Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
February 9, 2005

ASSEMBLY OF THE DIOCESE OF CANADA

From February 4-6, 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the 23rd Assembly of the Diocese of Canada took place, gathering 63 participants from throughout the territory of the entire Diocese of Canada from Vancouver to Halifax.

The Assembly began with the Invocation of the Holy Spirit officiated by His Grace Bishop Georgije of Canada. On the first day the work of the Assembly took place in the following committees: Missionary-Educational, Legislative-Administrative, Financial, and the Committee for Welcomes and Resolutions. The work of the committees and evening religious services were followed by an enhanced Spiritual Academy, including a lecture by Dr. Davor Milisevic, after which the brothers of the clergy met with their Bishop.

On the second day the Assembly worked as a plenum, passing important decisions for the life and work of all church-school councils and missionary parishes throughout the territory of the Diocese of Canada.

Several decisions made during the work of the Missionary-Educational Committee relating to the enhancement of education and work with youth, publishing and humanitarian activities deserve to be highlighted.

a) Publishing of the books: Clergy to their flock, Prayer ropes, Little children’s calendar, Book on Nikola Tesla on the 150th anniversary of his birth, Book of sermons of Father Lazar Vukojev.
b) Education: Mandatory written records of work and material covered while conducting classes.
c) Humanitarian mission: Program of work for the Holy Prince Lazarus Philanthropic Fund and Assistance for Kosovo and Metohija.

The working portion of the Assembly concluded with a prayer of thanks.

On Sunday Holy Liturgy was served in the full church of the Holy Trinity in Montreal. At the very beginning of the service His Grace the Bishop consecrated the iconostasis which has graced the church since not long ago. Twelve priests and one deacon concelebrated with the Bishop. After Holy Hierarchal Liturgy the hosts prepared a formal banquet where the notes and decisions from the 23rd Assembly of the Diocese of Canada was read. The folklore group Avala performed a medley of dances from Serbia. The celebration concluded with exchanged greetings between participants in the Assembly and the hosts with the prayerful wishes that the next, 24th Assembly of the Diocese of Canada, scheduled to take place in the monastery in Milton, Ontario, from February 10-12, 2006, may pass in the same atmosphere as that of the just completed 23rd Assembly. We wish to express our thanks to the hosts of the 23rd Assembly of the Diocese of Canada in Montreal headed by Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Zivorad Subotic and the president of the church-school parish, Mr. Bosko Ilic.

Protopresbyter Savo M. Arsenijevic
Parish priest of Vancouver

BISHOP JOANIKIJE SERVES ON MT TAVOR

His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy on Mt. Tavor in the monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord. Concelebrants included the clergy from the group of pilgrims from the Diocese of Budimlje and Niksic who are accompanying the Bishop.

B.C.

NEW ISSUE OF “GOLIJA” INFORMATION MAGAZINE PUBLISHED

Recently the new issue of “Golija”, the information magazine for the tradition, culture, ecology and society of the NGO Golija Cultural Assembly of Niksic was published.

In its new issue “Golija” addresses some of the same regular features that made their appearance in the first issue concerning the Mt. Golija region and its residents, social issues and the historical heritage of this region. The second issue, published on the feast of St. Sava, is dedicated to the 200 year anniversary of the Fist Serbian Uprising and includes the speeches from the St. Demetrios Day academy held in Nis delivered by His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, Professor Dr. Velibor Savic and academician Matija Beckovic; an interview on the theme of the 200 year anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising with writer Rajko Petrov-Nogo, and a homily by Professor Dr. Bogoljub Sijakovic entitled “St. Sava in Historical Sequence”.

S.C./ S.K.

[Serbian Translation Services]