Bishop Mitrophan celebrates feast of Saint Sava in Boston Parish

The children of the Boston parish honored St. Sava by celebrating his day (Savindan) along with the church’s patron Saint’s day on Sunday, January 27th.  They delivered an inspirational and delightful program for the parish with His Grace Bishop Mitrophan in attendance.

His Grace led the congregation in prayer with responses beautifully sung by the church’s St. Sava Choir.  He was assisted by Fr.  Aleksandar Vlajkovic from the home parish, along with the Very Reverend Ivan Marjanovic of Biddeford, Maine, and Very Rev. Roman Pelovski of the St. Petka Bulgarian Orthodox Church.  Nearing the end of the Divine Liturgy, the children and Kumovi of the slava were invited to the front of the church for the blessing of the holy bread and wheat.  His Grace Bishop Mitrophan tied the Gospel reading of the rich man entering into the kingdom of heaven to the life choices that Rastko Nemanjic, later St. Sava, made. Around three hundred parishioners participated in the liturgy.  At the end of the Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Mitrophan promoted Fr. Aleksandar to the rank of Protopresbyter Stavrofor. Fr Aleksandar was awarded for his “zeal and love in his pastoral service, for his exemplary family life and his personal effort in spiritual and material advancement of the parish,” according to His Grace.

Following the liturgy, a lovely luncheon was prepared by this year’s kumovi: Nebojsa and Sanja Stojkovic and Dejan Mircevski. They gave a piece of Kolach to next year’s kumovi: sisters Trajanka Milojevic and Jelisaveta Nickovic. The children’s program completed the day’s events with a wonderful play “Rastko Becomes Sava” written by Jerodjakon Stevan which was arranged and directed by Ankica Koldzic.  Several children recited poems or sang songs accompanied by a pianist, all dedicated to St. Sava in both the Serbian and English languages.  Three choreographies were performed by the St. Sava Children’s Folklore Ensemble directed by Djordje Koldzic. More than seventy children participated in the program. The program came to a conclusion with all the children on stage singing the “Uskliknimo s ljubavlju Svetitelju Savi.”

Source: Diocese of Eastern America