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Life of our Saint and God-bearing father Vasilie of Ostrog, Metropolitan of Zachlumia
Celebrated April 29 (12th May according to the New Calendar)
To every nation and in every era the philanthropic Lord gives to His Church His Saints, who will educate and sanctify His faithful people, and guide them on their earthly path to the Kingdom of Heaven. And to the Serbian nation also, since it became Christ’s, the Lord has been continuously giving his Saints, by whom God was celebrated and testified and through which orthodox people were seeking salvation and divine enlightenment. Many great Saints the Lord gave to every corner of the Serbian land at all times throughout its history, in the first era of freedom and in the later era of servitude. Likewise in Zachlumia, a Serbian land, and through it to all the spiritual descendants of St. Sava [1], God gave in the difficult times of the Ottoman occupation this holy 1 and God-bearing father Vasilie newly appeared miracle worker of Ostrog and Zachlumia.
Our Holy Father Vasilie of Ostrog, was born in Hum country, today's Herzegovina, which was previously ruled by St. Sava before his departure to the Holy Mountain of Atos. And returning from Mount Athos, when he founded a Serbian Archbishopric, St. Sava in that country founded the bishopric of Zachlumia, which later was governed by our Holy Father Vasilie as Metropolitan. But we ought firstly to present his sacred hagiography from the beginning.
St. Vasilie was born in the village Mrkonjic in Popovo plains on December 28th 1610, of pious and devout Orthodox parents Petar (Peter) Jovanovic and his wife Anastasia. Parents at baptism named the child Stojan, and then they taught him the fear of God and every useful wisdom. Blessed Stojan since childhood was bright and very smart, and with a soul completely turned to God by virtue and piety. The first lessons of virtue and piety Stojan received in his home, because his family thought more about God and the soul than about materialistic and transient things. Another school of his piety was his fasting, prayer and constantly attending worship services at the church. Although young, the future saint regularly attended holy church services. Stepping on the threshold of the temple of God, he prostrated himself and reverently kissed firstly the church floor and then the holy Cross and the sacred icons in the temple. At the Holy Liturgy he was standing with divine fear, faith and love, like he was standing before the throne of God. He distinguished himself always with calmness and seriousness, and also with gracious heart and soul. His family was poor and hardly had bread for their needs. But he, even with the little bread that he ate, he never ate
2 it alone, but always shared with others, especially while as a shepherd he went herding sheep along with other shepherds.
His parents were hated by some malicious neighbors, apostates from the faith and Turkish converts, and their hatred turned against the young Stojan as well because of his piety and wisdom. These were the first temptations for a young soul, which later would have to suffer many more such ordeals. To shelter a child from the enemy and also wanting to introduce him to books and literacy, parents took him to the nearest monastery in that region, called Zavala [2], dedicated to the Presentation of Mary, where the abbot was Stojan’s uncle Serafim. The monastery was well known in the region of Herzegovina and had a sizable fraternity. At the monastery there were erudite monks, and also they had a lot of books there. Here prudent young Stojan learned the wisdom of the Holy Scriptures and of the Holy Fathers, but also useful worldly science. Reading books and words of the Holy Fathers his soul was kindled by love toward God and the holy ascetic life, and therefore he wished to become a monk.
In the Zavala monastery he stayed for a while, and then moved on to the Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, called Tvrdoš in Trebinje region [3], which was the seat of the Diocese of Trebinje. While living in this monastery, the blessed one was attracted even more to the monastic life, and therefore he now finally decided to receive there the holy and angelic monastic rank. All the time there he spent in fasting, vigil and prayer, and in physical labor. When he then became monk, he was given the monastic name of Vasilie. This name was a sign that in his future asceticism and episcopacy he should look upon the holy and great hierarch of the Church of God, Basil the Great. After a while the saint was honored by the diaconal and priestly rank. Henceforth he was
3 serving before the throne and the altar of God with every devotion and purity. Having spent some time in the monastery, he went to Montenegro to the then Metropolitan of Cetinje Mardarije, who kept him by his side in Cetinje. But soon between the two there was a disagreement about a very important matter, about which we will speak now.
