Consecration of church of Synaxis of the Holy Apostles in Apatin

On Sunday, November 23, 2008 one of the most beautiful and the greatest buildings of church architecture in Serbia, a church of Synaxis of the Holy Apostles ,was consecrated. Prayerful gathering , attended by lots of believers, began with all-night vigil service, after which His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa along with Their Graces Bishop Hrizostom of Zicha, Bishop Pahomije of Vranje, Bishop Jovan of Shumadija introduced holy relics into the church and put them in front of a main icon of the Lord Jesus Christ.

HEROES OF THE FAITH - HEROES OF THE HISTORY, exhibition opened in the PROGRES Gallery

An exhibition of icons, frescoes, mosaics, rosettes and calligraphy, created by the Academy of the Serbian Orthodox Church for arts and conservation, was opened at the PROGRES gallery yesterday evening. The title of the exhibition is HEROES OF THE FAITH - HEROES OF THE HISTORY. The hagiographies were created in Todor Mitrovic`s (Mth), Goran Janicijevic`s and Rajko Blazic`s class and calligraphy was done by Dragan Bosnic, Mth.The exhibition was opened by Dean of the Academy of SOC archpriest-staurophor dr Radomir Popovic opened the exhibition.

During his speech, Dean led the visitors through history of the early Christian Church on territories of Gaul and Moesia, on which are nowadays France and Serbia.

He specially thanked the patron of the exhibition, Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Serbia, and its representatives - secretary of state Mr. Dragan Curovic and Mr. Dragan Novakovic. In the end , Dean gave word to His Grace Bishop Atanasije of Hvosno, the vicar of His Holiness, in order to bless and open the exhibition.

The Serbian Orthodox Church gave the mobile incubator to the Health Center in Gračanica

On the behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops and thanks to the church community of Ascension of the Most Holy Theotokos in Zurich the mobile incubator was presented to the Health Center in Gracanica.

On November 28, 2008 the transfer of this valuable appliance was performed at the University in Pristina situated at Kosovska Mitrovica. His Grace Bishop Philaret of Milesevo, a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, gave to His Grace Bishop Dr. Artemije of Raska-Prizren this appliance, which was , then, presented to professor dr Stojan Sekulic, general director of the Health Center in Gracanica. The device was given to the Clinic of Gynecology-Obstetrics and is meant for transport of early-born infants. Dr Sasa Cvetkovic , the manager of this clinic, assumed the device.

Visit of His Grace Bishop Irinej to St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church in Steelton

On Tuesday, November 25, 2008, Fr. Srboljub Jockovich and the stewards of the St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church of Steelton/Oberlin, Pennsylvania, with the blessings of His Grace Bishop Mitrophan of Eastern America, were pleased and blessed to welcome His Grace Irinej, Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, to evening vespers. Nearly 75 people were present to greet His Grace on his first visit to St. Nicholas Church since his elevation to bishop.

Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims live peacefully together in Tatarstan

There are few spots on earth these days where religions mingle without rancor, or worse. But the Russian republic of Tatarstan has turned religious tolerance into its post-Soviet brand - a place where Muslims, Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics mix and respect each other's traditions.

Spirituality for Busy People

For those who think administrators are no more than "empty suits," with nothing to teach us spiritually, the early medieval Pope Gregory I ("the Great") is the great counter-example. Gregory (ca. 540-604) was a contemplative mystic at heart who struggled all of his days with the conflict between busyness and intimacy with Christ. And this struggle gave him great pastoral sympathy for a group of people who had become "second-class citizens" in Christendom: married layfolk. His meditations on the busy life-the life he associated both with Jesus' friend Martha and Jacob's wife Leah-led him to formulate a spiritual theology that blasted monastic elitism and freed busy laypeople to enjoy the contemplative life.