire religious life.”
Next, Fr. Ciprian Constantin Blaga read an excerpt from the book *Jesus and Mary’s Jewish Roots* by the scholar Professor Brant Pitre, the most profound and noble words about the Blessed Virgin Mary, and presented the special guests at this event—Professor Remus Rus and His Grace Father Damaschin Dorneanul—each with a an iconographic depiction, created in the Byzantine Orthodox style, which served as the central element on the book’s cover.
The event dedicated to the Mother of God concluded with a musical performance by the „Saint Leontius” Orthodox Men’s Choir, conducted by Mr. Costel–Ovidiu Foca.
Those in attendance had the opportunity to view works from the photography exhibition „Saint John the New of Suceava—A History in Images of World Heritage,” a journey through iconographic sources in which theological, historical, cultural, and artistic elements intertwine, showcasing aspects of the veneration of Saint John the New of Suceava in the pictorial tradition of 15th–17th-century Moldavia.
The Gift Offered to the Mother of God – Mother of Light by its author, the volume Theotokos. Theological Encyclopedia, was produced with exceptional graphic design by the Crimca Publishing House of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți, in collaboration with the Multidisciplinary Branding and Design Studio Wincero, as it is the first work to be published in print.