At that time, through western Orthodox regions, Latin propaganda was spreading. Roman clerics, known as the Jesuits, sent from Rome by the Pope to use the difficult situation of the enslaved and suffering Orthodox under the Turkish yoke in order to convert them to their Latin heresy and bring them under papal authority, were swarming at that time, through the coastal regions of Montenegro and Herzegovina. To their devious operation against the Orthodox Metropolitan Mardarie was alerted by zealous Orthodox, Blessed Vasilie, but the Metropolitan wasn’t concerned about that and was lenient towards Uniate propaganda. Thanks to their faith and devotion to Orthodoxy, but also to diligent work of Venerable Vasilie against the Uniats, the Orthodox people and priests were not succumbing to the Latin propaganda. The saint was advising the Metropolitan to fiercely come forth against the enemies of the Church and that he shouldn’t be afraid of anything when it comes to defending the faith and truth of Christ, but the Metropolitan was not listening. What's more, he began to plot against the St. Vasilie and to falsely accuse him in front of people. The people did not believe the Metropolitan's slanders because they knew the holy and God- pleasing life of Vasilie, and he was very respected and loved, but, wanting to move away from evil and scheming, he went back to his monastery of Tvrdoš. But even there he did not cease to fight for the preservation of the Orthodox faith and to protect his people from the vicious foreignness. That’s why he was called by people ,,Zealot of Orthodoxy”.
4 Living in Tvrdoš, the Saint continued his feats, not only for the salvation of his soul, but even more for the salvation of his Orthodox people. From his prayerful monastic cell at the monastery he could perceive all the hardships and misery suffered by his people, choking on the heavy yoke of Turkish slavery, poverty, fearful of Turkish tyranny and lawlessness, bullied by the Uniate propaganda. And that’s why he constantly raised warm prayers to God for the salvation of his people. Although at that time he was already Archimandrite, he hadn’t been staying only at the monastery, but had also undertaken an evangelical mission amongst the people, so that he, as a priest and shepherd, visited Herzegovina villages and houses to preach the Gospel of Christ. Traveling through his nation like his predecessor St. Sava, he was holding all the Holly Services and offering the Sacraments amongst the people, and comforting them to be brave in faith and suffering, and helping the afflicted and bereaved. Under the name "Rayah’s[4] Prayer", as the Turks called him, he was serving as a shepherd of God's people and its evangelical enlightener.
His apostolic work provoked against him local Muslim converts, and they sought to kill him. In order to move aside from these dangers, and to do more for his people, the Saint set of for Orthodox Russia. Returning after some time from Russia, he brought with him many valuable gifts for the church, sacred vestments and books, and also some money for his people. With these gifts he provided for the impoverished church throughout Herzegovina, and he was helping also the unfortunate and needy. Furthermore, he started on renovating many derelict and dilapidated temples, and setting up national schools in Tvrdoš and in the parish churches. For this labor worthy of the Nemanjic’s[5] he called for help from fellow Tvrdoš monks and parish priests. However, neither did the wily devil and enemy of mankind this
5 time leave him alone. The earlier hatred of his enemies again was flaring up. On the one hand, there were Muslim converts, and on the other agents of the Latin Union. His fearless and tireless apostolic zeal and shepherding was only increasing the hatred and violence of God’s enemies so that the Saint was again forced to move away from the region.
This time he decided to travel to the Holy Mountain of Athos, to that beacon of the Orthodox faith and saintly life. Therefore he headed from Tvrdoš over Onogost (Nikšić) and the Župa of Nikšić, and came to the Morača monastery[6]. From Morača he crossed the Vasojević lands and Budimlje and arrived to the monastery of Đurđevi stupovi (Pillars of St. George)[7], and from there proceeded all the way to Peć. In Peć, he contacted Patriarch of Peć Paisie Janjević (1614-1647) and told him in detail about the sad and bitter condition of Orthodox Serbs in Herzegovina, about their suffering under Turkish violence and oppression and deceitful propaganda of Latins. Then he expressed to the Holly Patriarch his desire to travel to the Holy Mountain, and asked for his blessing. The wise patriarch Paisie immediately realized that Archimandrite Vasilie has great spiritual virtues and abilities, and admiring his former pastoral work, he began thinking of raising him to the rank of bishop. But instead, he firstly let him depart for the Holy Mountain and advised him not to stay there, but to return to him to Peć. The Patriarch appraised Godly Vasilie accurately and concluded that only such a person could help to severely endangered Orthodox people in Zahumska regions.
