Monday, September 2, 2019

Grand event at St. Sava Serbian Church in San Gabriel, CA

And to quote my favorite line from the event - Metropolitan Joseph: "Kosovo is Serbia!"



(spc.rs) - For months the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in San Gabriel, California has been actively beautifying their church, parish hall and grounds in preparation of hosting the annual Diocesan Days celebration on this jubilee year 2019, as we mark the 800th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church. With the blessings of His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America the annual Diocesan Days celebration came to an official start on Friday, August 30, 2019, as distinguished guests, clergy, monastics and the faithful began to slowly arrive to St. Sava’s Church in San Gabriel. As is the established custom, this annual celebration in the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America, per the blessings of the diocesan bishop, dedicates the first day and first order of business to a clergy seminar. This year’s seminar was led by the Most Venerable Archimandrite Metodije of the Royal Lavra Hilandar Monastery.

Following lunch Bishop Maxim introduced Fr. Metodije who delivered a moving talk on the role of Mount Athos in the celebration of eight centuries of the Serbian Orthodox Church. After all, Fr. Metodije noted, St. Sava was abbot of Monastery Hilandar at the time he became the first Serbian Archbishop. Moreover, St. Sava played a great role not only in the life of the Serbian monastery but throughout the Holy Mountain. There is an opinion that the entire Athonite monastic community rejoiced exceedingly upon hearing of his appointment to the rank of archbishop. The reason was that the Latins, who had control of Constantinople at that time, had appointed one of their bishops to the Diocese of Ierissos, under whose jurisdiction Mount Athos belonged. As the Athonite monks were firm and staunch defenders of Orthodoxy, they did not want the Latins to tonsure their monks, ordain their hierodeacons and hieromonks. Thus, St. Sava’s election brought much joy as he, himself, was an Athonite monk, and now would be able to tonsure and ordain monks throughout the Holy Mountain, which, in fact, he did.

Not only was Saint Sava respected at one time in history among Athonite monks but even to this day. As Fr. Metodije noted, eight centuries have passed since the time of Saint Sava and yet he is still loved greatly by monastics throughout the Holy Mountain. In fact, it is hard to find a monastery that doesn’t have a fresco of him or his father St. Symeon the Myrrh-bearer.
When Monastery Hilandar had begun planning the 800th-anniversary celebration some years back they realized that due to reconstruction that is still being completed after a fire that broke out fifteen years ago, hosting such an event would be nearly impossible. Thus, they submitted a written request that such a celebration be held not only at the Serbian monastery but that it be held at the Protaton, the major church at Karyes, thereby making it a conciliar celebration which would include the abbots and monastics from all the Athonite monasteries. This request was received with much joy. Fr. Metodije evoked a similar celebration that took place a few years ago at the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the repose of St. Nicodemus of the Hagiorite. It was during this celebration that the Abbot of the Great Lavra, Fr. Nicodemus, told Fr. Metodije: “You know, Father, Saint Sava was much greater than St. Nicodemus. True, I bear his name, but the fact is that Saint Sava was a much greater Saint.“

But not only on Mount Athos. As we know, upon his election as archbishop, one of the first things he did was to translate the canonical and liturgical books from Greek into Serbian. These translations took place in a monastery near Thessaloniki. Today in Thessaloniki there is an organization called the Mount Athos Center, run by a governing body of Board of Directors, presided over by the Mayor of Thessaloniki (ex officio). Monastery Hilandar suggested to this Center that the 800th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church be commemorated there as well. Thus, another aspect of the life and work of St. Sava will be highlighted where Serbian and Greek academics will commemorate his great contribution to Orthodoxy.

Fr. Metodije concluded his talk with a moment recorded in the Life of St. Sava. It is said there that his heart was filled with sadness when he realized that he would have to leave the Holy Mountain. He had planned on spending the rest of his life there in prayer and contemplation. According to his hagiographers, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him in a dream, comforting him that the Lord had willed him to organize the Church in Serbia. With this divine comfort filling his heart he was able to achieve many deeds which we not only commemorate on this jubilee year but, indeed, are witnesses of and experience in our active life in the church. Just as that was the will of God so was the founding of Monastery Hilandar twenty years prior to that. For we know that when Saint Sava was on Mount Athos with his father they were visited by an Elder from the desert who advised them to renovate one of the abandoned monasteries on the Holy Mountain for Serbian monastics. In doing this they established Hilandar Monastery which remains the only Serbian institution that has lasted that long.

Archimandrite George (Kapsanis) of blessed memory would often say, Fr. Metodije recalled if a person wants to do something out of their own free will God allows it. After all, we are free to do anything. In the end, it might even be a good thing. But perfect are only those deeds blessed by God!

