Sremska Kamenica: The prayer of supplication for Serbian people and their shrines in Montenegro
The Prime Minister of Vojvodina and the Mayor of Novi Sad attended the prayer of supplication. - Podgorica has been moved to Sremska Kamenica, the most beautiful light of Vojvodina shone in its best. (Fr. Gojko Perovic).
On 23rd of February 2020 a few thousand of faithful people supported their Montenegrin brothers and sisters in the prayer of supplication in the church-yard of the church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Sremska Mitrovica, officiated by His Grace Basil the Bishop of Srem concelebrating with the principal of the Orthodox Seminary of Cetinje protopresbyter-staurophor Gojko Perovic, Bishop’s dean protopresbyter-staurophor Gavra Milanovic, principal of the Orthodox Seminary in Sremski Karlovci protopresbyter Jovan Milanovic, deacon Goran Vlasac and clergy of the Diocese of Srem.
Full of brotherly love in his heart, protopresbyter-staurophor Gojko Perovic addressed the Christ-loving people. He reminded them of historical bonds between the Old Montenegro and the Metropolitanate of Karlovac, and of some historical moments when the clergy of Montenegro were crossing the Danube in very difficult times, when the Turks devastated the Monastery of Cetinje, when neither any monastery nor a bishop could be found in Cetinje.
“We officiated the prayer of supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos, and since the cross processions in Montenegro are being prepared and the greatest one will take place in Podgorica, it seems to me that Podgorica and Montenegro have been moved here to the bank of the Danube. Thank you, dear brothers; thank you, dear Kamenica, Sremska Kamenica - the most beautiful light of Vojvodina shown in its best! Thank you, Kamenica, for being, in my opinion, the capital city of Vojvodina tonight; thank you, Kamenica, for being a Montenegrin hope tonight! And thank you, Kamenica, for being the second Podgorica tonight!” - said Fr. Gojko Perovic.
Addressing the congregation, Bishop Basil of Srem said that the prayers offered to the Most Holy Theotokos she would present before the throne of God so that He would hear them and gather together and save Serbian people.
“Behold, the moment has come that something must happen so that the Serbian mind might be changed so that we forget all the bad things that happened to the Serbian people and remember instructions of St. Sava of Serbia and of Church Fathers and Church hierarchs,” Fr. Gojko Perovic indicated.
The moment of the commemoration of the centenary of the unification of the Serbian Church when Church Fathers gave instructions to us how to get united in Christ that no one and nowhere in the entire world could disunite us or tear us apart, neither could any earthly politics do it. We are gathered here to give full support to a painstaking struggle of our Metropolitan Amfilohije and his co-brothers bishops and clergy of our Serbian Orthodox Church, youth and all the Serbian children in Montenegro! Montenegro has risen!”
On that magnificent evening of spiritual assembly, Bishop’s dean of the Danube Deanery, protopresbyer-staurophor Gavro Milanovic addressed the congregation. The host of the program was Revd. Milos Marjanac, while the author of this evening was Ms. Marijana Djeric, artistic coordinator of the Diocese of Srem.
Next to the brotherhood and sisterhood of Fruska Gora monasteries, Prime Minister of Vojvodina Igor Mirovic and the Mayor of Novi Sad Milos Vucevic attended the prayer of supplication.
A group of chanters “Stara Srbija” with their members Marko Basica, professor Jovan Katic, parish priest of Srem Slobodan Vujasinovic and Miodrag Blizanac won the hearts of the faithful and encouraged them with their song (an unofficial hymn of these processions) “Montenegro has risen!” the text of which was written by Slavko Perisic and arrangement and composition were done by Miodrag Blizanac. A gusle player Miljan Vujovic, president of the Society of the gusle players “Vuk Karadzic” from Vrbas, sang the song “Serbian Sparta”.
The procession was endless. The Holy Cross was carried by a basketball player Darko Milacic. Religious hymns were being chanted and people were calling out St. Sava the Serb. The songs about Kosovo and Metohija could be heard as well. The congregation was loudly shouting “We won’t give up our shrines”.
Written by Zorica Zec
Translated into English Sanja Simic de Graaf