Vasilie arrived peacefully at the Holy Mountain and remained there for a year. He had visited there many monasteries and sketes and learned much from the many ascetics and hermits of Mount Athos. But
6 most of his time he spent at the Serbian monastery Hilandar[8,9], among the Serbian monks. On his return journey from the Holy Mountain he stopped by again in Peć and contacted the patriarch. The Holy Patriarch then assembled fellow hierarchs and on the day of the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord 1638, he ordained Vasilie as a Bishop and designated him Metropolitan of Trebinje based at the monastery Tvrdoš. Although still young, less than thirty years of age, he was graced with episcopal rank because of the holiness of his life and because of the great need of the Church in those overly difficult times.
From Peć he departed by the same route back to Tvrdoš where he was joyfully received by all Orthodox people. Immediately upon arriving in his bishopric he continued his previously started pastoral work. Despite all the dangers that started to threaten again from everywhere, he traveled around the diocese and performed his service as a shepherd unwaveringly. The main weapon in his work was the Word of God and prayer. The power of his prayer was so great that it had already begun to perform miraculous healings and, in general, show miraculous powers. The people was already perceiving him as a Saint, because many times they were convinced of his holy life and prayer and the gift of foresight which he had received from God. In fact, not only was he going amongst the people but the people also started coming to him, asking him for help and comfort in a variety of troubles and temptations of every kind that beset them. And the Saint was graciously helping everyone with his holy prayers and spiritual lessons, but often also with charity. He urged one and all to show charity and also donate for the restoration of holy shrines and monasteries. In such a way he moved wealthy benefactor Stefan Vladislavić and, with then abbot of Tvrdoš Veniamin, he repaired and put in order the Tvrdoš monastery where he was residing.
7 At that time, the Turks killed East Herzegovinian Metropolitan Paisie Trebješanin, whose seat was near Onogost (Nikšić). Serbian patrijarh at Peć at that time was holly Gabriel Rajić (1648-1656), who later suffered as Hieromartyr. He then appointed St. Vasilie, until then Metropolitan of Zahumlie, as a Metropolitan of this vacant eparchy, and about this he wrote his Patriarchal gramata (letter). In the gramata he wrote: "My humbleness is writing to your blessed diocese, called Nikšić, Plana, Kolašinović and Morača, to you Venerable abbots, hieromonks and monks, pious archpriests and honorable priests, and to all in our God Christ pious Christians, the grace of God and the help of the Holy Serbian enlighteners be with you all! With this let it be known to all that I have given and blessed aforementioned Diocese of Zahumlie, to kir Vasilie, which used to be governed by the late Bishop Maksim and Hieromartyred Bishop Paisie. Receive earnestly the aforementioned Bishop and pay him honor as befits your lawful Metropolitan to get the blessing and grace of the Lord God and protection of Immaculate Mother of God for you and for your children and Orthodox homes".
The Metropolitan lands of eastern Herzegovina, which was also called Mileševska or Petrovska, to which was now appointed the Saint of God, Vasilie, is in fact the eastern part of the ancient Diocese of Zahumlie. The Patriarch Macarius Sokolović (1557-1574) in his reconstruction of the Peć Patriarchate divided the Diocese of Zahumlie into the eastern part - Mileševska and the western part – Trebinjska, based in Tvrdoš. So, St. Vasilie was to take over this eastern, also called metropolitanate of Onogošt, but he did not immediately go to Onogošt (Nikšić), but for some time he governed from the monastery Tvrdoš, where he was residing. After that, he completely crossed to his metropolitanate and continued his archpastoral work.
8 At that time, the Turks started to torture even more the Serbian people and to rob their homes through villages, and to take people into slavery. At the forefront where particularly evil Ali-aga’s soldiers. They plundered churches and monasteries and ravaged whole region. Because of that people escaped with fear to refuges, and all where pressed by such misery that even the Israelites in Egypt where not worse off. In those years haughty Herceg’s regional Begh[10] caught all the national leaders and executed them one by one. Even though he enjoyed to spend time in the Monastery of the Holy Apostle Luke in Nikšić region, and even though he also restored the Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius in the village of Pope near Onogošt, where he was also spending some time, the Saint was forced to move away from his new seat because of pressure from this and other Turkish crimes. Therefore he found a hidden place, in which he intended to seclude himself. This place was a cave in Pješivci under the mountain Zagarača. There, he arranged for himself a cell and wanted to stay there for longer. Having heard for that, elders from the area came to him and advised him that it was better for him to pass to the Monastery of Ostrog, which Saint immediately abided.
