Стаза Православља THE PATH OF ORTHODOXY THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA VOLUME 48 SEPTEMBER 2013 NO. 9 New Gracanica Midwest Diocese inaugurates Diocesan Days Celebration Three-day festivities coincides with Vidovdan celebration The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New the Holy Spirit which brings us together and Gracanica and Midwestern America inau- inspires us to good and memorable deeds, just gurated an annual, three-day celebration of as He inspired the Holy Prince Lazar and all Diocesan Days with the observance to be the saints,” said His Grace Bishop Longin, held each year the week following Pentecost, Diocesan Hierarch. This year’s inaugural Diocesan Days cel- On Thursday, clergy with guest His ebration coincided with the feast of Vidovdan, Grace Bishop Mitrophan, and host His Grace and featured a host of liturgical, educational Bishop Longin, gathered in New Gracanica and social events at New Gracanica Monas- Monastery for Great Vespers and the blessing tery, St. Sava Monastery and Holy Resur- of five loaves on the eve of St. Lazar’s feast. rection Cathedral geared for parishioners of After a dinner, prepared by the Diocesan Kolo all ages from throughout the Diocese on the in the Camp Dining Room, Bishop Longin Vidovdan theme. introduced V. Rev. Fr. Vojislav Bilbija from “We have the great joy to bless the begin- the Netherlands. ning of what will become an annual tradition Fr. Voja is a multi talented priest who is of coming together as a Diocese, first for also an iconographer, chanter, dentist, wood- prayer and to partake of the Divine Mysteries, carver, musician, poet, and karate champion. and inseparable from that is also fellowship He charmed the clergy with his life story. He with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and it related a most interesting experience of his is particularly fitting for this observance to be work as spiritual father to the Serbs on trial held after Pentecost because it is the grace of at the Hague. He recalled Vojislav Seselj, who fasted on water for weeks as an act of protest, except for the reception of Holy Communion, which Fr. Voja brought him every couple days. “I saw how a man that looked dead in DioCesan Days 2013 his face came back to life after receiving the continued on p. 4 Eastern Diocesan Day at Shadeland Shadeland, PA — The annual Diocesan This year’s diocesan day celebration Day celebration of the Serbian Orthodox was particularly special for members of Diocese of Eastern America was held on Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church Sunday, August 11, the feast day of the in Youngstown, Ohio. as Deacon Mladen Holy Martyr St. Callinicus, at the Most Gardovic was ordained during the Liturgy Holy Mother of God Monastery and St. to the holy priesthood and was appointed to Sava Camp Shadeland. The day began the Youngstown parish. The parish has been with the Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy widowed for more than a year following the with over twenty diocesan clergy and three passing of long-time parish priest Prota Janko deacons assisting His Grace Bishop Dr. Rajlich. Mitrophan, at the holy altar. Churches from His Grace, as always, directed his homily the Cleveland and Pittsburgh area were closed to the children and spoke to them of the need and all parishioners were invited to attend of safeguarding the treasure of their Orthodox the diocesan celebration, which also marked faith and Serbian heritage. The campers the closing of this year’s children’s camp sang the responses for the Liturgy, while the season. Once again this year the camp season beautiful church was filled with the faithful. was a great success. There were clergy and Fr. Rodney Torbic contacted the local parishioners from as far as Washington D.C. fire department, which has always had a close and North Carolina. continued on p. 7 Patriarch in Russia for Jubilee His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej visited Russia, Ukraine and Belarus July 16-30 at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kiril. The visit was to represent the Serbian Orthodox Church at the 1025 anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, which gathered the representatives of many of the local Orthodox Churches. Accompanying His Holiness were His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, as well as Their Graces Bishops: Dr. Irinej of Backa, Longin of New Gracanica- Midwestern America, and Teodosije of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo- Metohija, as well as a number of other clergy and laymen. After meeting with Russian Patriarch Kiril, the delegation visited and served in many churches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev and Minsk, including the famous Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, where the main celebration took place. During their