Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
May 28, 2004

“LET US BREATHE LIFE INTO SERBIA” PHILANTHROPIC CAMPAIGN OF THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS CONTINUES

“LET US BREATHE LIFE INTO SERBIA” PHILANTHROPIC CAMPAIGN OF THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS CONTINUES

As part of the “Let us breathe life into Serbia” campaign that has been conducted for the past four years by the Holy Assembly of Bishops with the blessing of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle on May 28, 2004 five incubators were donated to the Narodni Front Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics.

His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa, who coordinates the campaign for the Holy Assembly, was welcomed on behalf of the Narodni Front Clinic by its director, Professor Dr. Slobodan Runic, Dr. Spaso Andjelic, the head of the day hospital, and Dr. Dragomir Brankovic, the head of the neonatal department.

Dr. Runic thanked His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Irinej of Backa and Mayor Mirjana Bozidarevic of the Municipality of Stari Grad (in Belgrade), all funders, donors and those who have otherwise supported this campaign.

Bishop Irinej thanked the clinical staff for the warm welcome and emphasized that the Serbian Orthodox Church is motivated by love and concern for every family, as well as by the desire to assist those most in need. The concept and goal is for this campaign to become a permanent activity of our Church. Taking into account the difficult economic situation in our country, we believe that this is a most urgent and significant effort. The Bishop indicated that major funders of the campaign thus far have been HRH Princess Katherine Karadjordjevic, the wife of HRH Crown Prince Aleksander, who has done the most to support the campaign in this year, as well as Mr. Milivoje Tomasevic, the director of Medical Systems, a manufacturer of incubators, and the Municipality of Stari Grad.

The Church appeals to all those who can assist in the campaign “Let us breathe life into Serbia” to do so in order to provide necessary equipment essential to the care of prematurely born infants.

Addressing Bishop Irinej and the clinical staff, Mayor Bozidarevic emphasized that the Municipality of Stari Grad was pleased to respond to the request and accept the proposal of the Holy Assembly of Bishops regarding this philanthropic campaign.

His Grace Bishop Irinej and Deacon Nebojsa Topolic then visited the neonatal intensive care unit where there are currently thirteen babies whose survival would be completely uncertain without the help provided by the “Let us breathe life into Serbia” campaign.

[Serbian Translation Services]