St. Vitus Day in Kosovo and Metohija

Marking St. Vitus Day in Kosovo and Metohija began with the central celebration in the monastery Gracanica where His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the courtyard of the monastery with the concelebration of Their Graces Bishops - Pahomije of Vranje and Teodosije of Raska-Prizren and 30 priests from many Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Irinej said yesterday in Gracanica that we should never leave the land which was soaked in blood and the land where were the greatest Orthodox sanctities. 
 
In his sermon Patriarch pointed out that Kosovo is the holy Serbian land which is soaked in blood and cemented by the bones of the holy martyrs.
 
Patriarch Irinej told the people gathered in the Gracanica's courtyard that "they are not alone but truth and justice is always with them". 
 
More than thousand people attended the Liturgy in Gracanica among those were His Royal Highness Aleksander Karadjordjevic with Princess Katherine, Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Mr. Goran Bogdanovic, state secretary in Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Mr. Oliver Ivanovic, rector of the University of Pristina Mr. Zdravko Vitosevic and other high officials.
 
After the Holy Liturgy,  His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren and Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Mr. Goran Bogdanovic handed awards to mothers with four and more children: golden and silver order "Mother of the Nine Jugovich".
 
Later in the celebration of St. Vitus Day Serbian Patriarch Irinej served the requiem service for the Kosovo heroes killed in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. The requiem service on Gazimestan was attended by five thousand people who came here from all Serbian parts. 
 
Patriarch told the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija to remain faithful to their fatherland, and he ask the displaced to come back to their homes and sanctities. 
 
On Gazimestan there was people from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac, Banja Luka, from abroad. The requiem service was attended by Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Mr. Goran Bogdanovic, state secretary in Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Mr. Oliver Ivanovic, secretary of the Assembly of Serbia Mr. Veljko Odalovic, HRH Prince Aleksander Karadjordjevic and Princess Katherine. The whole celebration was secured by members of Kosovo police and KFOR. Although, on the way an incident happened. In South Mitrovica a group of Albanian teenagers stoned two buses from Gazimestan. 
 
Source: Diocese of Raska-Prizren