He already heard about Ostrog, and about its venturers, especially for the virtuous Prior of the Ostrog, venerable elder Isaiah. This virtuous elder led rigorous ascetic and divine life in a cave above the Upper Monastery of Ostrog. When he passed from this life, God glorified his holy relics, but the Turks soon found them and burned them on fire. On reaching the Holy Monastery of Ostrog, St. Vasilie first stopped at the foot of the Ostrog Mountains, then went to Upper Ostrog and settled in the cave of this venerable ascetic Isaiah. Since then, he has been governing his metropolitan from this place for full fifteen years.
9 At Ostrog he began to gather round him other monks and ascetics, and with them, he restored the church of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God, which had been built by Ostrog’s monks earlier. Later on he constructed and ornamented the church of the Holly and life-giving Cross at the Ostrog mountain wall, which was then frescoed and remains preserved to this day. In one word, he tried to turn his Ostrog cave into a real monastery and, like other Orthodox monasteries, make it a cradle of spiritual life for the people. When the fraternity in the monastery became enlarged, he appointed Isaiah, the grandson of that venerable Isaiah from the village of Pope near Onogošt. The Saint had taken upon himself the most strenuous feats, imposing upon himself endeavors, each harder than the previous one. Even though he was building churches, and carrying building stones with his own bare hands, he was also caring about his diocese and flock entrusted to him, while in no way diminishing his labors of constant godliness, prayerful vigil and asceticism. He ate only fruits and vegetables, and practiced prostrations (metanias) [11,12] and other activities of monastic life. His body was dry, and his face was yellow like wax and he was entirely a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, the Saint was not dwelling in his ascetic cave all of the time. From his mountainous spiritual heights he descended amongst the people and he shared with them their sufferings as a true shepherd. People started coming to him from all sides, in large numbers, and sought his help and spiritual and physical comfort. Even during his life people considered him a Saint, and that is why they were pouring to him from everywhere. Many at those times felt the miraculous power of his prayer and celebrated God for that. Persecuted and maltreated Herzegovinian rayah was running for shelter in front of Turkish crimes to a Saint in Ostrog mountains, and many elderly, women and children
10 stayed for longer with their bishop. And their blessed spiritual father and their pleader before God took care of them with help from the surrounding villages.
From his hermit cave, he kept regular contacts with the Serbian patriarchs in Peć by means of written correspondence, and when he could, he was also visiting them. To them, the holy bishop grieved over the great malice of humans who surrounding him. Namely, near the monastery of Ostrog lived a local Knyaz[13], Raic with his six sons, who committed many and great injustices against the Saint and Monastery. About this St. Vasilie wrote in his testimonial letter the following: "I am writing this as confirmation of the truth, so that the Christians know that I spent some time in the Ostrog wilderness, and that I contributed all my efforts there earnestly and all my property, sparing nothing for the sake of the mercy of God and Holy Theotokos. And with some brothers, with God’s help, we reconstructed there what can be seen by all. And many were malicious, but God was helping me in every good deed. And this I write to be known to the church servants who will serve after me God and the Holy Virgin at Ostrog, seeking in the cold stones the warmth of God, and also to the Christians after me".
Due to the violence of Knyaz Raic and the immense evil of some, the Saint was thinking of moving from Ostrog elsewhere, where he could continue his undertakings. He thought at those times to go to the Holy Mountain Atos, but within himself, he felt that this malice was a demonic deed in order to interfere with his virtuous undertakings. Besides that, the neighboring Bjelopavlići, led by their priest, Mihail Bošković, begged him not to leave them alone without his gracious help and prayerful protection. The Saint decided not to leave Ostrog, and to suffer injustice to the end. But nevertheless in 1667. he went to the
11 blessed patriarch Maksim in Peć and told him about his own and his flock’s affairs. The patriarch wrote a letter to the Knyaz Raic and the people of Bjelopavlić, and reminded the people that they should guard and help the Ostrog Monastery, and threatening with a curse anyone who would dare to harm the Saint and the monks.
