St. Simeon Church Fundraiser in Las Vegas

St. Simeon Church Fundraiser, Las Vegas, Nevada

On Sunday, November 25th, the parish of St. Simeon in Las Vegas hosted honored guests, the bishop of Western America Bishop Maxim, Bishop Longin of New Gracanica, a large number of priests, professor of the University of Belgrade Dr. Miloš Ković, the representative of Republic of Srpska Mrs. Drina Vlastelić Rajić, and a large number of parishioners and guests from other parishes.

The occasion was the third annual fundraising dinner which is organized each year in order to raise funds for the construction of the church of St. Simeon. Since the beginning of construction in 2008 to today, the exterior has been completed, giving the church a magnificent and dominant look in the western part of Las Vegas, representing the Orthodox community of this city. With the blessings of Bishop Maksim, the continuation of interior construction is planned.

Gathered in front of the parish hall, the priests, guests and parishioners welcomed Bishop Maxim and Bishop Longin. The bishops then led the priests to tour the new church. With the singing of the troparion of St. Simeon, the guests toured the interior of the church, in awe of what has been achieved thus far, in hopes that the interior work will begin soon.

After the church tour, the banquet took place in the parish hall where the wise words of the bishops, priests and professor filled the audience, while the artistic talent on the cello by Mrs. Biljana Bojović filled the space during intermissions. First Bishop Maxim greeted the guests wishing the parish success in further building and emphasizing the power of a united faith in order for continued construction of the church. Next, Father Seraphim Ramos (of the Greek Orthodox Church) encouraged the parish and guests, telling them that they are blessed to be a part of such a historic building of this church. Bishop Longin then cordially greeted everyone, expressing love and encouragement to everyone gathered. He reminisced about the days that he was the administrator of the Western American Diocese and shared his feelings of joy every time he has an encounter with the parish of St. Simeon. He concluded by saying that every church that was ever started was also completed and is convinced that the Church in Las Vegas will soon shine as well.

It was such an honor to have Professor Dr. Milos Kovic with us. His lecture was on the historical significance of the Church for the Serbian people. Speaking about the centuries passed the professor analyzed the historical circumstances in the best way and presented the importance of the Serbian Orthodox Church for the identity of the people and its preservation in difficult times. All the guests attentively listened to the wise and intellectual words of such a famous professor. The message was powerful, stating that it is critical that we remain consistent with the actions of our ancestors who were the builders of the Orthodox Churches.

In closing, Father Jovan thanked the guests for their presence, work and donations, which all contributed to making the fundraising evening very successful.

Everyone parted knowing that they were part of a wonderful and successful gathering, for the glory of God and for the continued construction of the Church of Saint Simeon.

Source: westsrbdio.org