May 19, 2007

KiM Info Newsletter 19-05-07

Visoki Decani Monastery celebrates the annual Feasday - The Ascension of the Lord

Visoki Decani Monastery formally celebrated the annual Feastday - the Ascension of the Lord. The Holy Liturgy was in the presence of several hundreds of faithful from Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia and Montenegro was served by Bishop Joakim of Polog-Kumanovo (FYR Macedonia) with concelebration of Bishop Teodosije and the priest-monks of Raska and Prizren Diocese.

 
Bishops Joakim and Teodosije with the priestmonks
(click to enlarge)

KIM Info-service
Decani May 18, 2007

Visoki Decani Monastery formally celebrated the annual Feastday - the Ascension of the Lord. The Holy Liturgy was in the presence of several hundreds of faithful from Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia and Montenegro was served by Bishop Joakim of Polog-Kumanovo (Ochrid Archdiocese, FYR Macedonia) with concelebration of Bishop Teodosije and the priest-monks of Raska and Prizren Diocese.

The night before a vigil presided by Bishop Joakim was served in the candle lit monastery church. After the Holy Liturgy in the morning and the procession the festal cakes were blessed by the Bishops. Bishop Joakim expressed his great joy for being in Kosovo and Metohija for such an important feasday. In the continuation of his homily Bishop Joakim spoke about the spiritual meaning of the Lord's Ascension. After him, Bishop Teodosije, the abbot of Decani Monastery, addressed the congregation. He particularly thanked to Bishop Joakim for sharing the festal joy with the Decani brotherhood and the faithful people.

Bishop Teodosije particularly mentioned that the clergy and the people of the Ochrid Archdiocese in Macedonia (an autonomous Archdiocese within the Serbian Orthodox Church) are suffering at the moment as well as the Orthodox Christians in Kosovo and Metohija. He emphasised that the Orthodox Christians in Kosovo have a difficult role to bear witness of their faith and Orthodox Serb identity while in the neighboring Macedonia our brothers and sisters suffer for witnessing the Church unity with the Serbian Orthodox Church and the world-wide Orthodoxy. Bishop Teodosije especially praised the Lord because the primate of the Ochrid Archdiocese Archbishop Jovan has recently been released from the prison in Skopje where he suffered for Christ's sake being falsely accused by the local state authorities and the schismatic hierarchy.

After the service all visitors and the pilgrims were invited for a lunch at the Monastery refectory. In the evening a Paraklisis to Holy King Stefan was served with attendance of many pilgrims who stayed all afternoon in the Monastery.

 
OsvecBlessing of the festal cakes and the Kalyva
(klikom uvecaj fotografiju)

Bishops Joakim and Teodosije visited the Pec Patriarchate monastery in the afternoon to epxress their festal gretingst to Abbess Feuronia who is also celebrating 50 years of her monastic tonsure. After the visit to the Patriarchate the Bishops continued their trip to Belgrade where they attend the annual Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Ascension of the Lord was solemnly celebrated in all dioceses of the SOC. The central celebration occured in Belgrade because the Ascension day is the main feast day of the Serbian Capital. After the Holy Liturgy which was served by several bishops a procession with icons passed along Belgrade streets.

The procession around the Decani church - Bishops Joakim and Teodosije with the clergy
monks and pilgrims (click to enlarge)

The Ascension of the Lord

When the day of the Jewish Pentecost drew near, the disciples of Christ returned from Galilee to Jerusalem.

On the fortieth day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were all together in one house. Jesus Christ appeared to them and spoke with them saying, "Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He, who believes and is baptized, will be saved, but he, who does not believe, will be condemned. And these signs accompanies those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Then, the Saviour said to the disciples that soon the Holy Spirit would come upon them, and until that time He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem. He said, "I send the promise of My Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high; for John baptized with water; but before many days, you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Conversing with the disciples, the Saviour led them out of the city as far as Bethany to the Mount of Olives. The disciples, overjoyed with the words of the Saviour, surrounded Him and started to ask, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

The Saviour said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."

