Lazarus Saturday in Cathedral church in Belgrade

His Holiness Irinej Serbian Patriarch, officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy at the Cathedral church of Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade on Lazarus Saturday, 31 March 2018.

In prayerful presence of His grace Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac, His Holiness was concelebrated by head of Novo Hopovo monastery Archimandrite Pavle Jovic, chief secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops protopresbyter-staurophor Savo Jovic, PhD; dean of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade protopresbyter-staurophor Predrag Puzovic, PhD, etc.

Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday

The week following the Sunday of Saint Mary of Egypt is called Palm or Branch Week. At the Tuesday services of this week the Church recalls that Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died and that the Lord is going to raise him from the dead (Jn 11). As the days continue toward Saturday, the Church, in its hymns and verses, continues to follow Christ towards Bethany to the tomb of Lazarus. On Friday evening, the eve of the celebration of the Resurrection of Lazarus, the “great and saving forty days” of Great Lent are formally brought to an end:

Having accomplished the forty days for the benefit of our souls, we pray to Thee, O Lover of Man, that we may see the holy week of Thy passion, that in it we may glorify Thy greatness and Thine unspeakable plan of salvation for our sake . . . (Vespers Hymn).

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"The Love of God the Father" 21st Annual Diocesan SKSS Retreat, Alhambra

 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (I John 3:1).

This was the theme of the 21st Annual Diocesan Kolo Srpskih Sestara Lenten Women's Retreat which was held at the Saint Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra, California on Friday, March 23rd and Saturday, March 24, 2017.

Synaxarion for Lazarus Saturday

On this day, the Saturday before Palm Sunday, we celebrate the fourth-day raising from the dead of Lazarus, the righteous friend of Christ.

Lazarus[1] was a Hebrew, of the sect of the Pharisees and, as far as is known, he was the son of Simon the Pharisee, who dwelt in the village of Bethany. He became a friend of our Lord Jesus Christ when He sojourned on earth for the salvation of our race. For when Christ continually conversed with Simon, entering his house and discoursing on the resurrection from the dead, Lazarus was quite pleased with the genuineness of this teaching, and not only he, but also his two sisters, Martha and Mary.

Joint Letter of the Serbian Orthodox Bishops in the United States of America

Deputy Secretary John J. Sullivan
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

March 27, 2018

Dear Deputy Secretary Sullivan:

We, the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Dioceses in the United States, are writing to express our grave concern over yesterday’s assault by the Kosovo Police on Marko Djuric, Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, as well as journalists and unarmed citizens. Our concern is particularly heightened noting that this brutality seems to be an integral part of an orchestrated campaign against Kosovo's Serbian population, coming in the wake of the assassination of Oliver Ivanovic.

Serbian Bishop Fotije received in audience Mufti Fazlovic

Bishop Fotije and Mufti Fazlović agreed more intensive programs of inter-religious cooperation in the cities of Bijeljina and Tuzla.

His Eminence Bishop Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla received Tuzla's Mufti Vahid ef. Fazlović in his Diocesan residence in Bijeljina on March 27, 2018. The meeting presented a continuation of conversations about the mutual cooperation following up Bishop’s visit to the mufti Fazlovic in December 2017.

The  two religious dignitaries discussed concrete ways of cooperation between the two religious communities in the area, especially emphasizing the need for a more active work and cooperation of the Inter-Religious Council's Committees in Bijeljina and Tuzla. The meeting was attended by Samir ef. Kamic and Omer ef. Camić, the chief imams of Bijeljina and Janja.

Source: Zvornik-Tuzla Diocese