Festival of Christian culture in the Diocese of Timok

The Fifth Festival of Christian Culture began on September 9, 2020, with the veneration of the icon of the Mother of God of Kolok and a Vesper service at the courtyard  of the Cathedral church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God.

Following the Vesper service, His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Timok officiated as an akathist to the Mother of God of Kolok. The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Marko Nikolic, Assistant Director of the Office for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities of the Ministry of Justice of the Government of the Republic of Serbia; Nenad Radakovic, MA, Executive Director of the National Park "Djerdap"; clergy from all parts of Timok Diocese and many citizens of Zajecar.

At the opening of the Festival, the Choir of the Cathedral church of Zajecar sang responses while addresses were given by: Deputy Mayor of Zajecar Mrs. Marina Milic, Director of the National Museum "Zajecar" Dr. Maja Zivic and Marija Vukosavljevic, author of the exhibition "Holy Women", which started this year's Festival. The final word was given by Bishop Ilarion, who declared the Festival open. You can watch the video of the opening ceremony of the 5th Festival of Christian Culture on the YouTube channel of the Diocese of Timok.

The third day of the 5th Festival of Christian Culture, on September 11, 2020, began with the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy on the foundations of the early Christian basilica at the site of Felix Romuliana. Bishop Ilarion was concelebrated by the clergy and monks of the Diocese of Timok. You can watch the recording of the Liturgy and the sermon of Bishop Hilarion on the YouTube channel of the Diocese of Timok.

The program of this year's Festival of Christian Culture continued after the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in Felix Romuliana. On September 11, 2020, His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Timok opened the exhibition "Cultural Treasures of the Negotin Region" organized by Sanja Radosavljevic. At the opening of the exhibition, besides Bishop Ilarion and the author, addresses were given also by the director of the Zajecar National Museum, Mrs. Maja Zivic, and the director of the Negotin Museum of the Krajina, Mr. Ivica Trajkovic.

The fourth day of the 5th Festival of Christian Culture, on September 12, 2020, began with the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy, which was celebfrated, in the courtyard of the Zajecar Cathedral church, by Their Graces Bishops Arsenije of Nis and Ilarion of Timok with the concelebration of Archimandrite Stefan, abbot of the monastery Zochishte, archimandrite Kosma, abbot of the monastery Bukovo, and the clergy of the Diocese of Timok.

On Saturday, September 12, 2020, the program of the 5th Festival of Christian Culture was enriched by the performance of the Zajecar Chamber Choir "Labyrinth" led by Dr. Zeljka Aleksic.

The last day of this year's Festival of Christian Culture, September 13, 2020, began with the Holy hierarchal Liturgy celebrated by His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Timok with concelebration of  Archimandrite Kozma, abbot of the Bukovo monastery, and priests of the Zajecar Cathedra church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. After the Liturgy, the Bishop served a rite of invocation of the Holy Spirit for the beginning of the new school year.