Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
December 6, 2004

CELEBRATION OF 600 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MOUNTING OF MECHANICAL CLOCK CONSTRUCTED BY SERBIAN MONK LAZAR OF CHILANDAR

On the Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, the patronal feast of Chilandar Monastery, the Serbian Orthodox Church Academy for Fresco Painting and Restoration and the Russian Hall in Belgrade organized a celebration commemorating the six hundred year anniversary of the mounting of the first mechanical clock in the Kremlin in Moscow. On Saturday, December 4, 2004 Professor Predrag Ristic placed a sundial on the old building of the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in Zadarska Street, during a ceremony.

NEW CHURCH IN DESPOTOVAC

On November 27, 2004 the town of Despotovac and the surrounding area became richer for one new holy shrine, a church dedicated to the Holy Just Despot Stefan Lazarevic. His Grace Bishop Ignjatije of Branicevo performed the consecration with the concelebration of forty priests and five deacons. The religious service itself was also attended by a multitude of the faithful from throughout the Resava region.

Prota Dragan Predic

RESTORATION OF DESTROYED CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES IN DIOCESE OF BIHAC AND PETROVAC

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Hrizostom of Bihac and Petrovac, a campaign to restore church life in this war-razed diocese is underway. The monastery of Holy Father Nicholas the Miracle-Worker has been completely restored, and work will soon be finished on a monastic dormitory with a library and a chapel dedicated to St. John Chrysostom in the village of Martin Brod on the Una River.

Katarina Brankovic, daughter of Serbian Despot Djuradj and the wife of Count Ulrich of Celje, founded this monastery, which is the oldest monastery in the Diocese of Bihac and Petrovac, dating back to the end of the 15th century. The monastery survived the most difficult days of World War II when it served as a Partisan hospital that was bombed by German aviation. The monastery was completely destroyed at that time.

The monastery was restored during the time of Bishop Hrizostom and the monastery brotherhood. After World War II the monastery’s lands, forest and fishpond were nationalized. At that time, Bishop Hrizostom said: “We are fighting to do as much as we can by the grace of God and the prayers of our martyrs who are scattered everywhere around us from the time of the Turks but also as a result of the Ustashe reign of terror and the Communists, and during this last war. By a miracle of God, the Diocese is undergoing a rebirth and two of our four monasteries are undergoing restoration: the oldest is Rmanj, Glogovac, Veselinje and my endowment, the monastery of Klisina. When I came to this Diocese in 1991 we had only the monastery of Veselinje and one monk. Out of the 165 churches in our Diocese 99% were destroyed by the war and only two churches remained undamaged.”

ST SAVA YOUTH COMMUNITY – STUDENT CITY CELEBRATES ITS PATRONAL FEAST

Preparations for the patronal feast of the St. Sava Youth Community in Belgrade’s Student City began on November 19, 2004 with a lecture by His Grace Bishop Atanasije of Hvostno on the theme “St. John Chrysostom as an authentic interpreter and imitator of Christ” delivered in the overflowing small auditorium of the Culture Hall.

The St. Sava Youth Community – Student City celebrated its patronal feast of St. John Chrysostom on November 26, 2004. Father Vladimir Zamahajev and Father Petar Damnjanovic cut the slava cake in the presence of activists and friends. Breaking the slava cake and blessing the gathering, Father Vladimir prayed for all students and their progress in their further work.

[Serbian Translation Services]