St. Panteleimon – heavenly protector of the city of Bijeljina

The feast of the heavenly protector of this city was celebrated with the hierarchal Liturgy in the church of St. Panteleimon, the blessing of the feast loaf in the City Hall and the laying of wreaths at the monument to the fallen soldiers in the Defensive-Patriotic War in Bijeljina, Republic of Srpska.

His Grace Bishop Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla greetd the inhabitants of Bijeljina and wished them a happy and blessed feast-day. -I am glad that we have gathered here today, on a great feast-day, and that representatives of the state leadership are present here as well. The Church is committed to the unity of the people and their authorities so that we be united in the same way as during the Nemanjics’ period of time, because that is the only way we can survive and be a blessed people,” the Bishop pointed out.

This year, for the first time, the Holy hierarchal Liturgy was celebrated in the church of St. Panteleimon, which was additionally solemn because the parish priest attached the church, Revd. Sinisa Sarenac, was promoted to the rank of archpriest as a reward for his achievements as a coordinator of religious education in the Zvornik-Tuzla Diocese. In addition, he organized numerous lectures and religious performances in the Diocesan Cultural Center, he is organizer of the Saint Sava Youth Camp at the Ozren Monastery and, of course, a parish priest to his flock in the church.

No less solemn was the ordination of religious teacher and chanter in this church, Mr. Nemanja Spasojevic, to the rank of deacon.

The ceremony continued in the city park, where memorial busts of Serbian great peronalities - Nikola Tesla, Mihajlo Pupin, Ivo Andric and Jovan Ducic - were unveiled. - As of today, this park is the New Kalemegdan, a temple of honor of the Serbian people, according to words of academician Matija Beckovic.

Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, the godfather of the city of Bijeljina, delivered a speech as well.

Source: Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla