Feast of the Transfer of the relics of the Venerable Father Justin in Celije Monastery

The feast of the Transfer of the Relics of the Venerable Father Justin was marked with a great liturgical celebration in Celije monastery, a shrine in which the newly proclaimed saint of the Serbian Orthodox Church and one of the most prominent Orthodox theologians of modern times had served for three decades.

His Eminence Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Staroskolsky (Russian Orthodox Church) officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of Their Graces Bishops Teodosije of Raska-Prizren and Siluan of Australia-New Zealand, as well as clergy from many dioceses. The service was enhanced by chanting of the choir of priests and theologians, led by protonamesnik Branko Colic, and the sisterhood of the Celije monastery led by abbess Mother Glikerija.

As in previous years, the day in which the name of the Venerable Father Justin of Celije was inscribed in the Church's calendar brought to the shrine on the riverbank of Gradac numerous pastors and faithful people from different parts of Serbia, the diaspora and sister Orthodox countries. In the votive three-altar temple, near his relics, prayers were offered in honor of the great scientist and the man of prayer, which was added to the list of saints eleven years ago.

After the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy, the feast cake was broken and the grain and wine were consecrated. This year, the feast of the Venerable Father Justin was celebrated for the first time without  Metropolitan= Amfilohije and Bishop Atanasije of blessed repose, his spiritual sons and the successor of his theological work, and for the second time without Bishop Milutin, who as a spiritual guardian of the faithful in the Valjevo witnessed about serving God in Saint Justin and Saint Nicholas way. 

Source: Diocese of Valjevo