Fr. Metodije’s talk served as a fitting and inspirational start to this much anticipated Diocesan Days celebration. After a brief question and answer session the clergy and laity were dismissed: some to their hotels, some attended the Diocesan Council Meeting and others the Diocesan Kolo Sestara meeting.

The evening Vespers began promptly at 6 o’clock with the arrival of the hierarchs: Their Graces Archbishop Peter of Chicago (the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia), Bishop Longin of New Gracanica-Midwestern America, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco (Orthodox Church in America), Bishop Mitrophan of Canada, Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa (Orthodox Church in America), Bishop Grigorije of Dusseldorf and Germany, Bishop Teodisije of Kosovo and Metohija, Bishop Irinej of Eastern America, Bishop David of Stobi (Archdiocese of Ohrid), Bishop Sergije of Bihac and Petrovac, Bishop Kirilo of Buenos Aires and Bishop Dimitrije of Herzegovina. Fr. Mihailo Smiljanic represented Bishop Andrej of Vienna. Among the special guests were the seminarians from Prizren Seminary Dimitrije Nikolic, Milan Kostic, Marko Vilotic and Strahinja Sabic together with their professor Dejan Ristic. Nikola Stankovic was also in attendance from TV Hram in Serbia.

Before the beginning of Vespers at the front entrance of the church Fr. Metodije, Abbot of Monastery Hilandar, presented to His Grace Bishop Maxim an official, authentic facsimile, icon of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Trojerucica“, produced and stamped at Monastery Hilandar for this occasion and to be kept at St. Sava Church in San Gabriel. The host priest, Fr. Predrag Bojovic, together with neighboring priest Fr. Nikola Ceko, carried the icon in, led by Bishop Maxim and the visiting hierarchs. Once the icon was solemnly installed on the throne the Vespers service began with His Grace Bishop Irinej preciding. For many, this was the first time to see the newly frescoed St. Sava Church which even the local parishioners commented that it’s as if they received a new church. They are magnificent and awe-inspiring.

Dinner followed the evening service. Typically, Friday evening of Diocesan Days is an open Questions -and-Answers session with the keynote speaker. This year’s event, however, included a panel of thirteen hierarchs. A lively discussion ensued about how to inspire one to a higher calling in the life of the church. Not only did the hierarchs inspire such a question but also the seminarians who hail from the much-suffering region of Kosovo and Metohija. In response to this inquiry, one of the students stated that it was particularly this suffering and persecution that served as his calling and inspiration to enroll in Prizren Seminary.

The evening ended with fellowship until finally clergy and the faithful slowly made their way to their hotels and homes to rest for tomorrow’s full day of activities!

16 comments:

  1. Note that not one EP hierarch participated. I'm certain that Archbishop Peter of ROCOR would not have served with EP hierarchs. It's also known that the Serbian church supports the canonical church in Ukraine.

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    1. For the sake of clarity: EP and ROCOR bishops are attending services together just not with any regularity.

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  2. The Divine Liturgy had Abp. Elpidophoros presiding. There were no ROCOR hierarchs present.
    Can someone please explain to me why the ‘gerond’ of GOARCH was presiding at the Serbian Cathedral where the 800th anniversary - which number is not recognized by the Fener or its appanages - of Serbian Autocephaly was being celebrated? Does this mean that the Phanariot hierarch who was recently appointed (in abrogation of GOARCH constitution) to rule Greek churches in America now recognizes the Serbian reckoning, or that he presides over Serbian churches in America? The message is very confusing.
    I know that Serbian Patriarch Irenej was scheduled to preside but stayed home sick since his recent birthday, and that Irenej does not want to concelebrate with any of Elpidophoros’ ilk. He is painfully aware the new Phanar hierarch is the author and architect of Ukraine’s uncanonical Assembly.

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    1. Archbishop Peter of ROCOR definitely was there and did serve. It's in the video. And did you not read what was written above? For a second, I did think the presiding bishop was retired OCA Metropolitan Theodosius. But I know his age and failing health would have precluded him from attending, let alone presiding.

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  3. It was the Antiochian Metropolitan Joseph who was presiding.

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    1. I see that on the final day, the Greek Archbishop did preside and no ROCOR Hierarchs in sight. Back in the day, when all of North America was part of the Russian mission, the Serbs and Greeks were glad for our support.
      Now, to quote Don Corleone, they found paradise in America, and don't need a friend like us. It was ok for the Tsar to send troops to the Balkans to help those folks against the Turks. Oh well. A Serbian priest once told me that the Serbs are masters of playing the East against the West.

