Pentecost 2015 at New Gracanica Monastery

2015 Pentecost weekend at New Gracanica Monastery in Third Lake, IL began on Saturday, May 30th with Duhovske Zadusnice.

The Memorial Divine Liturgy was followed by a General Requiem service for all those who repose at the Monastery cemetery, as well as for the hierarchs, priests, deacons, monastics and laity of our Diocese who were remembered by the Monastery Brotherhood and by their loved ones who were present that day.

The Liturgy for the dead was served by the newly-appointed heugomen of New Gracanica Monastery, syngellos Serafim (Baltic). Fr. Serafim was joined for the requiem service  by New Gracanica Monastery’s spiritual father, Archimandrite Toma (Kazich), along with Protosyngellos Filotej (Petrovic) and protopresbyter-stavrophor Milorad Loncar.

The Episcopal Choir sang responses for both Liturgy and the requiem service.
On Sunday, May 31, on the feast of Pentecost,  the Monastery Church was decorated in greenery and flowers by Protinica Marija Stojanovic and members of the Episcopal Choir. His Grace Bishop Sava (Juric) (retired Bishop of Slavonija) presided at Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating were Archimandrite Toma, Protosyngellos Filotej, f. Milorad Loncar, protodeacon Milovan Gogic.

The beautiful Pentecost “kneeling prayers” were chanted in Church-Slavonic, Serbian and English by Archimandrite Toma and f. Milorad. Many faithful were present and partook of the Holy Mystery of Communion. Responses were sung by the Episcopal Choir.

Before the antidoron/nafora was distributed, Fr. Toma announced that this was Fr. Milorad’s last Sunday Liturgy at the Monastery, as he is preparing to move to Australia where he will serve as parish priest at the largest Serbian parish in Melbourne.

Fr. Toma acknowledged Fr. Loncar’s contributions to the Monastery and Diocese over the past 15 years and thanked him on behalf of the Bishop, after which Protodeacon Milovan intoned “Many Years.”  A luncheon was prepared for Fr. Milorad for those in attendance. A more formal farewell is planned for the evening of Tuesday, June 2.

“Blessed art Thou O Christ Our God. Who hast revealed the fisherman as most wise, By sending down upon them the Holy Spirit. Through them thou didst draw the world into Thy net. O lover of mankind, Glory to Thee!

Source: Diocese of New Gracanica and Midwestern America