When He had said this, Jesus Christ lifted up His hands and blessed His disciples. While He blessed them, He parted from them, and He was lifted up to Heaven; and soon, a cloud took Him out of their sight.

Thus our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ascended in His physical body to Heaven and sat down at the right Hand of God the Father. His human soul and body took on the indivisible glory with His divinity. In His divinity, He always is and will be in Heaven and everywhere.

The disciples worshipped the ascended Lord and for a long time continued to stand and gaze into Heaven after Him. Then, two angels in white robes appeared before them and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into Heaven? This Jesus, Who was taken up from you into Heaven, will come to earth in the same way (that is, in the flesh) as you saw Him go into heaven."

After this the disciples of Jesus Christ returned to Jerusalem with great joy and stayed there together awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit. All of them, together in soul, spent the time in prayer and were continually in the Temple of God praising and thanking God. With them, there were several women and Mary, the Most-holy Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, with their relatives.

 
Decanski monastery church lit by candles for the vigil of the Ascension feastday
(click to enlarge)

 

ASCENSION OF THE LORD - THE FEASTDAY OF BELGRADE

 Th
The Ascension procession with Bishops, priests and the faithful along Belgrade streets
(klikom uvecaj fotografiju)

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Bishop Longin of New Gracanica (US) visited Kosovo and Metohija

Childredn of Orahovac and Velika Hoca received donations from diaspora

We have brought the donations primarily for the children because they are our future and they need the assistance the most. Our brothers in the U.S and Canada, though far away from their holy land of Kosovo and Metohija, keep it in their hearts, their minds and prayers and are always with you all, said Bishop Longin, the head of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate for the U.S and Canada during his visit to Orahovac and Velika Hoca.

 
Bishps Longin, Teodosije and a basketball player Dragan Tarlac
in front of the Serbian church in Serbian part of Orahovac, May 8 
(Click to enlarge)

KIM Info-service
Decani, May 9, 2007

His Grace Bishop Longin of America and Canada (The New Gracanica Metropolitanate SOC) and the famous basketball player Dragan Tarlac visited together with Bishop Teodosije and Decani Monks Orahovac and Velika Hoca and distributed the money gathered for Kosovo Serbs by Orthodox faithful from the U.S. and Canada.

The money which was distributed in Orahovac and Velika Hoca was gathered during the Great Lent at New Gracanica Monastery (Third Lake, Chicago) where is the official seat of Bishop Longin. Bishop of Nova Gracanica Longin said that the donations he brought are the expression of gratitude to all brothers and sisters in Kosovo and Metohija, for their courage and sacrifice in preserving their faith in these troublesome times. Bishop Longin has brought assistance from his faithful to Kosovo and Metohija several times before too.

 
Bishops Longin and Teodosije with Serb children in Velika Hoca
(click to enlarge)

We have brought the donations primarily for the children because they are our future and they need the assistance the most. Our brothers in the U.S and Canada, though far away from their holy land of Kosovo and Metohija, keep it in their hearts, their minds and prayers and are always with you all, said Bishop Longin.


 
"The Children are our future in Kosovo and Metohija"
Bishop Longin with Serbian children (click to enlarge)

The donations (50 US dollars for each of 216 children) was gathered at New Gracanica Monastery near Chicago from the Orthodox Christian believers in the U.S and Canada.

Before visiting Velika Hoca and Orahovac Bishop Longin served the Holy Liturgy at the Monastery of Decani and this morning he will serve the Liturgy at the Pec Patriarchate. Bishop Longin visited yesterday the monasteries of Zociste and St. John near Orahovac and gave donations to the monks to continue reconstruction of their holy sites. The remaining money brougth by Bishop Longin will be distributed by Decani Monks in other Metohija Serb enclaves.

In the name of the Diocesan bishop Artemije and the faithful people of Kosovo and Metohija Bishop Teodosije thanked to Bishop Longin for his love and encouragement in this difficult time.

 
Bishop Longin with Bishop Teodosije and several Decani monks in front of the Decani Monastery church
 (click to enlarge)