To this Knyaz Raich Saint Vasilie himself prophesied that, because of the violence that he inflicted upon the monastery, all his sons will die. This prophecy of the Saint has soon fulfilled. Distressed, Knyaz Raich went to holy father Vasilie and told him about unfortunate death of his sons. The saint comforted the Knyaz, and advised him to repent of his sins and the sins of his children. On this occasion he prophesied him that, if he sincerely repents, the Lord will comfort him and will bless him again with much male offspring. This promise of the Saint was soon fulfilled, and the local notable again had several male children. Many other foretellings of the Saint were fulfilled during his lifetime, and also many wonders by his prayers had occurred.
Tireless in his hermitic undertakings of prayer, fasting, physical labor, as well as dealing with many issues for the earthly and heavenly good of his flock, the saint of Ostrog was reaching slowly the end of his earthly life. He left this world calmly without pain and suffering, easily handing over his soul into the hands of his Lord, on April 29th, 1671, in his cell above the Ostrog hermitage. From the rock, standing near the place of his repose, later grew a single grape vine, although there is no soil in the rock at all. At the time of the Saint's blissful repose his cell was glowing with unusual and supernatural light. The body of Saint Vasilie was buried by Ostrog monks in a grave beneath the church of the Holy Presentation of the Mother of God.
12 Soon after the passing of the Saint, the people began to come to his grave and to pray to him, as they have been coming to him during his earthly life. And at the grave a number of miracles began to occur, which haven’t ceased in Ostrog until the present time. Seven years after passing away (1678), the saint appeared in a dream to the head of the St. Luke Monastery in Župa, near Nikšić, abbot Rafail Kosijerevac, and ordered him to come to Ostrog and open his grave. The abbot gave no special significance to this dream, and he did not go. The same dream was repeated for the second time, but the abbot again did not obey. For the third time, St. Vasilie came to the abbot dressed in bishop's attire and with censer in his hands. And while the Saint was censing, ember fell out of the censer and burned the abbot’s face and hands. The abbot then woke up, and, with great fear, recounted his vision to the brotherhood. They agreed then to go to Ostrog monastery. When they came to Ostrog and told the Ostrog monks everything, they firstly went on a strict fast, keeping daily the entire prayer rule and serving sacred liturgies. And on the seventh day, after censing the Saint’s grave, they opened the tomb. And before them the Saint appeared in a glorified body, which was yellow as wax and fragrnt. The monks took his holy body, laid him in a reliquary and carried it to the temple of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God, where his relics are still resting unchanged to this day.
The word about the glorification of Saint Vasili’s body quickly spread throughout the region, and the people started coming to his holy relics in ever increasing numbers. Since then, through the grace of God and the sanctity of St. Vasilie, many glorious miracles took place over his holy and miraculous body which have not ceased to the present day. Not only the Orthodox but also other Christians, and even Muslims, have been coming to the great and precious Ostrog Sanctity. And, by their
13 faith with the grace of God and St. Vasilie, they’ve been finding consolation and receiving divine help. Among the many pilgrims who came to the Saint in Ostrog to honor him was the last Patriarch of the Serbs in Peć, Vasilije Brkic-Jovanovic, who, being persecuted by the Turks, found a refuge in Montenegro. At Ostrog he spent six months by the relics of St. Vasilie in prayer and fasting, and on that occasion he compiled the Service and Hagiography of this Saint. And in the difficult wartime and post-war years, staying by the Saint, and finding himself consolation and protection in his proximity, the presbyter Vasili wrote a hymn (1947) to St. Vasilie, the manuscript of which can be found at the Ostrog Monastery.
