Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
June 29, 2005

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH AT RUMIJA COMPLETED

On Sunday, June 27, 2005 construction of the church of the Holy Trinity at Rumija was completed with the help of helicopter units of the Serbia and Montenegro Army. The second half of the building, weighing four tons, was placed on the foundations of the first part, which was placed in position on the feast of the Holy Trinity, thanks to the efforts of the faithful and the great philanthropist Mile Dragovic of Bar. The formerly destroyed chapel of the Holy Trinity has been resurrected.

The foundations of Christianity at the holy shrine of Precista Krajinska have already become a true landmark. The church of the Holy Trinity is a unique attempt by true pilgrims-faithful, good people to build a holy shrine at one of the biggest and most beautiful points on the map of Bar. What is exceptionally important is that the chapel at Rumija is a symbol of restoration of faith, a new contribution to the true need for people to be surrounded by peace and pray in a suitable manner.

Source: Dan (www.dan.cg.yu)

BISHOP JOANIKIJE BLESSES BEGINNING OF WORK ON SUDIKOVA MONASTERY NEAR BERANE

His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic and his clergy visited Sudikova Monastery and blessed the beginning of work on the construction of the monastery church.

With prayers and holy water, the Bishop sprinkled and blessed the foundations, tools, construction materials and construction workers who will be working in coming months on the construction of this Holy Shrine. On this occasion the Bishop also blessed the monastery bell donated by Mr. Obrad Kastratovic from Polica, in memory and for the salvation of the soul of his late mother. After the consecration rite, Bishop Joanikije thanked all those who are contributing to the restoration of Sudikova.

“Today for the glory of God and the glory of the Most Holy Theotokos we begin the restoration of this Holy Shrine, the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. May it be joyous and blessed, and may the Lord God grant peace and health and every form of advancement to Sister Agnija and to all those who are helping her and to all the people of this region who kiss and love and support this Holy Shrine, especially Mr. Mile Djuraskovic from Belgrade, a native of Budimlje, who made every effort to restore this Holy Shrine, and who upon its completion will be proclaimed its patron and restored because he assumed this holy and great responsibility in the Nemanjic spirit. May God bless and grant every form of advancement to the agile and industrious hands of the workers who are working here under the direction of Architect Ranko Vukanovic and with Mr. Danilo Glabac, who will oversee work on the restoration of this Holy Shrine,” said His Grace Bishop Joanikije.

Local residents of Budimlje prepared a fasting banquet luncheon in front of the monastery dormitory.

B.C./S.K

Source: Svetigora Press

FOUNDING OF PATRIARCHATE OF ANTIOCH CELEBRATED IN DAMASCUS

On the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul the founding of the Patriarchate of Antioch will be formally celebrated in Damascus. The traditional celebration begins with evening services in the monastery of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Kaukaub, a suburb of Damascus, to be served by His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatios IV of Antioch and All the East. The following day Patriarch Ignatios will serve Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Orthodox cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Damascus.

On this occasion Patriarch Ignatios will present the award of the Orthodox Church of Antioch to sculptor Aleksandr Rukavishnikov.

The city of Antioch was the third largest in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria. Today it is a small city in the Turkish district of Iskendrion, which canonically is a part of the Patriarchate of Antioch. The Patriarch of Antioch is seated in Damascus, Syria. There are approximately 400,000 Orthodox Christian Syrians and Lebanon, making this the most numerous Christian community in regions where the Arabic language is spoken, not including about 100,000 faithful living abroad (Iraq, the United States, Great Britain).

Source: www.mospat.ru

“THREE-HANDED THEOTOKOS” LITERARY AWARD TO BECOME INTERNATIONAL

The Executive Board of the Ivanka Milosevic Foundation in Chicago has decided to make its prestigious “Three-Handed Theotokos” literary award, presented by the Foundation to Serbian poets for spirituality in a literary opus, an international award. The recipient of the award in 2004 was His Grace Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic) of Zahumlje and Herzegovina (retired) for his translation of the writings of the Holy Fathers and the First Book of Moses – Genesis from the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament.

“This year Orthodox writers from all countries will be candidates for the ‘Three-Handed Theotokos’, the first and only literary award of the Orthodox world intended only to writers of Orthodox faith,” said poet Djordje Nikolic, vice-president and art director of the Foundation, in Chicago.

Appointed to the Council for the presentation of the literary award this year for work in the previous year are Matija Beckovic, Srdan Bogosavljevic, Jovan Delic, Miroslav Egeric, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Nikola Milosevic and Vasa D. Mihailovic.

The members of the Council propose candidates to the Executive Council of the Foundation, which then selects the laureate.

The Serbian icon of the Three-Handed Theotokos, the crowning icon of the Serbian imperial lavra of Chilandar Monastery, will thus take under her wing the entire Orthodox world and become the protectress of all Orthodox poets.

The award is presented on the feast of St. Vitus in Chicago, the headquarters of the Ivanka Milosevic foundation, and will presented this fall at a formal academy in Belgrade.

The award consists of an icon of the Three-Handed Theotokos, the Charter, the publishing of the author’s book and a monetary award in the amount of 3,000 U.S. dollars.

Previous laureates of the award, which has been presented since 2002, include poets Matija Beckovic and Stevan Raickovic, as well as Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic), spiritual leader and translator of ancient Orthodox texts, including the works of St. John of Damascus.

Source: Ivanka Milosevic Foundation, Chicago

[Serbian Translation Services]