Page 23 - Western Diocese Annual 2023

2023 DIOCESAN ANNUAL
new bishops. He then embarked on a cultural and ec- clesiastical renaissance that included the establish- ment of schools and the beginnings of a medieval Ser- bian literature... Dear brothers and sisters, the light with which Sava illuminates our present and future still shines today. It is up to each of us to recognize him and to adopt Sava’s ethos, as much as possible. Today, my brethren, we are called to listen to his call, a call which he addresses to us from the Communion of the Saints. This call is identical with the one Christ gives to us in today’s Gospel reading: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abun- dantly.” And the saying “There shall be one flock, one Shepherd” (Jn 10:16) we experience as something al- ready accomplished.”
During the service, with the blessing of Bishop Maxim, a new deacon of the Greek Archdiocese, Nicholas Anton, was ordained by the hand of his re- sponsible bishop, Elpidophoros. At the end of the liturgy, Bishop Maxim greeted all those present in the Serbian language, wishing them the blessings of the Eucharist and the prayerful intercession of Saint Sava.
Following the Liturgy, the celebration was trans- ferred to the Church hall, where the parish board and parishioners prepared a welcome for their guests. The kumovi of the festive celebration, Dragiša and Sarlota Blagojević, broke the consecrated bread with their bishop, while Radenko and Marica Blago- jević took over the kumovi position for the following year.
The Parish of St. Sava prepared a rich program in the packed ceremonial hall, which delighted every- one present. The program began with the hymn to
Saint Sava, followed by traditional Serbian instru- mental songs, masterfully performed by Ljiljana Lukić and Milica Stefanović. Children of different ages recited poems dedicated to St. Sava in Serbian, while subdeacon Jovan Mišković read an abridged life of St. Sava, which was followed by songs sung by the melodious voices of the youngest members of the St. Sava parish. The program was concluded with the performance of folklore groups, which visibly re- flected smiles and joy on the faces of all present.
After the festive lunch and prayer, the Archbish- op of the Greek Church of America Elpidophoros greeted everyone present and thanked them for the warm reception. Among other things, the Archbish- op emphasized that he was happy to see and hear how the children, although born and raised in America, speak their native Serbian language. He underlined how important it is to maintain the ethos of the culture to which each of us belong to: “The Christian faith also implies national affiliation, every nation expresses the Orthodox faith in their own way, so we must not forget our culture and language. We are one Orthodox Church, but each nation has their own individual characteristics that enriches the Orthodox Church, whether it is Greek, Serbian, Romanian, Georgian...”
After the ceremonial banquet, the bishops thanked everyone and went on with their program, while the people remained to continue celebrating the first Serbian Archbishop and Father Sava with songs and joyful fellowship.
Uskliknimo s ljubavlju Svetitelju Savi... Let’s exclaim with love to Saint Sava...
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