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  4. When you good folks get done analyzing the tea leaves of hierarchical standing vis-a-vis presiding when/where, and what this means/signals on this or that controversy, will you sum it up for me? ;)

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    1. Well, I'm sorry, Jake, but if Patriarch Bartholomew hadn't interfered in Ukraine, things might be different. There are those posting here who defend his All-Holiness's papal pretensions. I'm not one of them. I've heard official Ukrainian line, that +Bartholomew is finally standing up to the Russians. The truth is the Russian church is finally standing up on it's own. It's not held captive to an anti-Christian regime as it was in 1970, when it granted autocephaly to the OCA.
      But there's a funny twist to that story. Fr. Alexander Schmemann,along with some other prominent clergy of the then Russian Metropolia, approached Patriarch Athenagoras to intervene in their canonical status. The Patriarch said, "You are Russians. You must normalize your relationship with your mother church." When they did just that, and the mother church granted autocephaly, all he'll broke loose.
      Likewise for years, we in ROCOR were told," You're outside the church because you aren't in communion with anybody(actually not true, we were in communion with Serbia and Jerusalem the whole time)." So, we normalize relations with a Moscow Patriarchate, which is reviving church life in Russia. I cannot help it that the Ukrainian diaspora is chagrined, because they follow the lead of the Ukrainian Catholics, who make up maybe 12% of Ukraine's population. They have no use for a Ukrainian moderate like me, because I won't jump on the hate Russia bandwagon.

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    2. Boris,

      As a Ukrainian, surely you understand better than most that 'its the Ukrainian Catholic's fault' is a simplistic reduction of history (cultural and Church). As an experienced Orthodox Christian, surely you understand that the EP's interpretation and actions reduced to "papal pretensions", or "puppet of the American State Dept.", or "yet another chapter of MP vs. EP" are simplistic reductions as well.

      In any case, this is all inside baseball. For those of us in NA and other western states, it has no real bearing on our salvation or being the Church in our secular cultures. These "metropolitans" and "Patriarchs" are emphasizing the unimportant, and ignoring the important...

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. I think by "You" you mean myself. No, I don't agree with the EP's current interpretative judgement of his role "canonically" , historically, nor how it actually plays out in the modern circumstances of the (Orthodox) Church in a world where the Empire fell, east-west split happened, nation states arose, secular and "pluralistic" culture became dominant, etc. etc.

      That's why EP "mother church" this and Uniate history that (Ukrainian or otherwise) is just two sides of the same anachronistic coin - so much inside baseball. It's tinkering at the edges of a ecclesiology conceived in and for another world.

      Wake me up when we as Church gets to the substantive issues...

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    2. As a matter of clarification, and avoidance of speculation. It was planned that Patriarch Irinej of Serbia was supposed to be the main celebrant, as would be to be expected, had his Holiness been here in California. As Byztex has reported elsewhere he is ill. On Saturday August 31 (NS) Metropolitan Joseph of the AOCA was the main celebrant. In addition to a large number of Serbian bishops, also concelebrating were: Metropolitan Nicholae of the Romanian Patriarchal Metropolia in America; Met. Savvas of Pittsburgh of the GOA; Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa of the OCA Diocese of the West; Archbishop Peter of Chicago (ROCOR). Each hierarch was greeted by title and gave his blessing during “O Lord save the pious...”. Patriarch John of Antioch, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Pat Kyrill of Moscow, and Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington (OCA) were all commemorated at “Among the first...”. I was blessed to be concelebrating myself, and saw it and it can be seen in the video.

      I understood that Abp Elpidephoros of the GOA was to be the main celebrant on Sunday Sep. 1st. I do not know which other hierarchs also served on Sunday, but I understood Abp Benjamin was to celebrate at his own cathedral in Los Angeles that day.

      I am sorry to bother Jake with these. The rites of Diptychs and concelebration express our self understanding of the Church. The nature of the Church and her self understanding is very important and effects everyone in the Church. What I understand to be happening is that “smaller churches” like Serbia, Cyprus, Albania etc are holding up opportunities for showing the unity of the Church and and possibilities of resolution.

      We have to be clear on our understanding of the Church and of our selves as Christians in the Church, living members of the Body of Christ and Temple of the Holy Spirit, and closely united one to another in Christ regardless of membership of this or that patriarchate, autocephalous body or ethnic group.

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  7. Ah the pissing contest that is the hierarchy. What’s most important is who will sit at the right and left hand. Mark 10:37 to 50

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  8. Stars and garters, is that a ROCOR bishop ignoring the incredibly strict break in communion between Constantinople and Moscow?!? It's almost as though all of this is politics and will get smoothed over sooner or later just like the Balkan autocephalies of the 1800s...

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    1. Hopefully that will be the case. I'm sure at some point in the future there will be a generational shift in the hierarchy of the EP, and things will get worked out between the EP and MP. Hopefully with the Ukrainian schismatics being brought into the church in a proper manner.

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