International symposium on the 950th anniversary of the Prohor of Pcinja Monastery
On September 25 and 26, 2020, an International Scientific Conference "Venerable Prohor of Pcinja - 950 years in the Serbian people" was held under auspices of the Diocese of Vranje, Southern Serbia.
On that occasion, a total of 28 papers were presented, which, in thematic units in two sessions on the first day and one session on the second day of the meeting, dealt with and presented various issues from history, art history, theology, history of literature and other social sciences. Scientists from Serbia, the region and abroad have discussed the great spiritual heritage, woven into the identities of southern Serbia, Old Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church as a whole, which has been maintained by a prayerful veneration of the Holy Father Prohor of Pcinja for almost a millennium.
The International Scientific Conference "Venerable Prohor of Pcinja - 950 years in the Serbian people" is the result of one year’s preparations of the Organizing Committee and the Program Council, which were constituted as organizational bodies on the day of Venerable Prohor of Pcinja in his monastery, on November 1, 2019, under his prayerful protection and blessing of His Grace Pahomije, Bishop of Vranje.
From November 2019, when the first sessions of the Organizing Committee and the Program Council were held, to June 2020, when the last session of the Program Council was held, quite a number of scientific participants was invited and topics of the exhibitors and thematic sessions were specified. Bishop Pahomije fatherly supported the decisions of both committees.
As co-organizers of the international symposium, a great contribution to its preparation and holding was made by the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade, the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Pedagogy of the University of Nis and the Center for Church Studies in Nis.
The first day of the scientific conference began in the monastery of St. Prohor of Pcinja on September 25, 2020 with a Hierarchal Liturgy, celebrated by Bishop of Vranje Pahomije with the heavenly intercession of the "Holy Elder", as the 11th century Pcinja ascetic is called by the Serbian people of Pcinja and the surrounding areas.
Three plenary lectures and two sessions were held, at which a total of 22 papers were presented, which examined various issues from history, culture and tradition related to the monastery of Venerable Prohor in a chronological range from the 11th to the 21st century.
On the second day of the international symposium, the work continued in the premises of the All-Orthodox Center "Venerable Justin of Vranje and Celije" in Vranje, via a video link where those research workers from abroad who were unable to physically attend the conference due to the circumstances caused by the current global epidemic could spiritually participate.
Source: Diocese of Vranje
