Triumphant Patriarchal Liturgy in Szentendre

His Holiness Patriarch Irinej celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Szentendre Cathedral on May 26, 2019, on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman.

The Primate of the Serbian Church was concelebrated by Bishops: Lukijan of Buda (Hungary), Kiril of Buenos Aires and South America and Vicar Bishop Isihije of Mohacs with a number of clergy. The Holy Liturgy was attended by the Vice-President of the Government of Hungary Dr. Zsolt Semjén and the State Secretary Miklós Soltész.

After the Holy Liturgy, His Holiness greeted representatives of the Government of Hungary and thanked them for the genuine friendship and great and abundant aid that the Hungarian Government had given and still was giving for the Diocese of Buda. The Patriarch said that friendship between the Serbs and the Hungarians should serve as an example to other peoples how to solve mutual problems and how they should live in brotherly in love in their common areas.

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Hungary, Dr. Zsolt Semjén, greeted His Holiness on behalf of the Government of Hungary and the Hungarian people. He also took the opportunity, as he himself said, to submit a report to His Holiness what the Hungarian Government had done so far for the benefit of the Diocese of Buda, and thanked the local Bishop Lukijan for the good cooperation, thanks to which numerous projects had been realized (the renovation of some churches throughout Hungary, construction of the new Museum, etc.). On his side, Vice President Dr. Zsolt Semjén thanked the Patriarch for his support towards preserving Christian identity and heritage that Hungary is fighting for within the European Union.

 At the proposal of Bishop Lukijan, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej decorated the director of the Museum of the Diocese of the Buda, Kostov Vuković, with the order of Despot Stefan Lazarevic for his sacrificial work in the area of preserving and promoting Serbian Church art. In addition to it, at the suggestion of His Grace Lukijan, His Holiness decorated Protopresbyter-Staurophor Vojislav Galic with the order of Saint Sava for his decades-long devotional ministry in the Mother Church as well as for his committed activity relating to the restoration of churches of the Diocese of Budapest.

The liturgical celebration was especially enhanced by the choir Sveti Stefan Decanski from Novi Sad as well as by the church choir Javor from Szentendre. After the Holy Liturgy folklore group Taban performed a cultural and artistic program in the church-yard.

Hieromonk Varnava (Knezevic), photo: Ivan Jeftic