Patriarch Irinej served in the Vozdovac church

Његова His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of Holy Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen in Vozdovac on 13 January 2019. 

Christmas in the Belgrade District Prison

On the second day of the Christmas, on the feast-day of the Assembly of the Most Holy Mother of God, with the service of the Holy Liturgy in the chapel of the Resurrection of Christ in the District Prison in Belgrade, divine peace was announced and reunion of all in Christ which the Nativity of Newborn Child brings.

All gathered in Christ, there were present at the service: prisoners of that prison, commanders and employees of the facility, parishioners of the Vozdovac church of Holy Emperor Constantine and Helen, members of the Charity section of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovci, deacon Branislav Jocic and prison chaplain Revd. Gligorije Markovic.

A Unique Christmas in New York City

On Monday the 7th of January 2019, the Great Feast of the Nativity according to the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, festal services were held in New York City’s Russian Orthodox Synodal Cathedral of the Sign.

Since the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Pro-Cathedral burned down in 2016, New York City’s Serbian Orthodox community prayerfully celebrated Christ’s Nativity for a third time in the Russian Cathedral of the Sign. His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) celebrated Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral. Concelebrating with the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad were Their Graces, Bishop Irinej of Eastern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, ROCOR Eastern American Diocesan vicar.

Bishop Irinej on Christmas Eve in Elisabeth

On Sunday January 6th, 2019, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers and Christmas Eve, His Grace the Right Reverend Irinej, Bishop of Eastern America, presided at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the church of St.George the Great-martyr and Trophy-bearer in Elizabeth.

Protopresbyter-stavrophor Zoran Radovic, parish priest in Elizabeth, together with protodeacons Milos Zdralic and Jovan Anicic, concelebrated with His Grace Bishop Irinej. After the reading of the Holy Gospel, Bishop Irinej gave an inspiring sermon. At the very end of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Irinej asked the gathered children about Serbian Father’s Day, and then proceeded to invite them to partake in that tradition with him as their Spiritual Father. The children then tied His Grace with a rope, according to the Serbian custom, a task they completed with much joy and cheerfulness. After the tying, Bishop Irinej explained to the children the significance of this beautiful custom. In order to‘’be redeemed’’, Bishop Irinej gave to each child a chocolate-box as a gift.

Christmas at Saint Steven’s Cathedral in Alhambra

His Grace, Bishop Maxim, celebrated the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ at the Diocesan See, Saint Steven’s Cathedral, beginning with the Vespers of Christmas on Sunday evening, January 6, 2019.

The Cathedral clergy – Protopresbyter Stavrophor Nicholas Ceko and Presbyter Norman Kosanovich – were joined by the Bishop’s Deacon Vladan Radovanovic, the Cathedral Choir, Altar servers, and the hundreds of faithful gathered on a dry evening that followed a soaking rain the previous night and preceded another shower the following morning!

Winter Youth retreat 2018 – Great Success

Full to capacity as usual, the winter youth retreat 2018 was and continues to be a greatSuccess – thanks be to God, His most holy Mother (for protection), Saints, Angels, our good Bishop Longin for blessing it, and great people (especially our sisters and mothers, our clergy and the Youth Department) for putting much work in planning it and also executing it.

The theme for the retreat was: Who am I and where am I going – this also will be the theme for the oratorical Festival 2019. High school students of the Midwest Diocese may apply to write an essay as soon as possible – contact the Diocesan youth director: Priest Dragan Petrovic- Indianapolis.