Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
September 2, 2004

IOCC DELEGATION VISITS BANJA LUKA AND NORTHWEST BOSNIA

On Wednesday, September 1, 2004 a group of 14 Orthodox Christians from the United States of America arrived in Banja Luka to see the humanitarian work of the International Orthodox Christian Charities in action. The guests from the U.S. were welcomed on behalf of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle and the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox church by Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic, who will accompany the delegation during the six days they will be spending in the northwest part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Princess Linda Karadjordjevic also joined the group yesterday.

The delegation from the U.S. includes five Orthodox members of the clergy and four members of the main board of the International Orthodox Christian Charities, which is based in Baltimore. The director of this international humanitarian organization, Mr. Konstantin Trandafil, heads the group. IOCC has been very active in the Balkan region since 1992 and since then has given assistance over 80 million dollars in assistance to refugees and those expelled from their centuries-old homes. This humanitarian organization opened its office in Banja Luka in 1995. Since then with their assistance repairs have been made on devastated homes and infrastructure has been improved. People of good will from the U.S. are helping so that all those who lived difficult lives during the war can renew agriculture, the economy and social activities throughout the region.

The group from the U.S. is scheduled to visit Mrkonjic Grad and the Majdan area. During the course of this week they will be received by His Grace Bishop Hrizostom of Bihac and Petrovac and on Sunday they will attend Holy Hierarchal Liturgy to be presided over by His Grace Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka with the concelebration of his clergy and deacons.

BILJANA KRSTIC AND BISTRIK GROUP TO GIVE FUNDRAISING CONCERT IN MOSCOW

Renowned Serbian artist Biljana Krstic and the Bistrik group will be giving a humanitarian concert on September 9 and 10, 2004 in Moscow. All proceeds from ticket sales will be given to the Very Reverend Archimandrite Antonio, the elder of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Office in Moscow, to be used for the restoration of Chilandar Monastery and assistance to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

On Thursday, September 2, 2004 His Holiness Serbian Pavle received Ms. Biljana Krstic in the Patriarch’s residence. Ms. Krstic presented His Holiness with an icon as a gift and asked for his blessing for the trip.

[Serbian Translation Services]