St Athanasius the Great the Patriarch of Alexandria

Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria, was a great Father of the Church and a pillar of Orthodoxy. He was born around the year 297 in the city of Alexandria into a family of pious Christians. He received a fine secular education, but he acquired more knowledge by diligent study of the Holy Scripture. In his childhood, the future hierarch Athanasius became known to St Alexander the Patriarch of Alexandria (May 29). A group of children, which included Athanasius, were playing at the seashore. The Christian children decided to baptize their pagan playmates.

The young Athanasius, whom the children designated as “bishop”, performed the Baptism, precisely repeating the words he heard in church during this sacrament. Patriarch Alexander observed all this from a window. He then commanded that the children and their parents be brought to him. He conversed with them for a long while, and determined that the Baptism performed by the children was done according to the Church order. He acknowledged the Baptism as real and sealed it with the sacrament of Chrismation. From this moment, the Patriarch looked after the spiritual upbringing of Athanasius and in time brought him into the clergy, at first as a reader, and then he ordained him as a deacon.

Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagrеb-Ljubljana: Concerning the current attacks on the Serbian Orthodox Church

STATEMENT
Concerning the current attacks on the Serbian Orthodox Church

Regarding the media attacks of some individuals and associations on the Serbian Orthodox Church, its clergy and the faithful in Croatia, I feel an obligation to make the following statement:

The reason, but not a motive or a cause, for brutal, unprecedented attacks and calls for lynching of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia in recent years, are to be found in a recording created many years ago, during my visit to believers in Chicago, where, as a guest, I was not able to affect all the circumstances. Because of all those who have been in any way affected or felt offended, especially after the abuse and manipulation of the content of the recording by some media, I express my sincere and deep human regret.

Communiqué

SYNAXIS OF THE PRIMATES OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHES
Chambésy, 21-28, 2016

C O M M U N I Q U É

At the invitation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Synaxis of Primates of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches took place at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, from 21st to 28th January, 2016.

The following Primates attended:

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria
Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow
Patriarch Irinej of Serbia
Patriarch Daniel of Romania
Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria
Patriarch Ilia of Georgia
Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus
Archbishop Anastasios of Albania
Archbishop Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia

The following Primates were unable to attend: Their Beatitudes Patriarch John X of Antioch and Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, for health reasons, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, for personal reasons. Nevertheless, all three were represented by official delegations of their Churches.

Patron Saint-day of the Saint Sava Memorial Cathedral

The Patron Saint-day (slava) of the memorial cathedral of the Serbian people, was celebrated with Divine Liturgy officiated by His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Toplica, Vicar of Serbian Patriarch.

His Grace Bishop Arsenije was concelebrated by the clergy of Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovac, clergy of Saint Sava Cathedral and guests from Greece and other dioceses of teh Serbian Orthodox Church. Besides lots of believers who were present at the Liturgy, the service was also attended by Director of the Bureau for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities Dr. Mileta Radojevic, adviser to President of Prime Minister Mr. Vladimir Bozovic, chief architect of the Cathedral Professor Dr. Vojislav Milovanovic, representatives of the city authorities, representatives of the religious communities, students of Belgrade schools.

Vigil on Eve of the slava of the church of Saint Sava on Vracar

The celebration of the slava of the church of Saint Sava began with All night Vigil on the Eve of the feast day.

With the blessing of His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Toplica, Vicar of Serbian Patriarch,  served the great feast day's  All Night Vigil in the church of Saint Sava on Vracar in Belgrade, on the Eve of the feast day of Saint Sava, the first Serbian Archbishop and Enlightener.

Feast of St. Sava in San Gabriel, California

Sunday, January 24th, 2015 at the Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in San Gabriel California the Feast of St. Sava, First Archbishop of the Serbs, was celebrated.

The day began with the Divine Liturgy which was celebrated by His Grace, Bishop Maxim, Fr. Lazar Vasiljevic, Fr. Peter Jovanovic, and Deacon Zoran Aleksic. The slava services was held in the social hall with all the St. Sava children participating with much enthusiasm. A festal banquet was enjoyed by all and then followed a beautiful program with wonderful poems presented by the children and folklore performances by the St. Sava folklore groups.