His Grace Bishop Maxim Celebrates St. Sava with Phoenix Faithful
On the day when the entire Serbian Nation celebrated its First Archbishop and Illuminator Sava, January 27th, parishioners of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Phoenix, Arizona, with great joy and happiness celebrated the feast of their Patron Saint, led by their Hierarch His Grace Bishop Maxim and Parish Priest Proto-Stavrophor Fr. Dragomir Tuba.
The all-day celebration started with welcoming His Grace by our Church’s beautiful front entrance gate, where he was met by 7-year-old Jelena Beric, who presented him with a bouquet of flowers.
Fr.Dragomir, the Stevan Hristic Choir and many faithful joyfully came forward to receive a blessing from His Grace while the procession continued to the Church for the Hierarchical Liturgy. Among the many faithful present during Divine Liturgy was Mr. Mark Brnovich, Arizona Attorney General, with his wife Susan, a newly appointed Federal Judge. Mark is a Serbian descendant from Montenegro who grew up in the St. Sava Parish where he regularly attends services with his wife and two charming, beautiful daughters. After the reading of the Holy Gospel, His Grace treated all the faithful with the beautiful words of the Gospel message, emphasizing the joy of all of us being together and celebrating together, especially this year when we observe 800 years of Independence (Autocephaly) of the Serbian Church.
After the traditional Procession around the Church and blessing of the Kolac, the celebration continued in the Parish Hall which was filled to the brim. This year’s Slava Kumovi, Dusan and Katarina Stanisic, made sure that the Banquet was notably well organized, as never before, by paying attention to every detail. In this they were helped by all the members of the Parish Church Council who participated in the decision making about the Banquet and even helped themselves, setting the tables and chairs in the hall; the Kolo Sisters prepared a marvelous meal; the parents of Gavrilo Princip Folklore Group and Church School together with some of the members of the Stevan Hristich Choir helped decorate and serve the food. It seems that everyone was so eager to help and the entire Parish was involved!
After brief greetings by Parish Council President Milan Kesic, Kum Dusan Stanisic and Fr. Dragomir, the Phoenix Church School Children performed a traditional but very affluent and marvelously executed St. Sava Day Program. Kuma Katarina Stanisic already for several years has prepared the St Sava Program together with Church School Superintendent Dragana (Beba) Tkachenko and teachers Protinica Kristina Tuba, Alexis Baich, Dusanka Tkacenko, Mihaila Tuba, Natasa Novakovic and Nina Novakovic. We were able to hear beautiful renditions of the Children’s Choir who were at one point joined by the female Ethno Group Breze, mixed with many recitals of well known Serbian Poets. Gavilo Princip Folklore Group closed the program with their breathtaking performance.
By thanking all those who helped make our St. Sava Celebration so successful, especially our Honor Guest His Grace Bishop Maxim, we cannot but eagerly wait to see all of you soon again!
Source: westsrbdio.org
