Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
November 2, 2004

PATRIARCH PAVLE TO HEAD CHURCH,
STATE AND ECONOMIC DELEGATION TO MOSCOW

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle will head a Serbian church, state and economic delegation on a visit to Moscow from November 14-16, 2004.

This delegation is traveling to Russia at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexii II of Moscow and All-Russia and the Orthodox Peoples Unity Fund, which will be organizing a concert and a large fund-raising event for completion of works on the St. Sava Memorial Cathedral in Belgrade on November 15 in the formal hall of Moscow’s church of Christ the Savior.

Traveling with His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, the church delegation will include His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija, His Grace Bishop Atanasije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina (retired); Professor Dr. Vojislav Milovanovic, master builder of St. Sava Memorial Cathedral in Belgrade’s Vracar district, and Mr. Slavko Krstajic, representative of the Orthodox Peoples Unity Fund for Serbia and Montenegro. The Government of the Republic of Serbia will be represented in Moscow on this occasion by Mr. Boris Tadic, president of the Republic of Serbia; Mr. Dragan Kojadinovic, minister of culture and media; Mr. Milan Radulovic, minister of religions; and Mr. Nenad Bogdanovic, mayor of Belgrade. It is especially important that an exceptionally representative group of Serbian businessmen are going to Moscow, who have so far given a great contribution to the building of St. Sava Cathedral. They include Miroslav Miskovic and Milka Forcan, Delta Holding, Belgrade; Milorad Sredanovic, Danubius, Novi Sad; Savo Knezevic, Dijamant, Zrenjanin; Dragan Kovacevic, JP PTT Srbija, Belgrade; Aleksandar Radovanovic, Jugoremedija, Zrenjanin; Dejan Radovanovic, Remevita; Milorad Savicevic, Internacional CG, Belgrade; Drasko Petrovic and Mihajlo Jojic, Telekom Srbija, Belgrade; Obrad Spremic, Siemens, Belgrade; Mihailo Tomic, Vetfarm, Belgrade; Borislav Jovanovic, Vetfarm, Nis; Dragan Jarakovic, Putevi, Uzice; Miodrag Vusovic, Voda Vrnjci, Vrnjacka Banja; and Mirko Petrovic, Dunav Osiguranje, Belgrade.

In addition to the concert and fund-raising event, the delegation from Serbia in Moscow from November 14-16, 2004 will visit Patriarch Alexii II of Moscow and All-Russia; the speaker of the Russian Duma, Mr. Grizlov; and Moscow mayor, Mr. Lushkov. Thanks to the kindness of Mr. Valery Arkadiyevich Alekseyev, the president of the Orthodox Peoples Unity Fund, the businessmen from Serbia will meet with representatives of the Russian Chamber of Commerce, which is sure to contribute to the strengthening of economic ties between Serbia and Russia.

On November 16, the religious feast day of the Renovation of the Church of St. George (Djurdjic), Serbian Patriarch Pavle will serve Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Serbian podvorye. At noon on the same day Patriarch Pavle and Patriarch Alexii II will open the Orthodox Mass Media Conference, where Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral is expected to speak.

MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR SERBIAN PRISONERS
OF WORLD WARS I AND II HELD IN AUSTRIA

According to established tradition, on the eve of the Saturday of Souls (Mitrovdanske zadusnice), the Serbian parishes in Vienna organized a group visit to the graves where Serbian prisoners from World Wars I and II are buried. On Monday, in fair weather, the faithful visited graves at four locations out of many in Austria where Serbian martyrs perished. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Djordje Knezevic, Protopresbyter Sretoje Dusanic, Presbyter Drago Vujic, Presbyter Aleksandar Rakovic and Presbyter Brane Bijelic served memorial services. Present on behalf of the Embassy of Serbia and Montenegro were Consul Kosta Simonovic, Advisor Nina Dobrkovic, and Advisor for Emigrant Affairs Nebojsa Kosutic. President Milorad Mateovic on behalf of the organization “Serbian Center” and president Petar Milatovic on behalf of the Serbian National Defense laid wreaths.

There are 78 victims buried at the cemetery in Bruckneudorf. The memorial service in Nezider, where 7,000 Serbs are buried, was attended by provincial president Paul Ritschtoier, mayor Kurt Lench, former mayor Hans Halbriter, representatives of the provincial government, the Catholic Church and the Veterans’ Association. Presbyter Drago Vujic delivered a sermon in Serbian and German. The president of the Serbian National Defense for Austria, Petar Milatovic, informed those present of the launching of a joint initiative by the Serbian National Defense and the Serbian Center for the restoration of the time worn markers of locations where many innocent Serbian prisoners lost their lives in World War I throughout the territory of Austria.

In Boldogosonj a memorial service was held for 2,500 Serbian victims who are buried in the location of what was once a transit camp. Upon returning from Vienna, memorial services were also held at the cemeteries in the villages of Kitsee and Kaiserstein Bruck.

Text and photo: Miodrag Mecanovic

[Serbian Translation Services]