Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
December 22, 2004

COMMUNIQUE OF THE DIOCESE OF BACKA

On December 20, 2004 Novi Sad mayor Maja Gojkovic organized a reception in the formal meeting room of the City Hall for His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa. The director of urban construction, Igor Mirovic, also attended the reception.

Bishop Irinej emphasized his pleasure at returning the visit of Mayor Gojkovic and thus renewing the traditional practice of meetings between city officials and the Diocese at the highest level. He also expressed his great joy at the fact that an increasing number of people, especially the young, are returning to their mother Church which has been and remains the symbol of spiritual unity among the Serbian people. Those present reached full agreement with respect to the program for commemorating the Novi Sad raid as well as mutual commitment to the enhancement of all aspects of cooperation improving the position of the Church and its faithful in the greater Novi Sad area.

From the Office of the Mayor of Novi Sad
and the Office of the Bishop of Backa

SOURCES OF OSTROG

On Thursday, December 23, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. at the Faculty of Machine Engineering in Belgrade, the editors of “Pravoslavlje”, the official publication of the Serbian Patriarchate and the organization Srpski Sabor Dveri will be presenting a book of homilies by His Grace Bishop Jovan (Puric) of Dioclea entitled “Ostroski istocnici” (Sources of Ostrog). Participants in the presentation include Bishop Jovan, the author of the book; Protopresbyter Radomir Nikcevic, representing the Svetigora Publishing Company; Dr. Obrad Stanojevic, professor at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade; Oliver Injac, publicist and editor of the best clerical and juridical anthologies; and Matej Arsenijevic, publicist and editor of the book.

NEW CHURCH IN DRAGOVAC

With the help of God and the blessing of His Grace Bishop Ignjatije of Branicevo, we have launched an initiative to build a church in the village of Dragovac, the first in several centuries. After securing a location, with the help of good people we also obtained a beautiful plan of our future church to be dedicated to the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Since this church is being constructed from donations of all the faithful, the church parish of Pozarevac asks for your help and participation.

Donations may be sent to dinar account number 270-341-20 of the Diocese of Branicevo - Pozarevac with a note indicating “for the construction of the church in Dragovac”.

Foreign donors are kindly asked to contact the SPC Info Service.

Father Dejan Tomic, parish priest of Pozarevac

RUSSIAN PATRIARCH CONSECRATES
RUSSIAN AIR FORCE MEMORIAL COMPLEX

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All-Russia visited the main headquarters of the Russian Military Air Force on December 21, 2004 and on that occasion consecrated the Memorial Complex at that facility in the presence of generals I. Hvorov and M. Oparin, and many representatives of the Russian Army. The Memorial Complex is comprised of a great watchtower dedicated to the Holy Prophet Elijah and the Military Aviation Command Museum. After a short memorial service and the consecration ceremony, His Holiness delivered a sermon in which he emphasized that all gathered were joined in prayer for those who gave their lives for their homeland and their Church. On this occasion Patriarch Alexy presented General I. Hvorov with the recognition of the church, the Order of the Holy Prince Danilo of Moscow of the second degree, and an icon of the Holy Prophet Elijah.

[Serbian Translation Services]