Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
January 28, 2002

CELEBRATION OF SAINT SAVA'S FEAST DAY

Yesterday, on the Saint Sava's feast, His Holiness Pavle, Serbian Patriarch, served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Chapel of Saint John the Theologian at the Faculty of Theology of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander and Princess Catherine Karadjordjevic attended the service. After the Liturgy, the primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church cut the slava cake together with the hosts of this year's slava - Miroslav and Slobodanka Draskoci.

In his festive sermon, Patriarch reminded the faithful that "our people has been celebrating the feast of Saint Sava for centuries, since he was our first archbishop, enlightener and teacher, since he is an inspiration to all of us, an example which shows us how to serve both God and people".

"Saint Sava grasped the meaning of a wise thought uttered by Saint Prince Lazar Worldly empire lasts for short, while Heavenly ones lasts for ever. Being a worldly people, men of flesh and blood, we should take care of our bodies and worldly lives, we should know to render, as in our saying, ‘unto Emperor what belongs to him, but also unto God what belongs to Him’. Never has God asked for what belongs to Emperor to be rendered to Him, but it has been happening that the rulers of this world asked us to render them that which belongs to God” said the Patriarch Pavle and prayed to God and to Saint Sava to help us “as Lord's people, survive in this difficult period”.

“Oh, Lord and Saint Sava, the Peacemaker, grant peace to our country and to whole world. We all need it. Grant justice, freedom and love to our hearts so as to make us give up all the differences and separations, and bear in mind the essence of everything, namely the salvation of our souls, since that is how we will help our people”, His Holiness stated.

After the festive Liturgy in the lecture hall of the Theological Faculty, the solemn performance dedicated to Saint Sava was held. The name of the performance was “Christ – Alpha and Omega” and numerous performers participated in it: Male Chamber Choir of the Faculty of Theology, a group “Beogradska calgija” and various other artists. Priest Vladan Perisic, Th.D., assistant professor at the Faculty of Theology, delivered the sermon.

“Saint Sava, the most beautiful Serbian child, was the greatest reconciliator. He reconciled both his brothers and various other peoples. The whole world yearns for such a reconciliator” priest Radovan Bigovic, Th.D., Dean of the Faculty of Theology, said at the opening of the event, underlining that “reconciliation represents for the Balkans the beginning of all the beginnings – spiritual, cultural, economic, scientific-technological and political renewal. Therefore, this feast should incite reconciliation, mutual respect and love, life in unity of varieties and variety in unity and togetherness” said professor Bigovic.

Their Royal Highnesses attended the performance, as well as Milan Milutinovic - President of Serbia, members of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, representatives of the Belgrade University, of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Belgrade Archbishop Stanislav Hocevar - President of the Bishop Conference of Yugoslavia, His Excellency Monsignor Eugenio Sbarbaro - papal nuncio in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Belgrade Mufti Hamdija Jusufspahic and others.

The greatest and the most solemn gathering of the faithful took place in the St. Sava’s Memorial Church, naturally, where His Grace Atanasije, Auxiliary Bishop of His Holiness and the Bishop of Hvosno, served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy. In his festive speech, Bishop Atanasije invited the Serbs to “celebrate Saint Sava’s Day, to follow his example as to wisdom and spiritual courage” and wished that “Saint Sava should become to the Serbs what Christ was to Saint Sava”. After the Liturgy, a solemn, festive performance dedicated to Saint Sava was held. Pupils of primary and secondary schools from the municipality of Vracar participated in this event.

In the afternoon Patriarch Pavle attended the observance of Saint Sava’s Day in the Hall of the Students’ Cultural Centre, organised by the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Serbia. Mr Zoran Djindjic, Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Serbia as well as other ministers attended this solemn performance.

A recital “No Road, yet He Travels, and the Path Emerges Before Him” dedicated to Saint Sava was held yesterday with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch and in the organisation of the Charity Fund of the Serbian Orthodox Church “Philanthropy” and under the auspices of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Serbia in the National Theatre in Belgrade. After the recital, handicapped children, children refugees and parentless ones were given packages containing school utensils and stationery.

His Eminence Amfilohije, the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy together with His Eminence Pitirim, Bishop of Volokolam and Iurievo, from the Moscow Patriarchate, in the St. Sava’s Church in Frutuk, near Danilovgrad. The Russian church official also attended a festive performance dedicated to Saint Sava in Kolasin.

His Grace Bishop of Raska-Prizren served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy yesterday in the Church of the Monastery Gracanica, and afterwards attended the performance dedicated to Saint Sava in the Primary School “King Milutin”. It was also very festive in all the other Serbian schools in the central part of Kosovo and Metochia. The patron of schools and education, Saint Sava, was celebrated in three primary schools and one secondary school in Strpce, as well as in the local church by cutting the slava cake. Afterwards, a cultural-artistic programme was performed.

The sisters of the Zica Monastery and the pupils of the primary school "Zivan Maricic" celebrated Saint Sava's feast together in the school premises for the first time after the Second World War.

His Grace Pahomije (Gacic) attended pupils' performances in schools in Vranje. The traditional, 12^th annual observance in Vranje, which started on January 21, ended last night by a performance in the National Theatre. The performance was organised by the Diocese of Vranje. Afterwards, the traditional Teachers' Ball was organised in the "Vranje" Hotel.