Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije officiated in Piperi, Montenegro
It was on 25th April 2020 that His Eminence Amfilohije, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, officiated the Holy archhierarchal Liturgy at the foundations of the church of Theotokos of the Life-giving Spring in Djevic-grad settlement in Piperi, Montenegro.
“This is one of the spots that witness to the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Resurrected Lord, and the place that was born out of that Temple of Solomon we heard about from the Acts of the Apostles as the apostles Peter and James had healed the paralyzed one. And then the Jews marveled at the miracle, and Peter told them that they did not perform this themselves, but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who had sent his Only-begotten Son Whom you crucified, but He rose from the dead. The miracle happened with His power” said His Eminence Amfilohije and added:
“Through His power miracles have happened throughout the history of the Church of God. And this spot is one of the testimonies of that power of Christ, the power of the Only-begotten Son of God Who has had the influence throughout the ages, Who blessed his first Disciples to go forth and baptize all the nations in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to follow His commandments, and Who promised to be with them all the days until the end of the world and the ages.
The restoration of this holy church has begun with this Liturgy. There have been many churches here, in this area, since ancient Christian times when there was one Church in the East and West. Here, according to the testimonies and ancient tradition, is the origin and noble lineage of the Holy Serbian Family of Nemanjic. There is still Sava's Water near Gradina settlement, as well as Sava's Meadows, said His Eminence Amfilohije.
After the Liturgy, the patron saint loaf was consecrated and His Eminence Amfilohije especially expressed his gratitude to Minja Popovic, whose ancestors have saved this shrine throughout the ages:
“Behold, he has returned this holy place to the Church, offered it to the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Monastery of Piperi, so that this shrine could be rechanted, restored, and that the glorification of the name of God would be renewed all over it and through it in this region,” said the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral.
Source: Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (translated by Sanja Simic de Graaf)