Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
July 15, 2003

FIRST SERBIAN RETURNEES IN THE VILLAGE
OF BELO POLJE NEAR PEC

Having lived for 4 years in exile, the first group comprising 35 Serbian returnees returned to the village of Belo Polje near Pec. Protosyncellos Sava and monastic Xenophont from the Monastery of Visoki Decani, as well as the nuns from the Monastery of Patriarchate of Pec, welcomed the returnees in the name of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Ms Ljiljana Belos – representative of the Coordination Centre for Kosovo and Metochia, and the representatives of KFOR and UNMIK also attended the solemn and touching welcoming ceremony. Apart from them, there were also representatives of a nearby village of Gorazdevac, the only village in the region of Pec where the Serbs remained after the war.

The returnees came out of the bus carrying the icons of Saints Cosma and Damian, Unmercenary Healers. After the traditional welcoming, a solemn thanks-giving service to God was served. After the prayer, Protosyncellos Sava (Janjic) greeted the returnees in the name of Bishop Artemy, priests and monastics of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren, saying: “This is the day all of us have been waiting for long, the day when you return to your homes so as to build again your houses, from ashes and ruins, and to renew life in Belo Polje”. Father Sava thanked the Lord and all the people who helped this return. Father Sava especially thanked the Commander of Italian KFOR in Pec, Colonel Iubini who made personal efforts to help the return of the exiled, and appealed to UNMIK and UNHCR to double their efforts so that the returnees should stay there and renew their destroyed hearths.

After the prayer and the welcoming speech, the returnees were offered lunch prepared by the nuns of the Monastery of Patriarchate of Pec. KFOR provided food storage as well as fuel for the next 7 days. The Monastery of Visoki Decani also provided groceries.

Ms Ljiljana Belos greeted the returnees in the name of the Coordination Centre and Mr Nebojsa Covic and informed them that the Coordination Centre intended to send a refrigerator, stove, pots and other utensils in the next couple of days. Besides, the Coordination Centre plans to provide long-term assistance in the renovation of destroyed houses.

The village of Belo Polje is located in the southern outskirts of Pec. This biggest Serbian village of the region of Pec was for the first time mentioned in the Decani Charter issued by Saint King Stefan Uros III of Decani in 1327 as a church property. After the end of the bombardment in 1999 and after hideous murder of 5 Serbian villagers, the villagers were forced to leave their homes, in spite of the presence of KFOR. After their flight, Albanian extremists systematically plundered and set on fire all 280 Serbian houses.