Serbian Patriarch expressed condolences to Archbishop of Albania and Albanian people

On the occasion of the catastrophic earthquake in Albania, His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch sent a letter of condolences to His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All Albania:

Your Beatitude,

We have received the sad news that a very strong earthquake with disastrous consequences struck Albania.

We personally, as well as the Pleroma of the Serbian Orthodox Church, extend our deepest prayerful condolences to You, the afflicted families and all the citizens of Albania.

Deeply saddened by this tragic event, We pray to the Lord that He may preserve the lives of all the people who dwell in the earthquake-hit region and give comfort to victims’ relatives and friends.

Your Beatitude’s brother and concelebrant in Christ,

SERBIAN PATRIARCH (signed IRINEJ)

The stavropegial monastery in Bitola celebrated its dedication feast-day

Тhe feast of St. John Chrysostom was celebrated by His Beatitude, Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan in the stavropegial monastery of St. John Chrysostom in Bitola, Macedonia, on the 26th of November 2019.

It was at the same time a patron name’s day of the Archbishop himself. The joy of the feast was enhanced by the visit of His Grace Bishop Isihije of Mohach, Vicar of the Bishop of Bačka and Abbot of the Kovilj Monastery, who arrived with his monastic fraternity.

The Serbian Patriarch Irinej met the Ambassador of Austria

His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Irinej received in audience the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Republic of Serbia, His Excellency Nikolaus Luterotti, at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade on November 27, 2019.

Annual Assembly of the Federation of the Circles of Serbian Sisters In Cleveland

On Saturday, November 23, 2019, the Federation of Circles of Serbian Sisters of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, held their bi-annual and election meeting at St Sava Cathedral, in Cleveland, Ohio.

The day began with a warm and inviting breakfast which was prepared by the host Kolo, the St Petka Circle of Serbian Sisters from the Cathedral. The Cleveland and Pittsburgh Deaneries were particularly well represented.

The Holy Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven

The angels of God were celebrated by men from earliest times but this celebration was often turned into the divinization of angels (IV Kings 23:5 [II Kgs KJV]). The heretics wove all sorts of fables concerning the angels. Some of them looked upon angels as gods; others, although they did not consider them gods, called them the creators of the whole visible world. The local Council of Laodicea (four or five years before the First Ecumenical Council) rejected the worship of angels as gods and established the proper veneration of angels in its Thirty-fifth Canon.

In the fourth century, during the time of Sylvester, Pope of Rome, and Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria, the present Feast of Archangel Michael and all the other heavenly powers was instituted for celebration in the month of November. Why precisely in November? Because November is the ninth month after March, and March is considered to be the month in which the world was created. Also, as the ninth month after March, November was chosen for the nine orders of angels who were created first. St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a disciple of the Apostle Paul (who was taken up into the third heaven), described these nine orders of angels in his book, On the Celestial Hierarchies, as follows: six-winged Seraphim, many-eyed Cherubim, God-bearing Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. The leader of all the angelic hosts is the Archangel Michael. 

Festive academy on the occasion of Two Centuries of the small Cathedral church in Nis

With an evening service at the Cathedral Church dedicated to the Assembly of Holy Archangels in Nis and a solemn academy in the Saint Sava House,  the central celebration of 200 years since the construction of this beloved church in Nis was marked on November 16, 2019.

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Nis, Vesper Service was officiated by His Grace Bishop David of Krusevac, followed by a solemn academy in the Saint Sava’s House in honor of the Jubilee. After the anthem O, God of Justice, performed by the Nis Church Choral Society Branko, directed by Mrs. Sara Cincarevic, a documentary about a small Cathedral church was screened, the script of which was written by Deacon Dalibor Midic and Mrs. Marina Milutinovic.