Days of Holy Martyrs of Jasenovac

The celebration of Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac under auspices of  the Diocese of Pakrac-Slavonia commenced on 3 September 2017 with a Liturgy at the monastery church of the Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner in Jasenovac, and will end on 13 September, the day when the Serbian Church marks their memory.

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Jovan of Pakrac-Slavonia, the central event of celebration began on 8 September 2017 with the regular annual symposium "New Martyrs: Polyperspective III", which was organized by the Jasenovac Committee of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Museum of Genocide Victims from Belgrade. With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, the second part of the symposium was held  in the premises of the Serbian Orthodox High School "Kantakuzina Katarina Brankovic" in Zagreb this year as well.

His Grace Bishop Jovan opened this symposium with an introductory speech, whereupon Metropolitan Porfirije, Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic and Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Republic of Croatia Mrs. Mira Nikolic addressed the present.

Many eminent world and local experts from this field participated in the symposium:  Dr Petra Heldt (ETRFI, Jerusalem), Archimandrite Alexander Frankel Winogradsky (The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem), Professor Dr. Jovan Delic (Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade), Dr. Srdja Trifkovic (Faculty of Political Science, Banja Luka); Dr. Veljko Djuric Misina - Director of the Museum of Genocide Victims/Belgrade, Bishop Pahomije of Vranje, Mrs. Mira Jovanovic from Zurich and Mr. Dragoslav Ilic (Center for Research of War and War Crimes, Banja Luka).

In the afternoon of the same day, there was a prayerful gathering of priests and faithful people in Mlaka village near Jasenovac. The festal Vesper was served by His Eminence Archbishop George of Mihalovsk-Koshitse from the Orthodox Church of Czech Lands and Slovakia with the concelebration of His Grace Bishop Jovan, protosyncellos Pavle, abbot of the Orahovica monastery, in the church of Holy prophet Elijah.

After the worship, all the present headed by Bishop Jovan of Slavonia visited the Jasenovac monastery and adored the relics of these New Martyrs.