A Glorious Celebration of Two Jubilees In Boston

12. November 2019 - 9:47

The year of the Lord 2019 is the year of jubilee for the fullness of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In the preceding months, many other dioceses and parishes of our Holy Church have celebrated the 800th Anniversary of the Autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church at a local level.

On November 1st and 2nd, this important jubilee was celebrated on the Diocesan level in our Eastern America Diocese along with the 130th anniversary of the birth of Saint Mardarije of Libertyville and all America. By the Episcopal Proclamation of His Grace Bishop Irinej, November 2nd, the feast day of St. Mardarije, is to be celebrated annually in all parishes of the Eastern American Diocese.

Saint Sava Cathedral in Boston, MA was the gathering place for the faithful and the clergy around their Bishop. The joy of this day was great and it was shared with many guests from other Serbian dioceses as well as from other Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States.

From the early morning hours on Friday, the participants of this glorious celebration started to gather. His Grace Bishop Irinej, together with Fr. Aleksandar Vlajkovic, the Dean of St. Sava Cathedral, joined by Fr. Nektarije (Tesanovic), Fr. Branislav and Fr. Vladislav Golic, prepared the services for the upcoming celebration.

An exceptional joy to this glorious event was added by the consecration of the newly made antimensia for our Diocese. They were made out of the finest, carefully chosen materials, which will ensure outstanding durability and lasting use.

His Grace Bishop Irinej’s idea was rendered by a skillful hand of an iconographer, Mr. Uros Todorovich, PhD. The masterpiece brought together in harmony old Byzantine art from the Paleologos era, theological significance of antimensia, as well as remarkable moments in the life of the Diocese in this day and age. On the antimensia, very vividly inscribed are the words of the prayer: “In the tomb with the body, in Hades with the soul as God, in paradise with the thief and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit, You fill all things, O boundless Christ.” Also depicted on left side of the antimensia is Saint Sava, holding the Cathedral of Saint Sava in New York City in flames, extinguished by the trumpet of an angel. On the right side of the antimensia, Saint Irinei of Lyon, the patron saint of His Grace Bishop Irinej, is depicted. Holy relics of St Bishop Mardarije of Libertyville, as well as of the Holy new martyrs of Prebilovci, were placed in the new antimensia.

In the late afternoon hours, all participants of this august celebration gathered together for a vespers service. An Athonite monk, Very Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas, PhD, senior scholar at the Hellenic College of Holy Cross, officiated the vespers service. Fr. Maximos represented his Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Archdiocese of America. His Grace Bishop Irinej and His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church were in attendance.

Holy relics of St. Mardarije were presented to all the faithful and displayed in a skillfully crafted sarcophagus. As noted by His Grace Bishop Irinej, this was a gift to the St. Sava Cathedral as a sign of appreciation for their selfless love and sacrifice in organizing this significant event. At the end of the vespers service, His Grace Bishop Irinej blessed the ilitia or the covering cloths for the new antimensia. His Grace also greeted and welcomed all guests who came from near and far to take part in this celebration.

Following the vespers service, a formal dinner was prepared and served by the parishioners of the St. Sava community. A movie about St Mardarije titled “The Quiet Corner of Christ” was played at the conclusion of the night.

The second day of this celebration started with the blessing of the new antimensia. According to the established practice, joined by all of the clergy of the Eastern Diocese, His Grace Bishop Irinej first sprinkled the antimensia with holy water from the Jordan River. Then, accompanied by the chanting of psalms, the antimensia were blessed with a mixture of wine and rose water. In the end, they were anointed with myrrh - holy chrism. A procession was then made inside the church. His Grace carried all antimensia, while the clergy joined the procession carrying in their hands the candles from the Holy Land and receiving the light from the candle that was lit by the Holy Fire. The antimensia were then placed on the altar table upon which the liturgy was served.

His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western American Diocese officiated the service. His Grace Bishop Irinej as well as many visiting clergy co-celebrated. The choir, Lira, from Wahsington D.C., directed by Popadija Jelena Vranic added to the beauty of this liturgical gathering. Given that the particular Saturday was a Memorial Saturday, a Parastos service for all the bishops, priests and faithful of our Diocese was held at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.

His Grace Bishop Irinej then entrusted the newly consecrated antimensia to each priest for his respective parish to serve as a visible sign of his authority and spiritual presence in each community.

Over 350 people in attendance gathered for the agape meal following the services. Besides the two hierarchs, among the representatives of the sister churches were V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constans, representing His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (GOA) and V. Rev. Stavrophore Alexander Rentel, representing His Eminence Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA).

Other distinguished guests from political and cultural life of the Serbian Diaspora were His Excellency Mr. Djerdj Matkovic, ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States, Mrs. Drina Vlastelic Rajic and Mr. Obrad Kesic, representatives of the Republic of Srpska in the United States, Mrs. Millie Radovich, the President of the Federation Circle of Serbian Sisters for the Eastern Diocese, Mrs. Milana Milosh, secretary of the Serb Natonal Federation, and many other eminent individuals.

The V. Rev. Protodeacon Jovan Anicic, PhD, organized the cultural program which took place during the agape, featuring the folklore ansable Gracanica from Boston, a mixed choir, Lira, from Washinton, D.C., “TRIO Pokret” from Belrgrade, Serbia, as well as the renowned actress Katarina Radivojevic. The master of ceremonies was Mr. Srdjan Maksimovic, a PhD candidate at Fordham University.

In conclusion, His Grace Bishop Irinej expressed the deepest and most sincere gratitude to all those who participated in this joyous gathering of our Diocese. We all gave thanks to God, and Saint Sava by singing “Uskliknimo s ljubavlju”, taking with us great memories to be cherished and shared.