Anniverary of the death of the first Bishop of Sumadija Valerian

On Sunday, October 23, 2011 there was 35 years since the death of the first Bishop Valerian of Sumadija of blessed repose. The remembrance of this virtuous Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church was marked with the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral church in Kragujevac, after which the memorial service was served on the tomb of Bishop Valerian.

The liturgy and the memorial service was served by the priesthood of the Diocese of Sumadija in the absence of His Grace Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, who as the member of the Holy Synod of Bishops along with His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, Bishops Irinej of Backa, Hrizostom of Zica and Vicar Andrej of Remesiana was in the visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the enthronment of Patriarch Bartholomew.

During the visit of Patriarch German in 1938 to Kragujevac, an idea came about founding of the Diocese of Sumadija. The Second World War and its horrors  interrupted the idea on founding the Diocese. After he came back from the Dachau camp in 1946, Patriarch German convened the Holy Assembly of Bishops in Belgrade, where the Assembly brought the decision that a Diocese of Sumadija would be created with its seat in Kragujevac. The first Bishop of the Diocese was Valerian.

Source: Diocese of Sumadija