visit, the Serbian delegation had an opportunity to meet with the heads of state of the countries visited and other His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej , center left, and His Holiness Russian Patriarch Kirill, center government and church dignitaries. right, meet with their delegations at the Patriarchal residence in Moscow on July 17. IN THIS ISSUE: • Cemetery in JaCkson, p. 3 • HealtHCare seminar, p. 5 • our View, pp. 8 & 9 • serbian seCtion, pp. 11-16 • page two THE PATH OF ORTHODOXY september 2013 tHe patH of ortHoDoxy Branislav Golic THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA ordained deacon at Monastery eDitorial staff eDitorial staff English Section Editors Serbian Editor Marcha Slava V. Rev. Rade Merick, Senior Editor V. Rev. Nedeljko Lunich Monastery Marcha in Richfield, 530 North Fourth Street 300 Stryker Ave Steubenville, OH 43952 Joliet, IL 60437 Ohio celebrated its Slava, the Synaxis email:[email protected] Fax: 815-741-1883 of the Holy Archangel Gabriel on July email: [email protected] 27, with the greatest attendence since V. Rev. Milovan Katanic the consecration of the monastery 65 South Keel Ridge Road Contributing Editor church. Hermitage, PA 16148 V. Rev. Thomas Kazich Monastery Marcha is a women’s Phone:724-342-1198 P.O. Box 371, monastery of the Eastern America email: [email protected] Grayslake, IL 60030-0371 Diocese. His Grace Bishop Dr. Phone: (847) 223-4300 Mitrophan the Diocesan Bishop has V. Rev. Dr. Bratislav Krsic email: [email protected] been instrumental in the growth of 3025 Denver Street Monastery Marcha throughout his San Diego, CA 92117 Technical Editor episcopacy. Mother Ana, the Abbess Phone: 619-276-5827 Vesna R. Meinert email: [email protected] and Sister Anastasia are long-time email: [email protected] residents. Hieromonk Platon has Business and Circulation Address been at Monastery Marcha since to and shared in the joy of the ordination and The Path of Orthodoxy August 2012. the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. P. O. Box 883 Very Reverend Stavrophor Vasilje and The Slava dinner followed the Hierarchal Bridgeport, WV 26330 Protinica Zorine Sokolovic and their family Divine Liturgy, the blessing of the Kolac and Email: [email protected] served as Kumovi for the Slava. In addition Koljivo and Bishop Mitrophan’s homily. The Path of Orthodoxy is a monthly publication with a double issue printed for the to Prota Vasilje and Father Platon, fifteen Attendees at the Slava represented parishes months of July and August. Subscriptions are $12.50 per year for U.S. residents and $15.00 priests and two deacons were present. from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. per year (U.S. funds only) for Canadian subsribers. The Divine Liturgy included the Mr. Nikola Borata served as Master of ordination to the Diaconate of Father Deacon Ceremonies at the Slava dinner. Dr.Branimir Letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. All letters and manuscripts sub- Branislav Golic. Deacon Golic serves as Simic Glavaski was among those recognized mitted for publication must be signed and contain the author's name and address. Please Diocesan Secretary. He is the most recent at the dinner. Prota Vasilije and Protinica send materials through email or MS Word format. graduate of St. Sava School of Theology in Zorine spoke with conviction and from their Libertyville, Illinois to be ordained and to hearts regarding Monastery Marcha. serve in the Eastern Diocese. Graduates of Monastery Marcha continues to be a St. Sava School of Theology serve parishes growing presence of God’s Holy Church in eDitorial throughout North America and in Serbia and the Cleveland area and welcomes visitors and in other parts of the world. His Grace Bishop pilgrims from throughout the world during Dr. Mitrophan is Dean of St. Sava School of the course of the year. May God continue to ACK OF ISION Theology and has been an active professor bless Monastery Marcha. May Monastery A L V there since the founding of the school. Marcha continue to bless and enrich the Many of the gospels read in church during the summer months deal with The joy of the ordination for Deacon souls of the visitors and pilgrims seeking faith. It’s during this cycle of readings that Christ tells us not to worry “about Branislav was increased by the presence God’s loving and healing power. Thank God tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matt 6:34). We hear of his family here from Serbia and his new for the countless blessings derived from the about the centurion, of whom Christ says “I have not found such great faith, not wife Dragana. Deacon Branislav’s father is a existence of Monastery Marcha. even in Israel” (Matt 8:10). Then there is the paralytic who, when they brought priest and his brother a deacon. They added Father Rodney Torbic him, Jesus “saw their faith” (Matt 9:2).