Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
May 25, 2005

PATRON SAINT’S DAY
OF SERBIAN NATIONAL FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE “KOLO”

Yesterday, on the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles, the Serbian National Folklore Ensemble “Kolo” celebrated its patron saints day in its facilities in Mitropolita Petra Street in Belgrade. The slava cake was cut by Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Mihailo Arnaut, the parish priest, and Protopresbyter Petar Lukic, a member of the Executive Board of the Ensemble in the presence of a large number of guests, including HRH Princess Linda Karadjordjevic, and the members of the ensemble. Radojica Kuzmanovic, the director of the Ensemble, and Predrag Cune Gojkovic, the president of the Executive Board, were the hosts of the slava celebration. Protopresbyter Rade Radan made a special trip from Sydney for this occasion.

In his slava day sermon Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic emphasized that he grew up watching the Ensemble “Kolo”. He described his admiration for their dances, songs, music and performances. Fr. Irinej emphasized their role as the ambassadors of beauty and the culture of the Serbian people, citing the words of the immortal Dostoevsky that beauty will save the world. At the end of his sermon Fr. Irinej wished the Ensemble “Kolo” a happy patron saint’s day and expressed his wish that they might continue to develop Serbian culture as their unique expression of Orthodox Faith, just as Sts. Cyril and Methodius gave the Serbian people its language and culture.

The same evening a formal patron saint’s day performance by the Ensemble “Kolo” took place in the concert hall of the Kolarac Endowment, which was filled to capacity. The Ensemble and various soloists performed national dances and songs from all Serbian regions.

CHURCH BELLS CONSECRATED IN BUSIJE NEAR ZEMUN

On the church patron saint’s day, the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles, in the hamlet of Busije near Zemun, His Grace Bishop Vasilije of Srem cut the slava cake and consecrated the new church bells, weighing 300 and 500 kilograms, respectively. The church bells are a donation from the municipal assembly of Zemun.

CHAPEL AND PARISH HALL IN DALLAS CONSECRATED

On Sunday, May 15, 2005 His Eminence Metropolitan Hristofor of Central and Western America consecrated the chapel and parish hall in Dallas, Texas, USA. His Eminence presided over Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of Protopresbyter Milan Zbiljic, Presbyter Dejan Tiosavljevic from St. Sava Church in Houston; Presbyter Srdjan Veselinovic from St. Constantine and Empress Helena Church in Galveston; and Deacon Damjan S. Bozic. The choir of St. George the Great-martyr Church from Duluth, Minnesota, sang during the Holy Liturgy.

During the service His Eminence presented Protopresbyter Milan Zbiljic with a pectoral cross.

Deacon Damjan S. Bozic

[Serbian Translation Services]