The feast-day of St. Archdeacon Stephan celebrated in Belgrade

The feast-day of the Translation of Relics of St. Archdeacon Stephan was marked by a Hierarchal Liturgy celebrated by His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Irinej in the monastery dedicated to this ecclesial event, Slanci, near Belgrade, which is a filial monastery of the Monastery Chilandar in Mount Athos.

The Serbian Patriarch pronounced a sermon. The liturgical event was attended by a large number of the faithful both from Belgrade as well as from other cities of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska.

Encyclical of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

ENCYCLICAL OF THE HOLY AND GREAT COUNCIL OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Crete 2016

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

With a hymn of thanksgiving, we praise and worship God in Trinity, who has enabled us to gather together during the days of the feast of Pentecost here on the island of Crete, which has been sanctified by St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and his disciple Titus, his “true son in the common faith” (Tit 1.4), and, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to conclude the sessions of this Holy and Great Council of our Orthodox Church – convened by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, by the common will of Their Beatitudes the Primates of the most holy Orthodox Churches – for the glory of His most holy Name and for the great blessing of His people and of the whole world, confessing with the divine Paul: “Let people then regard us thus: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor 4.1).

The feast-day of Ven. Mother Angelina of Syrmium solemnly celebrated

Serbian Patriarch Irinej officiated the Hierarchal Liturgy with concelebration of several Serbian Hierarchs. - A special guest from the Polish Orthodox Church – Archbishop Abel of Lublin concelebrated as well. – Several thousands of faithful participated in the solemnities.

Monastery Krusedol, Srem, 12.8.2016. – At the invitation of the  competent Bishop of Srem Vasilije, His Holiness Serbian Patriarh Irinej celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Monastery Krusedol, where the relics of the Venerable Mother Angelina rest. Several abbots and archimandrites of leading Srem monasteries celebrated in the Liturgy and Prof. Jovan Petkovic, Principal of the famous Karlovcy Theological Seminary was with them as well.

The Dormition Fast

The Dormition fast was established as preceding the great feasts of the Transfiguration of the Lord and of the Dormition of the Mother of God. It lasts two weeks—from August 1/14–August 14/27 (old style/new style).

The Dormition fast comes down to us from the early days of Christianity.We find a clear reference to the Dormition fast in a conversation of Leo the Great from around the year 450 A.D. “The Church fasts are situated in the year in such a way that a special abstinence is prescribed for each time. Thus, for spring there is the spring fast ]—the Forty Days[Great Lent; for summer there is the summer fast… [the Apostles’ fast]; for autumn there is the autumn fast, in the seventh month [Dormition fast]; for winter there is the winter fast [Nativity fast].”

A Celebration in Honor of His Grace Bishop Dr Mitrophan

A Celebration in Honor of His Grace Bishop Dr. Mitrophan on His 25 Years of Service in the Eastern American Diocese and His Election as Bishop of Canada

Saturday, August 13, 2016 - St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Churc, Aliquippa, PA
Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, 10 AM, Reception & Testimonial Banquet to follow at the St. Elijah Serbian Center

This year marks His Grace Bishop Dr. Mitrophan's 25th Anniversary as Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Eastern America. It also marks a new milestone as he leaves the Eastern American Diocese for his new duties as Bishop of Canada. The clergy and faithful of the Eastern American Diocese are invited to thank His Grace for his years of faithful service as our Archpastor, and to wish him Godspeed as he assumes his new duties in Canada at this service and banquet in his honor.

The servant of God Vladan Radovanovic ordained to the Priesthood

The Feast of the Holy Glorious Elijah, Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016, was a joyous day in the Western American Diocese. During the Divine Liturgy, at the Saint Steven's Cathedral in Alhambra, California, His Grace Bishop Maxim ordained to the deaconate, Vladan Radovanovic. 

Among the concelebrants were V. Rev. Nikola Ceko, V. Rev. Bratso Krsic, V. Rev. Blasko Paraklis, Rev. Milovan Katanic​, Rev. Milan Unkovic, Rev. Zoran Aleksic, and Deacon John Ma'ae. The prayerful responses, led by Jonathan Braun, were beautifully sung by the children attending the Cathedral's summer camp.