Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
July 20, 2005

NEW ATTACKS ON ORTHODOX SERBS IN DALMATIA

The night of July 19, 2005 two unidentified young men broke into the house of the Medic family in the village of Ostrovici near Benkovac.

During the attack, which was completely unprovoked, brothers Cedo and Mirko Medic from Ostrovica sustained serious physical injuries.

This incident in Ostrovica has caused unrest among the Orthodox Serbs in the Benkovac region because it is motivated by religious and national hatred toward Serbs.

FORMAL CELEBRATION OF HOLY MARTYR SAVA OF GORNJI KARLOVAC

The feast of the Holy Martyr Sava of Gornji Karlovac was celebrated this year in Donji Budacki more formally than ever.

On that day His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in Donji Budacki near Karlovac with the concelebration of thirteen priests.

In his sermon Bishop Gerasim called on the faithful and long-suffering people to return to their church and by repenting for their alienation from their church, the source of everything that is good, to turn a fresh page to be inscribed with repentance and faith in the future, which can be realized only through the church with Christ and in Christ.

This special celebratory event attended by the faithful and by Serbia-Montenegro’s ambassador in the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Milan Simurdic. During the service the slava cake and wheat of the Council of the Serbian National Minority of Karlovac Municipality, which has adopted St. Sava of Gornji Karlovac as its patron saint.

Contributing to the festive atmosphere were the members of the folklore section of the Prosvjeta Serbian Cultural Society – Krnjak section, who performed a medley of folk dances from the Kordun region.

BISHOP GERASIM VISITS UDBINA MUNICIPALITY

His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac, accompanied by Presbyter Dalibor Tanasic, visited Udbina municipality, and the municipal president, Mr. Stanko Momcilovic, and vice-president, Mr. Djoka Opalic.

Municipal president Momcilovic informed Bishop Gerasim of the difficult situation in their municipality and, at the same time, of the efforts and desire of our people living in this region to stay in their centuries-old homes, close to their land and Church, despite all difficulties.

Bishop Gerasim thanked them for their hospitality and expressed his wishes for the success and progress of municipal president Momcilovic and all residents of the diocese and his hope for further cooperation between Udbina municipality and the Diocese of Gornji Karlovac.

The village of Udbina is located in the archierchal administrative district of Lika, half way between Zagreb and Split on route D-1.

[Serbian Translation Services]