Page 66 - Western Diocese Annual 2023

DIOCESE OF WESTERN AMERICA
Diocesan Kolo Srpskih Sestara Lenten Woman’s Retreat in Alhambra, CA
24th Annual Women’s Lenten Retreat:
March 31 – April 1, 2023
“The Joy of Repentance and Forgiveness” was the theme of this year’s annual Women’s Lenten Retreat bringing together the Diocesan Kolo Srpskih Sestara (Circle of Serbian Sisters). Women from parishes across the Diocese were invited to join in worship and fellowship at the host parish, Saint Steven’s Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra, California on the 5th Weekend of Great lent commemorating St. Mary of Egypt.
Our guest speaker for this event was Fr. Basil (Vasilije) Gavrilovic, a hieromonk who has studied Theology in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, and Greece. Recently, he defended his PhD thesis titled “Dynamis and Metousia: Theological Anthropology According to Gregory of Nyssa in De hominis opifi- cio,” at the Divinity Faculty of the Trinity College, University of Toronto.
The Retreat began on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. with the Akathist service to the Mother of God, fol- lowed by dinner and opening remarks by Fr. Basil. On Saturday morning the Divine Liturgy was served by
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