Celebration of Saint Mark the Apostle- Patron Saint of Podgorica

Metropolitan Amfilohije celebrated in the monastery of Saint Symeon the Myrrh-Gusher in Podgorica, while being sieged by the local police. 

On the feast day of Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, 8 May 2020, His Eminence Amfilohije, Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro celebrated the Holy Liturgy with the concelebration of the local clergy in the laura of Saint Symeon the Myrrh-Gusher in the Nemanjics' city of Podgorica.

Apostle and Evangelist Mark

The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, also known as John Mark (Acts 12:12), was one of the Seventy Apostles, and was also a nephew of Saint Barnabas (June 11). He was born at Jerusalem. The house of his mother Mary adjoined the Garden of Gethsemane. As Church Tradition relates, on the night that Christ was betrayed he followed after Him, wrapped only in a linen cloth. He was seized by soldiers, and fled away naked, leaving the cloth behind (Mark 14:51-52). After the Ascension of the Lord, the house of his mother Mary became a place where Christians gathered, and a place of lodging for some of the Apostles (Acts 12:12).

Saint Mark was a very close companion of the Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29) and Barnabas. Saint Mark was at Seleucia with Paul and Barnabas, and from there he set off to the island of Cyprus, and he traversed the whole of it from east to west. In the city of Paphos, Saint Mark witnessed the blinding of the sorcerer Elymas by Saint Paul (Acts 13:6-12).

Patron Saint-day of Saint George church on Banovo Brdo

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of the local clergy in the church of Saint George on Banovo Brdo in Belgrade, on 6 May 2020, on the feast day of Saint George. 

Patron Saint-day of the church in Novi Sad

On Wednesday, on third week of the feast day of Easter, 23 April 2020, inhabitants of Novi Sad solemnly celebrated the feast day of the Cathedral church of Holy Great martyr, Victor-bearer and Wonderworker George. 

Celebration of the feast day began with solemn vigil service which was officiated by protopresbyter-staurophor Milivoj Mijatov, with the concelebraton of the clergy of Novi Sad. On the feast day HIs Grace Bishop Irinej of Novi Sad and Backa officiated the Holy Hierarchal LIturgy with the concelebration of His Grace Bishop Isihije of Mohacs and the clergy and deacons of Novi Sad.  

The Holy and Great Martyr George, patron saint of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff

The Holy Glorious and Great-martyr George, patron saint (slava) of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, was celebrated on 6^th of May in the chapel of the military quarter “Banjica 2” in Belgrade in presence of the Minister of Defense, Mr. Aleksandar Vulin, the commander of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, general Milan Mojsilovic, and members of the collegium of Ministers and commanders of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff.

The celebration of St George’s Day began with the Holy Liturgy, officiated by the chief military priest, lieutenant colonel Sladjan Vlajic, followed by a traditional consecration of the slava offers and breaking of the slava loaf.

The Holy and Great Martyr George

The Great Martyr George was the son of wealthy and pious parents, who raised him in the Christian faith. He was born in the city of Beirut (in antiquity - Berytos), at the foot of the Lebanese mountains.

Having entered military service, the Great­martyr George stood out among the other soldiers by virtue of his mind, valor, physical strength, military bearing and beauty. Having quickly attained the rank of millenary [tribunus millenarius, an officer in the Roman army in charge of a thousand or more soldiers - Translator], St. George became a favorite of the Emperor Diocletian.

Diocletian was a talented ruler, but a fanatical adherent of the Roman gods. Having set for himself the goal of reviving dying paganism in the Roman Empire, he went down in history as one of the most cruel persecutors of Christians.

Once, when he heard in a court the inhuman sentence concerning the annihilation of Christians, St. George became inflamed with compassion for them. Foreseeing that sufferings were also awaiting him, George distributed his property to the poor, freed his slaves, appeared before Diocletian and, having revealed himself as a Christian, denounced him for cruelty and injustice. George's speech was full of powerful and convincing objections against the imperial order to persecute Christians.