20th Annual Diocesan SKSS Retreat, Alhambra, CA

The 20th Annual Diocesan Kolo Srpskih Sestara Lenten Women's Retreat was held at the Saint Steven's Serbian Orthodox Church in Alhambra, California on Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st, 2017.

Participants included women from the Greek, Russian, and Serbian Orthodox Churches from nearby parishes and from parishes as far away as Phoenix, Arizona. On Friday, March 31st, the weekend festivities began in the early evening with the Akathist Service followed by dinner and a warm welcome and engaging introductory talk on Fasting, Confession, and the Eucharist, given by V. Rev. Predrag Bojovic, the new Spiritual Advisor of the SKSS and parish priest of the Saint Sava Church in San Gabriel, California.

10,000 Paschal eggs to be blessed and distributed at Christ the Savior Cathedral

Volunteers of the “Rus’” Food Foundation together with the pupils of children’s homes are painting and gathering eggs from April 1 to 14 for the gigantic Paschal “Basket of Kindness,” to be presented on Holy Saturday in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to bless and distribute. The foundation is planning to give out more than 10,000 eggs, according to its site.

Hierarchal Liturgy in Monastery Ostrog, Montenegro

Hierarchal Liturgy in Monastery Ostrog, Montenegro
Hierarchal Liturgy in Monastery Ostrog, Montenegro
Hierarchal Liturgy in Monastery Ostrog, Montenegro
Hierarchal Liturgy in Monastery Ostrog, Montenegro

On the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, on the 2nd of April 2017, Divine Liturgy was concelebated by  Bishop Emeritus Atanasije of Zaholm and Herzegovina and Bishop Jovan of Pakrac, Slavonia, in the Upper  Ostrog Monastery.

The Fifth Sunday dedicated to Venerable Mary of Egypt was prayerfully marked in the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Upper Ostrog, in presence of the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog. The Divine Liturgy was performed with the concelebration of the Ostrog brother hieromonk Sergius, Archpriest-staurophor Miroljub Stojanovic from Nis and deacon Crsta Avdalovic.

Bishop Ilarion of Timok celebrated Liturgy in the Army Barracks

Bishop Ilarion of Timok celebrated Liturgy in the Army Barracks
Bishop Ilarion of Timok celebrated Liturgy in the Army Barracks
Bishop Ilarion of Timok celebrated Liturgy in the Army Barracks
Bishop Ilarion of Timok celebrated Liturgy in the Army Barracks

In the days of Great Lent, the Bishop of Timok Ilarion visited attendants of the Serbian Army barracks in Zajecar, where he served the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the chapel of the Holy Despot Stefan Lazarevic on March 29, 2017.

Military chaplains Captain Djordje Dinic and Lieutenant Ivan Ganic concelebrated whereas hypodeacons, senior sergeants of the first class Nebojsa Simic and Igor Nikolic helped. The responses were chanted by Sergeant Predrag Tasic and Uros Pamučar, an official of the Timok Diocese, with the prayerful participation of major Srdjan Radivojevic, commander of the 31st Infantry Battalion of the 3rd Brigade of the Army of Serbia with the soldiers.

Serbian Patriarch received Permanent Coordinator of UN in Serbia

Serbian Patriarch received Permanent Coordinator of UN in Serbia
Serbian Patriarch received Permanent Coordinator of UN in Serbia
Serbian Patriarch received Permanent Coordinator of UN in Serbia
Serbian Patriarch received Permanent Coordinator of UN in Serbia

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej received Mrs. Karl Rabbi Hershey, United Nations Permanent Coordinator in Serbia at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade on 30 March 2017.

The High Representative of the United Nations Ms. Hershey expressed sincere gratitude to the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church for the warm and friendly reception during which they discussed various aspects of life of people in Serbia. The Patriarch thanked Her Excellency for the visit, wishing her every true blessing from the Lord and much success in her future work.