Guests from Fraternal Greece with the Patriarch of Serbia

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej received great donors of the Serbian Church Archimandrite Gervasios and Protopresbyter Ermolaos with a group of faithful from the Greek city of Patra, accompanied by Presbyter Panayotis Karatasios, principal of the Holy Archangel Gabriel monastery in Zemun. The reception took place in the Patriarchal residence in Belgrade on January 15, 2018.

The Serbian Patriarch received in audience Archbishop Abel from Poland

His Holiness Irinej, the Serbian Patriarch, received the Rt. Revd. Archbishop Abel of Lubel-Helm from the Polish Orthodox Church at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade on 15 January 2018.

His Eminence Archbishop Abel thanked His Holiness for the cordial reception during which he presented to the Serbian Patriarch a reliquary with a particle of relics of Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, wishing him many years on the throne of Saint Sava. The Serbian Patriarch Irinej thanked Archbishop of Lubel-Helm for the present and wished him Divine blessings in his God-pleasing archpastoral ministry in the sister Polish Orthodox Church.

Service of supplications for the beginning of the New Year in Saint Sava Cathedral

Archimandrite Stefan, dean of the Saint Sava Cathedral celebrated last night thanksgiving service for the last year and the service of supplications for the forthcoming New Year marked according to the Julian Calendar in the crypt of the Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava in the district of Vracar (phоto gallery).

After the service of supplication a traditional fireworks was organized on the Saint Sava plateau.

Christmas in New York

The St. Sava Cathedral Community in Manhattan, as its Cathedral is being rebuilt, is temporarily without a home . However, it is neither abandoned nor forgotten thanks to the fraternal love and fellowship offered by the hierarchy, clergy and communities of the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches in New York City. Again, this year, Christmas was no exception!

On Christmas Eve, January 6, 2018, with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and the goodness of Archimandrite Chrysostomos (Gilbert), together with his parish community at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan. Here, the New York City Serbian Cathedral Community was able to celebrate Christmas Eve Services, with over 700 faithful gathered in attendance. The Christmas Eve Vigil was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Irinej, Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Zivojin Jakovljevic, Cathedral Dean, Protopresbyter Aleksa Micich, Protodeacon Milos Zdralic, Diocesan Financial Secretary, and Deacon Jovan Anicic, Diocesan Education Director.

The Feast of the Birth of Christ in Milton

The Christmas holiday was solemnly celebrated in the only Serbian monastery in the vast country of Canada.

The festive joy began on the eve of the feast of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which several hundred Orthodox Serbs, Russians and other orthodox people gathered in the monastery Church of The Holy Transfiguration in Milton. Evening service was served by protosingelos Vasilije (Gavrilović), presbyter Radovan Kodić, parish priest of Milton and Burlington and the diocesan deacon father Aleksandar Mitrovic. The chanting was guided by His Grace Bishop of Canada Kyr Mitrofan with the help of students of theology and monastery chanters. 

The Serbian Patriarch thanks for Christmas messages

In expectation of the most joyous Christian feast day – the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ – His Holiness Irinej, the Serbian Patriarch, received a great  number of festal greeting cards from primates, hierarchs and clergymen and monastics of the Local Orthodox Churches, hierarchs and priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Roman Pope, Roman Catholic archbishops and bishops, the Archbishop of Canterbury, primates of Protestant Churches and the Islamic communities,  high officials of the Republic of Serbia and of the states in the region, dignitaries of state authorities, presidents of municipalities, foreign ambassadors in Belgrade, rectors of universities and heads of scientific and cultural institutions, and of non-governmental organizations, directors of companies and many individuals. The Serbian Patriarch exchanged Christmas messages with General Secretaries of the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches, the President of Lutheran World Federation, The Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Chairman of the Council of  the Evangelical Church in Germany as well as with some other Christian organizations and institutions.

His Holiness Irinej, truly delighted by this nice gesture of love and respect, expresses herewith his deep gratitude to all of them:

“Overwhelmed with the joy of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, We wish to all of you every Divine blessing and pray to the Christ Child, the Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6), to bestow peace, justice and love upon all humanity – His peace on earth among men with whom He is pleased (Lk. 2:14).

Being grateful to all of you for prayerful remembrance and expressed best wishes, We congratulate this great Christian feast-day with the joyful exclamation:

PEACE FROM GOD! CHRIST IS BORN! – INDEED HE IS BORN!”