Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
February 3, 2005

ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH TO COLLECT MONETARY ASSISTANCE FOR SERBS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, the president of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, has decided that, taking into account the exceptionally difficult humanitarian situation, on Sunday, February 6, 2005 in a specially designated place in all churches of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the homeland and abroad between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. monetary donations will be collected to assist the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, specifically, to pay consumed electricity.

All donations connected on this day will be deposited to the account of the Fund for Kosovo and Metohija.

The Fund’s accounts are as follows:

- dinar account with the Public Payment Administration (Uprava za javna placanja) number 840-1267721-44;
- for deposits in EUR, account number 54119-978-706, through the correspondent bank of NBS abroad DEUTSCHE BANK AG F/M;
- for deposits in USD, account number 54119-840-706, through the correspondent bank of NBS abroad DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST CO. AMERICAS, NEW YORK.
- for deposits in CAD, account number 54119-124-706, through the correspondent bank of NBS abroad BANK OF MONTREAL, TORONTO.
- for deposits in AUD, account number 54119-036-706, through the correspondent bank of NBS abroad NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED, MELBOURNE.

MAGAZINE OF DIOCESE OF DALMATIA ISSUE DEDICATED TO FYODOR MIKHAILOVICH DOSTOEVSKY

Follow the recent visit to Russia by a delegation of the Diocese of Dalmatia and the opportunity to learn more about this great and holy land, the editors of “Krka”, the magazine of the Diocese of Dalmatia, have decided to dedicate a special issue t the theme of the great Russian writer and prophet Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky in order to acquaint its readership through him and especially through excepts of his works with the image of the “Russian Christ” and the beauty preserved in the heroes of his novels, which in the words of Dostoevsky himself will conquer the world.

Contents: Introduction by Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia; Brief biographical outline; “The Little Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree”; What Dostoevsky wrote about; The House of the Dead; On Freedom; The Insulted and Injured; The problem of suffering; Poor Folk; Nietzsche and Dostoevsky; Crime and Punishment; Dostoevsky and revolution; The Possessed; Dostoevsky’s ideological novel; Notes from Underground; Dostoevsky as prophet and apostle of Orthodox realism; The Idiot; The Brothers Karamazov; Dostoevsky and the Optina desert; The Brothers Karamazov; On the individual and the human community; The Brothers Karamazov; The symbolism of names in the novels of Dostoevsky; and Diary of a Writer.

CELEBRATION OF ST SAVA IN DIOCESE OF DALMATIA

On the feast of St. Sava His Grace Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Holy Archangels Monastery in Krka. After Liturgy Bishop Fotije cut the slava cake and blessed the slava wheat since the monastery is the home of a Seminary, which like all Serbian schools celebrates St. Sava, the first Serbian educator and archbishop, as its patron saint.

This was followed by a short memorial service to all deceased Dalmatian bishops, professors, students, funders and donors to the Seminary. In his sermon Bishop Fotije underscored the importance of St. Sava, emphasizing that following the teaching and tradition of St. Sava is the path of salvation that every Orthodox Serb should follow, especially young students of theology who are preparing to become pastors and teachers themselves. Bishop Fotije presented each of the four best students with a copy of Nikodim Milas’ book “Sts. Cyril and Methodius and the truth of Orthodoxy”.

During the afternoon in the church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Kistanje evening services were held followed by a holiday program presented by students of religious instruction from the elementary school in Kistanje and students of the Seminary. The church was overflowing with Orthodox faithful who followed the performances of the little students of St. Sava with appreciation. The priests of the parish of Kistanje and Djeverske prepared and presented a small gift for every child present. After the program Bishop Fotije cut the slava cake and blessed the slava wheat in the facility of SKD Prosvjeta in Kistanje.

On St. Sava’s Day celebrations also took place in Knin and Benkovac. In Knin a holiday program took place after Liturgy and presents were given in church to all students of religious instruction, who currently number over 120.

ST SAVA’S DAY IN VIENNA

The celebration of St. Sava, the feast day of all Serbs, in Vienna lasted several days. Celebrations were held in all three churches consisting of religious services and a St. Sava’s Day program. On the feast of St. Sava itself, in a 112 year-old church in the third quarter which also celebrates St. Sava as its patronal feast, His Grace Bishop Konstantin of Central Europe served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of many priests from the greater Vienna area and diocese deacon Radomir D. Kolundzic. In the evening, a prayer [atakist] to St. Sava was served in the presence of the Bishop, followed by a children’s St. Sava’s holiday program.

