800 Years of Autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church Commemoration

On Sunday, July 14, 2019 members of the Serbian National Defense Council of America, including president Nebojsa Zivkovic and General Secretary Petko Petrovich attended the 800 Year Commemoration of the Autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the St Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois. On what turned out to be a beautiful day and in conjunction with the annual meeting of all the American Diocese branches, the event drew in a large crowd and was well represented by priests, deacons and monastics from throughout the United States.

The day began with the Holy Liturgical services being held in front of the Monastery under a large tent to allow all of the faithful to gather and be part of the service which his Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western America Diocese officiated along with their Graces Bishop Longing of the New Gracanica-Midwest diocese, Bishop Irinej of Eastern America, Bishop Peter of Cleveland ROCOR and retired Bishop Sava of Slavonia. In addition, the service was made more grand with the presence of the recently retired Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America and his Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos. Upon the completion of the liturgy and veneration of the Holy Saint Mardary (Mardarije), all in attendance began to make their way down to the open air pavilion on the monastery grounds.

In walking to the commemoration ceremony, one couldn’t help but walk at a slow pace and admire the memorial monuments to the historic figures who grace the grounds of the monastery, including St. Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic, Jovan Ducic and even Mihailo Madzarevic, the most decorated soldier in the history of Serbia. If this wasn’t enough to move you spiritually and emotionally, as you crossed the creek to get to the pavilion, in the wind you can hear beautiful Serbian songs being sung by the children of the Radakovic family. As we took our seats and the program began, we were treated to songs by V.Rev.Stavrophor Vojislav Bilbija and a performance on the traditional Serbian instrument, the gusla, by the talented Bojana Pekovic. Additionally, American actor and Emmy Award winner Jonathan Jackson from the television show Nashville, performed an original song dedicated to the people of Kosovo.

Along with the wonderful musical performances, we were able to enjoy the theatrical talents of the local amateur acting group Oko Sokolova who performed scenes from their play Srpska Ramonda. Their performance captured the spirit of the suffering Serbian people and soldiers during World War I. Serbian actress Katarina Radojevic, famous for her portrayal of Zona in Zona Zamfirova ended the program by reciting A Prayer for the Salvation of the Serbian People by Saint Bishop Nikolaj.

It is not often we can celebrate a milestone such as 800 years of the Autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church, so it was very fitting for the commemoration to be organized at the most significant site outside of Serbia. The place where a Serbian King was buried, Bishops, poets, diplomats, war heroes and two Serbian Saints are buried. The commemoration asks us to look at the last 800 years of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but it also asks us to remember 800 years of the Serbian people and our history which we have written over those centuries. What the Serbian people have endured and sacrificed in our worst times and the glory of the best times. We must remember to be strong and united as the Serbian Church has been, and thus we can endure the troubled times we find ourselves in now with the struggles of our people in Kosovo. Serbia will be eternal so long as its children are faithful.