Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
June 10, 2005

NEW CHURCHES CONSECRATED IN CAPITAL OF BELGRADE

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle will consecrate two newly built churches in Belgrade on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, June 11, 2005, His Holiness will consecrate the church of St. Panteleimon in Mirjevo.

The new church, which is over 300 square meters in surface area, was built according to the plan of architect Milan Tomic. There is also a parish hall next to the church with apartments for priests and a large meeting room intended for lectures, concerts and other purposes.

On Sunday, June 12, 2005 His Holiness the Patriarch will consecrate a new church dedicated to the Transfiguration of Our Lord in Krusevacka Street built according to the plan of woman architect Ljubica Bosnjak.

PATRON SAINT'S DAY OF VISOKI DECANI MONASTERY CHURCH CELEBRATED

Visoki Decani Monastery celebrated the patron saint's day of its church, the Holy Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Spasovdan). His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of His Grace Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan and the priest-monks of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren. After Holy Liturgy and the traditional festive religious procession around the church, Bishop Artemije cut the slava cake and delivered a holiday sermon.

Like every year the patron saint's day of the church of the Holy Ascension in Visoki Decani was an opportunity for numerous faithful from various parts of Serbia to gather in this Orthodox holy shrine in the heart of Metohija. This year there was an especially large number of children and young people. A youth cultural and artistic group from Kosovska Kamenica and Velika Hoca prepared a special holiday program and the celebration continued in the monastery courtyard with traditional kolo folk dances from Kosovo and Metohija.

SAVIOR’S DAY CELEBRATED IN SIBENIK

On the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of Christ the Savior in Sibenik. After cutting the slava cake and the slava religious process, Bishop Fotije called on the gathered faithful to witness and protect the Orthodox faith in both times of peace and times of persecution.

TEN PERCENT OF THE CONFISCATED PROPERTY OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN CROATIA RETURNED

At a recent meeting in Zagreb on June 7, 2005 held between representatives of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and members of the Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia, one of the topics discussed was the restitution of nationalized and usurped property belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

It was established that thus far on the territory of the five Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Croatia ten percent of property has been returned, most of it in the cities of Zagreb and Rijeka.

PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON UPCOMING FESTIVAL OF SPIRITUAL MUSIC “CHOIRS AMONG THE FRESCOES”

Today in the offices of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Government of the Republic of Serbia a press conference was held on the upcoming 11th Annual Festival of Spiritual Music “Choirs among the Frescoes”.

Speakers at the press conference included Predrag Stamenkovic, Branka Saper, Slobodan Markovic and Goran Janicijevic. On this occasion the media were informed of the program for the Festival which begins with the formal opening ceremony on June 14, 2005 in the Gallery of Frescoes of the Serbian National Museum in Belgrade. Those present were then informed of events that will be accompanying the Festival: an exhibition of works by the students of Serbian Orthodox Church’s Academy for Arts and Conservation “Sounds of the Frescoes” and roundtable discussions on the following topics: Personality and works of Vojislav Ilic (Katarina Tomasevic), Possibilities for drama performance and presentation (Darinka Matic-Marovic), Sequence of composition, chronology of chant origins – stylistic characteristics (Danica Petrovic) and Liturgical sequence (Predrag Miodrag).

[Serbian Translation Services]