On Sunday, January 30, in the church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in the 17th quarter, Bishop Konstantin served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of many priests and the accompaniment of a choir from Dreznica (Republic of Croatia). Among those present during the Liturgy was prince Vladimir Karadjordjevic and princess Brigitte. After Holy Liturgy students put on a holiday program. On the same day, in the new church of the Resurrection of Christ in the second quarter, after Holy Liturgy students of religious instruction celebrated St. Sava’s Day. During the cutting of the slava cake, all children present were the hosts of the slava.

On Sunday afternoon, according to tradition, a great, formal St. Sava’s Day academy was held in Vienna’s Oberla Hall. For many years this has been the largest gathering of Serbs abroad. This year the number of visitors exceeded all expectations. After several thousand Serbs and their children filled the hall to the last seat, the police closed the doors, and many guests were unable to attend the ceremony. At the very beginning of the academy, His Grace Bishop Konstantin of Central Europe blessed the slava cake and wheat prepared by this year’s slava hosts, the members of the family of Zoran Nikolic. An impressive moment from the event was when all the children from the hall mounted the great stage and sang the Hymn to St. Sava together. Guests were welcomed and briefly addressed by the deputy minister for diaspora, Aleksandar Cotric. Writer Ljiljana Habjanovic Djurovic read an inspirational St. Sava’s Day homily entitled “The tradition of St. Sava within us”. The newly founded children’s choir of the church of St. Sava sang the Serbia and Montenegro national anthem “God of Justice” and “There, Far Away” under the direction of Marija Djukaric. Students of religious instruction from several Vienna elementary schools performed a very nice and relevant program of songs and poems with the assistance of their religion teachers, Radmila Mirkovic and Svetlana Mecanovic. The cultural part of the program included a medley of folk dances performed by the cultural arts societies “Djurdjevdan” from Dreznica, Ogulin near Karlovac in Croatia, and “Branko Radicevic” from Vienna. During the St. Sava’s academy, the guests from Croatia again delighted the Vienna Serbs with their dances, as well as the singing of Novica Trbovic, a student, and the gusle playing of their priest, Milos Orelj.

This great St. Sava’s Day event organized by the Serbian Orthodox church parish of St. Sava in Vienna was attended, in addition to Bishop Konstantin and his clergy, by prince Vladimir Karadjordjevic and princess Brigitte; Serbia and Montenegro ambassador in Austria Mihajlo Kovac with his wife and associates; deputy minister for diaspora Aleksandar Cotric, and a multi-party parliamentary delegation of the Committee for relations with Serbs outside Serbia; Davorka Samardzija, the head of the consular office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Austria and her associates; Borko Ivankovic, representative of the Vienna 17th magistrate; Milenko Jovanovic, president of the Vienna church parish, and many others. As in previous years, attendance was free and over 1,000 small gifts were distributed to children. A formal banquet was held for the guests after the academy.

Text and photo: Miodrag Mecanovic

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH CLERGY LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE

Through the efforts of His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and
of All Greece, the clergy of the Greek Orthodox Church will have the opportunity to attend a two year-long program comprised of bimonthly classes in sign language. During the first year the clergy will learn the basics of sign language, while the second year will be specifically dedicated to theology and religious instruction.

HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH ALEXY II OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA MEETS WITH HEAD OF THE PALESTINE NATIONAL AUTHORITY MAHMUD ABBAS

On January 31, 2005 His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All-Russia received the head of the Palestine National Authority, Mr. Mahmud Abbas, and his delegation in the Patriarchate and Synodal residence in St. Daniel’s Monastery. His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and other church officials, also attended the meeting.

Patriarch Alexy welcomed the election of Mahmud Abbas as head of the Palestine National Authority by the people. “In these difficult times the Palestine people have chosen their national leader, and by doing so, the road to peace in the Holy Land. The clergy and faithful of the Russian Church pray each day for peace throughout the Near East.”

[Serbian Translation Services]