With the blessing and support of His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuților, a new event dedicated to Christian mothers was organized on the evening of Thursday, March 26, 2026, to mark both World Down Syndrome Day and Christian Mother's Day. Thus continues the series of multidimensional events organized in partnership by the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților, through the Sector Cultural and Sector Media and Communication, Suceava County School Inspectorate and the Orthodox Women's Society „Maria de Mangop”.
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
