St. Simeon the Myrrh-gusher celebrated in Podgorica

One hundred thousand of faithful participated in the cross-procession

After the Holy Bishops' Liturgy in honour of St. Simeon celebrated at the Cathedral of Christ's Resurrection, presided over by His Beatitude Onufrius, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine, a cross-procession was going along the streets of Podgorica, in which, as estimated, one hundred thousand believers participated (photo gallery).

In the city of Nemanja (Podgovorica), where Venerable Simeon the Myrrh-gusher was born, a wheaten loaf   was  blessed. Metropolitan Amfilohije said that the monastery of Saint Simeon in Nemanja's city rose from his relics and cradle. "His cradle has been resurrected here in Nemanja's city and everything that happens here is in his spirit. This has been the case for centuries and will continue to do so in future times,” said the Metropolitan.

The retired Bishop of Zaholm-Herzegovina Atanasije said, among other things, that our people believe in the resurrection: "This today, this unity of all of us is a proof of the resurrection and of this people. He quoted Jovan Ducic who said that we are a people with a deep spiritual heritage.

"We will endure. God’s justice is invincible and will win in the end. May the Saints be with us and we with the Saints. We are destined to bear the cross,” Bishop Athanasije said, noting that we have powerful protectors in heaven.

The procession then passed through the centre of Podgorica and returned to the Cathedral where the festive spiritual academy was held. The Saint-Simeon's address was produced by the protopresbyter-stavrophor Dr. Darko Djogo, extraordinary professor of the Orthodox Theological Faculty of St. Basil of Ostrog at the University in East Sarajevo. According to him, the attacks and persecutions of the Church began in Ukraine in 1992, and were transferred to Montenegro in 2020.