Djurdjevi Stupovi celebrate 800th anniversary of its existence

On the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene, on 4 August 2013, the monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi celebrated eight centuries of its existence.

Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church along with bishops of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy. Besides many believers at the Liturgy there were also Prime Minister of Serbia Mr. Ivica Dacic, Minister of Education Mr. Zarko Obradovic, Minister of Culture and Information Mr. Bratislav Petkovic, Ambassador of Serbia in Podgorica Mr. Zoran Lutovac, Ambassador of the Russian Federation Mr. Andrei Nesterenko and Ambassador of Ukraine Mrs. Oskana Slyusarenko.

Prayerful remembrance of the suffered in Operation Storm

His Grace Bishop Atanasije of Bihac-Petrovac served yesterday, on 4 August 2013,  on the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene  the Divine Liturgy in Belgrade’s church of Saint Mark with the concelebration of the clergy of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovac and newly ordained military priests.

In the church full of the faithful people, following the Holy Liturgy a memorial service was served for the suffered in the Operation Storm in attendance of Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, Vice President of the Government of Serbia;  Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Mr. Ljubisa Dikovic; President of the Assembly of Serbia Mr. Nebojsa Stefanovic; representative of the Department for moral and faith of the Directorate of Human Resources of the Serbian Armed Forces Colonel Stevica Karapandzin, Mayor of Belgrade Mr. Dragan Djilas. 

Solemn Academy on the occasion of eight centuries of Djurdjevi Stupovi

On Saturday, 3 August 2013, Bishop Joanikije with priests, monks and the faithful of the Diocese of Budimlje-Niksic welcomed His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch. Patriarch Irinej served on the eve of the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene the solemn vespers .

After that, at 9 p.m. a solemn Academy was held at the monastery courtyard which was attended by several thousand believers from Montenegro, Serbia, Republic of Srpska and other countries of Europe and the world. Patriarch Irinej, Serbnian Patriarch; President of Montenegro Mr. Filip Vujanovic, who is also the president of the Organization Committee of this great jubilee, as well as  many bishops of the Local Orthodox Churches and representatives of political and public life attended this magnificent event. 

Audiences at the Serbian Patriarchate - 31 July 2013

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch received Mr. Bratislav Petkovic, Minister of Culture at the Government of Serbia, and Mr. Zoran Nedeljkovic, director of the Library of the Serbian Patriarchate, at the Serbian Patriarchate today, on 31 July 2013.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met with Primates of Local Orthodox Churches

On 29 July 2013, Mr. Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus, met with the Primates and heads of the delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches, who came to Minsk for the celebration of the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. The meeting took place in the White Hall of the Church of All Saints. The Cross of St Andrew the First Called Apostle was brought to the Church of All Saints the day before and will stay there till August 2.

Taking part in the meeting were His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa; His Beatitude Patriarch Theofilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine; His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia; His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus; His Beatitude Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw and All Poland; His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada; hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches, who came for the celebration of the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia; and members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus; Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Vladimir of Chișinău and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the metropolitan area in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikentiy of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the metropolitan area in Central Asia; Metropolitan Varsonofiy of Saransk and Mordovia, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.

Primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches traveled by special train to Minsk

The primates and the representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches came to Minsk traveling by a special train from Moscow, on the occasion of the celebrations of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia which happened in Kiev and Minsk. 

This train had a special passenger car-church in which was the cross of Holy Apostle Andrew. This cross was brought from the Greek town of Patras to the Russian Orthodox Church on the occasion of the great jubilee. During the trip to Kiev His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia held several important official meetings with representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches.