Celebrations of the feast of Saint Sava, the First Serbian Archbishop, in Belgrade

On the feast-day of the Venerable and the God-Bearer our Father Sava, the First Serbian Archbishop, His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the crypt of the Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava.

His Holiness was concelebrated by the abbot of the monastery of the Mother of God the Three-handed in Bogostica , Archimandrite Nifont, Principal of Saint Sava’s Cathedral, Archimandrite Stefan, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops protopresbyter-staurophor Savo B. Jovic,PhD aas well as other clergimen.

The Holy Liturgy was attended by Director of the Office for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities Mileta Radojevic, PhD; and his assistant Marko Nikolic, PhD.

Many thousands of believers fulfilled the crypt of the Saint Sava Cathedral and participated in the Holy Communion and the rite of cutting the slava loaf. After the sermon on Saint Sava, delivered by the Principal of the Theological School at Cetinje, Montenegro, Archpriest-Staurophor  Gojko Perovic, His Holiness congratulated the Patron Saint-day to all the Serbs in the homeland and abroad, including those who were gathered in their homes or in destroyed churches in Kosovo and Metohija.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej attended a traditional Saint Sava Academy at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade at 12 o’clock.

Later, in the evening, His Holiness attended a performance at the National Theatre given in honor of Saint Sava.