Saint Cyriacus the Anchorite solemnly celebrated in Velika Hoca

In Velika Hoca, near Orahovac, a village slava was solemnly celebrated, the feast day of Venerable Saint Cyriacus the Anchorite and the end of this year's  harvest of the grapes. The Divine Liturgy at the courtyard of the church of St. Anne, beside the village school, was served by Their Graces Bishops Teodosije of Raska-Prizren and Vicar Jovan of Lipljan with the concelebration of monks and priests of the Diocese.

After the Divine Liturgy the slava cake was blessed and cut, and then was a cultural and art program.

On the feast day of Saint Cyriacus the Anchorite the end of this year's harvest of the grapes is tradionally marked. Local people of Velika Hoca say that this year was not good for production of grapes. Local producers of wine and brandy (rakia) mostly sell in Velika Hoca, because they are not able to place their products on some other market.

Velika Hoca is a place in Metohija where 14 medieval churches and one of the most famous wine regions in Serbia, since Stefan Nemanja where on this place there was a metochion of the Hilandar monastery. This is today the only Serbian village left in the municipality of Orahovac. Many vineyars have been destroyed since 1999.

Source: Diocese of Raska-Prizren