Even today, the pilgrims are still coming in large numbers from all parts of our country, to the saint of Ostrog, regardless of their religion and nationality. They come also from abroad. By the Saint’s casket prayers are offered both in our and in foreign languages. Many bring children to be baptized right in front of the Saint’s relics, and many are giving their children the name Vasilie. Also, many are getting married there, or confess and commune, or ask for prayers for health, healing, and salvation. Many presents and donations are brought to the holy Father in Ostrog, but the greatest ones are sacrifices of sincere repentance and purification of the heart before God and St. Vasilie. Even the non-Orthodox respect him, and mention his name with veneration. Before the merciful Saint of Ostrog, all the Serbian generations, spiritual descendants of Saint Sava, are pouring out all their sorrows and pains, and offering warm prayers for their living and deceased relatives. Every day, from near and far, worshipers rush towards the Saint, prepared beforehand by fasting and prayer, so that before his sacred casket, they could weep, confess and ask for blessings. In addition to regular fasts, the people are taking special votive fasts, which have been known as
14 "week of St. Father Vasilie". This is especially true ahead of his feast, the day of St. Vasilie. Sometimes people would pledge or give an oath in front of the Saint’s relics. The pilgrimages of the people to Ostrog began even during the earthly life of St. Vasilie and, after the glorifications of his holy relics, they never ceased to this day. In addition to St. Vasilie's feast day, the convocation days in Ostrog are the Pentecost, St. Peter’s feast, the feast of St. Elijah, and the Dormition of the Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. On those days in Ostrog, there are ten to twenty thousand pious devotees. As the Saint did not have peace in his earthly life, persecuted by the many enemies of God and from the chief enemy of human salvation – the devil, so his holy relics have not remain spared by the unholy. So, for the first time, the monks of Ostrog had to hide the relics of Saint Vasilie in 1714, when Numan-pasha Ćuprilić was plundering through Montenegro. The monks then buried the Saints' relics downhill from the lower monastery, by the Zeta River. They remained buried there for a whole year. The river flooded this resting place, but the water miraculously has not touched the casket or his body. The second time, it was during the siege of Ostrog monastery by Omer-pasha, in the winter of 1852. Omer-pasha at that time surrounded the Montenegrins at the Upper Monastery, and the siege lasted for nine days. Only thirty Montenegrins, led by the great duke Mirko Petrovic, the father of Montenegrin King Nikola, bravely defended the Monastery from the Turks. When finally, with the help of St. Vasilie, they repelled the Turks, they held service in appreciation for the mercy of God, the Most Holy Mother of God and St. Vasilie at the church of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God. After that, the Montenegrins took the Saint with them and brought him to Cetinje, and laid him out in the church of the Birth of the Most Holly Theotokos, next to the relics of St. Peter of
15 Cetinje[14]. St. Vasilie's relics remained in Cetinje until the spring of 1853, when they were again returned to Ostrog. In that war, the Ostrog monastery was robbed and burned by the Turks, and many of the valuables of Ostrog, as well as documents from the time of the Saint, have disappeared or been ruined. For the third time, the relics of the Saint from Ostrog were moved in the war of 1876-7, and again to Cetinje, where they stayed for about a year. With great ceremony they were returned to Ostrog in 1878. In February 1942, during the bombing of Ostrog by the enemy, the monks were afraid that the shells would demolish the church of the Holly Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God, where the Saint was resting, and transferred his holy body into a small cave in the wall behind the monastery. This fear was proven to be unnecessary. Because, even though grenades were flying, falling around the monastery and bursting, they did not cause any harm to the monastery, nor were any of the brethren hurt. The Saint was then, as before and today watching over his brotherhood.
Our people’s respect toward this godly man is reflected in the naming of many temples in his honor in our country and abroad. In particular, a beautiful temple was erected in his city Onogost (Niksic) and in 1935 a hospital was opened in Belgrade under the name of Saint Vasilie Ostrošky (St. Vasilie of Ostrog). In the church of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen on Vozdovac his holy omophorion [15] is being kept. Most of all, St. Vasilie is celebrated at the Ostrog monastery, where, as we have said, many devotees gather from all over our country. To Ostrog one goes fearfully and piously by foot, from the Lower to the Upper Monastery. From Ostrog people are bringing holy water, oil and incense, antidoron blessed bread, or wad of cotton with myrrh collected from the Saint’s casket. To the Saint they bring people sick with various and incurable illnesses, and the Saint heals them
16 mercifully from illness of soul and body. This is evidenced by numerous crutches, chains, and stretchers, as well as precious gifts left at the Sanctuary in Ostrog in gratitude for the miraculous healings and recoveries. Records in the monastery books testify about many of these healings, from mental disorders, to physical infirmity and demonic possession, and they are confirmed by the even more indelible records in the hearts of the faithful. Many of these miracles of St. Vasilie are being spread by word throughout our country. A few of those miracles, and only some of the most recent ones, we will mention here.
In February 1942, during the bombing of Ostrog monastery, a shell from a German gun struck a stone wall above the Upper Monastery, breaking the door on the Church of the Holy Cross, but, miraculously, it did not explode. After landing, grenade split in two, the fuse falling to one and the explosive to the other side of the stone floor in the church. Upon later examination it was found that the shell was in order and as such it was capable of exploding. It is obvious to everyone that the Saint did not allow it, because it would have caused great damage to the holy church and his monks. This shell is still preserved today at the Upper Monastery.