Serbian Orthodox Church

Kolo Slava in Clearwater

The Kolo Sisters had their Slava on Sunday Feb. 15, 2015 at St. George Church. The Slava is Sretenje Gospodnje ( Presentation of Jesus at the Temple). In Eastern tradition, it is often called The Meeting of Our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ, because the hymns emphasize the incarnate God, the Lord Jesus Christ, meeting with his people, Israel, in the persons of the Prophet Simeon and the Prophetess Anna. In the Gospel of Luke 2:22-35, Mary and Joseph took the infant Christ to the Temple in Jerusalem. He was received in the arms of the elder Simeon, who then prayed, "Now let Thy servant depart in peace... for I have seen Thy salvation." This was one of the things that Mary "pondered in her heart"—the fact that others recognized that her Son was the Messiah. (Excerpts from OrthodoxWiki).

Recognition to Bishop Jovan of Nis

On Sunday, March 1st, 2015, in the solemn hall of the Saint Sava Centre in Nis, Serbia, a regular session of the Association of creators of the city of Nis was held, during which His Grace Bishop Jovan of Nis was proclaimed a member of honour of this Association.

The ceremony was opened with a performance of the Cathedral church choir “Branko”, after which the president of the Association of the creators of the city of Nis, delivered a speech, and handed in a letter of appreciation to Bishop Jovan. Following the president, Bishop Jovan also addressed the audience.

Weekly Diocesan Bulletin - Sunday, March 1st, 2015

SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2015
Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great

First Sunday of Great Lent: 
The Triumph of Orthodoxy; The Holy Martyrs Pamphilius, Porphirius, and companions   

RESURRECTIONAL TROPARION - TONE FIVE:
Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, coeternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salvation from the Virgin; for He willed to be lifted upon the Cross in the flesh, to endure death, and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

Audience at the Serbian Patriarchate – 24 February 2015

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch received in audience His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, on 24 February 2015.

Besides His Holiness, the audience was also attended by His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, His Grace Bishop Hrizostom of Zvornik-Tuzla, His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Toplica, and protopresbyter-stavrophor Savo B. Jovic, chief secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Cardinal Koch was accompanied by Apostolic Nuncio His Excellency Orlando Antonini, Archbishop Stanislav Hocevar, Monsignor Janusz Błachowiak, priests Jacinth Destivelle and Robert Pastiuk.

Charity Event in St. Petersburg, Florida

Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine attended a charity event held in St Petersburg, Florida on February 14, 2015 in aid of children with special needs in Republic of Srpska.This charity dinner was organized by Lifeline New York Humanitarian Organization, which is under the patronage of Crown Princess Katherine.

Metropolitan Porfirije: Serbs in Croatia are afraid

In Zagreb 30,000 Serbs live, but many of them are afraid to declare themselves publicly because of the fear that their rights to have normal life would be endangered,  Serbian Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana said three days ago.  The Metropolitan also noted that the arrival of Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic in Zagreb, on the feast-day of Meeting of the Lord, the state holiday of Serbia, was a great encouragement for the Serbs in Croatia.

Metropolitan Porfirije added as examples that only about two or three hundred Serbs attend church services on Sundays. “The reason is fear. It is particularly precarious in situations when there is a possibility that a camera of some media is present, and consequently even a less number of them goes to church, because they fear to be seen. They fear that they could have problems”, he said. He also added that these problems were different, but the people fear, in one word, that their rights to have normal life would be compromised…

…He added that our people in Croatia rejoiced at the arrival of the Serbian Prime Minister in the capital city of Croatia, “because it is primarily an expression of Serbia’s concern for the position and problems of the Serbian people in Croatia”. “There are numerous open issues between Croatia and Serbia regarding the status of the Serbian people in Croatia, which cannot be resolved without a dialogue. The lack of communication is of no use for anyone, and the problems deepen.  Hence, this visit of Prime Minister Vucic, it seems to me, represents a shift in relations between the two countries”, Metropolitan Porfirije concluded.