72nd Annual One World Day at Cleveland Cultural Gardens

Over 25,000 people attended the 72nd Annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens at Rockefeller Park on Sunday, August 27th, 2017.

The weather was beautiful and the now expanded Serbian Cultural Garden (http://serbianculturalgarden.org/), with the recent addition of the Milutin Milankovic bust, but also featuring numerous other sculptures and adorned with our famous Serbian Spruce looked superb and was a popular destination.

The beginning of a new school year in the Prizren Seminary

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, dean of the Prizren Seminary, during the Holy Liturgy at the Cathedral church of Saint George in Prizren on 3 September 2017, the prayer of supplication was read for the invocation of the Holy Spirit on the occasion of the beginning of a new school year at the Prizren Seminary.

Archimandrite Sava, abbot of the Decani Monastery,  celebrated the Liturgy, with the concelebration of the clergy from the Prizren Seminary.

Biography of elected Bishop Sergije (Karanovic) of Bihac-Petrovac

The solemn rite of the enthronement into the throne of bishops of Bihac-Petrovac will be performed at the Cathedral church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Bosanski Petrovac on  September 10th, 2017.

The newly-elected Bishop of Central Europe Archimandrite Sergije (Karanovic) was born on 4 July 1975 in BackaPalanka, and was baptized as Zoran. His family originate from Boboljusci, near Martin Brod. He finished primary school in his native town, and in 1990, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa he attended the Seminary of Three Holy Hierarchs at Krka Monastery, Dalmatia. He finished school with great success in 1995, during the civil war in Croatia, before the suffering and exodus of the Serbs from Krajina. The same year he received blessing and a canonical release from Bishop Irinej of Backa and was accepted to the Diocese of Bihac-Petrovac, which suffered from the war destruction, in autumn 1995.

Diocesan Days 2017

September 1-3, 2017 - Saint Steven’s Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Alhambra, California

THE CHURCH AS FAMILY & THE FAMILY AS CHURCH

“You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but are fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God..” –Ephesians 2:19

Day One - September 1, 2017 - The annual gathering of clergy and laity from throughout the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America, Diocesan Days, began early Friday afternoon, September 1, 2017. As Los Angeles continued to bear through a historic heatwave  clergy began slowly, one by one, to arrive to the LA suburb of Alhambra, home of St. Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral and host of this year's diocesan gathering. A festive and joyous fellowship typically ensues when brother clergy meet after being apart for months. This, in fact, is one of the highlights of such events. As is customary in the Orthodox Tradition and in particular in the  Western American Diocese, it originates from their bishop's warm welcome, whom the clergy first greet upon arriving - their ruling bishop His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America.

Enthronement of Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia

The Enthronement was performed in Sarajevo’s Cathedral Church on 3 September 2017. The Primate of the Serbian Church His Holiness Irinej officiated. Attendance of a large number of distinguished people from the church and political life.

The Cathedral church in Sarajevo devoted to the Most Holy Mother of God gathered the Serbian people from several dioceses of our Holy Church, which along with clergy, monks and representatives of the authorities fulfilled both the courtyard and the church while waiting the solemn introduction to the throne of Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia. His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of: Archbishop and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan, Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana and Metropolitan Jacob of Mytilini (Church of Greece), Bishop Nikanor of Banat, Bishop Longin of Mid-West America and New Gracanica, Bishop Mitrophan of Canada, Bishop Justin of Zica, Bishop Pahomije of Vranje, Bishop of Dalmatia and elected Bishop of Zvornik-Tuzla Fotije, Bishop Atanasije of Milesevo, Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic, Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina, Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, Bishop Joakim of Polog-Kumanovo, Bishop Jovan of Slavonia-Pakrac, Bishop Arsenije of Nis, Bishop Antonije of Moravica and retired Bishops Georgije of Canada and Konstantin of Middle-Europe.

U.S. Ambassador meets with the Serbian Patriarch

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, held an audience with His Excellency Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Serbia Mr. Kyle Scott on 31 August 2017.

Ambassador Scott expressed a gratitude to the primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church for the cordial audience during which they discussed about necessity to continue the development of cooperation among peoples in the region, as well as inter-religious dialogue at the highest level which is fully supported by the U.S. government. Serbian Patriarch Irinej thanked the distinguished guest for the visit and shown respect, wishing him and his associates all good from the Lord.