THE SV OICE .G OF
T
EORGE
AUTUMN 2014
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church
Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North & South America
American Thanksgiving & Serbian Slava—Yes, we are in the last couple of months of 2014 already. And just as Thanksgiving either closely precedes or comes quickly after many of the most familiar Serbian slavas, it has always struck me that the spiritual message of Thanksgiving resonates with the message of Slava: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (I Peter 1:3) That being said, we urge you to take a breath before jumping into the busy holiday season, with its often diluted spiritual dimension, and thank God for His many blessings, not the least of which is our freedom to worship without persecution and celebrate with abundance.—Marsha Jovanovic, editor
3025 Denver Street • San Diego, CA 92117 telephone: (619)276-5827 web: http://stgeorgeinsd.com
Church Officers & Staff PARISH PRIEST
V. Rev. Protopresbyter Bratislav Krsic email: frbratso@sbcglobal.net PARISH DEACON
Rev. Deacon Paul Germain (on bishop-approved sabbatical) CHURCH OFFICE VOLUNTEER
Dorothy Vukotich PRESIDENT
Nemanja Selezan VICE PRESIDENT
Vladan Trifunovic TREASURER
Linda Alemany SECRETARY
Ana Miletic-Sedy MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Toma Jovanovic, Vojkan Popovic, Jeffrey Wilgus, Dusan Selezan STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY
Toma Jovanovic AUDITING BOARD
Miro Copic, President; Sean Wright, Dusanka Urosevic TUTORS/VESTRYMEN
Mico Lukic, Jeffrey Wilgus, George Skaljac, Vojkan Popovich, Miro Copic, Milan Miljkovic S.S.S. ST. GEORGE CHOIR
Velimir Jovanovic, President CIRCLE OF SERBIAN SISTERS (KOLO Sestara)
Snezana Pantovich and Bojana Rajkovic Co-Presidents CHURCH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
Mira Jovanovic MORAVA FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE (SENIOR)
Dobrila Undheim, Director ADULT ORTHODOX FELLOWSHIP
Nemanja Selezan VOICE OF ST. GEORGE
Marsha Jovanovic, Editor (619)988-0650 • FAX (619)588-5767 email: marsha@marshaj.com Srdjan Dragic, Cover
Morava Folklore Ensemble “selfie” from its recent Canadian tour
In this issue... Encyclical of the Episcopal Council for the Ecclesiastical New Year The Kosovo Testament The 21st Church Assembly/Sabor SOTAYA for the 21st Century Krsna Slava The Spirit of Thankfulness CHURCH CALENDAR 2014 Am I My Brother’s Keeper? News from your Kolo Sestara St George Choir What Orthodox Christians believe about Almighty God Church Family News Stewardship List Treasurer’s Report MORAVA! A Vision of Wardenclyffe St. Catherine's Monastery on Sinai Kragujevac 1941: One Hundred for One
3 6 8 9 11 13 14 15 16 18 18 19 20 22 24 26 27 28
Encyclical of the Episcopal Council for the Ecclesiastical New Year To the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish and Church School Councils of the Serbian Orthodox Communities, the KSS Sisterhoods, the Children, Youth, and the entire Serbian Orthodox Family in North and South America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we commemorate the beginning of the Church New Year or beginning of the Indiction, we are given the opportunity for reflection on God’s gratuitous, nurturing love and the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in our everyday life and in the world around us. It is the opportunity to prayerfully discern God’s will in our life looking for divine encouragement, forgiveness, cooperation and willingness in carrying our cross as fellow travelers on the path to eternal life. As Orthodox Christians, we are members of the Church, the Body of Christ. The Orthodox Church is The Church. This implies that the Orthodox Church has kept the sacred heritage of the Early Church, the Apostles and the Fathers intact and pure. Her teachings are patristic and faithful to the Sacred Tradition maintained by the abiding presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Church Tradition means the life of the Church as it is inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has guided the Fathers of the Church throughout the centuries and continues guiding the Church. Prayers, especially prayers to the Holy Spirit are an indispensible part of Orthodox daily life. Each service of the Church begins with the invocation of the Holy Spirit: O Heavenly King, the comfortor, the spirit of Truth, Who art present everywhere and fillest all things; Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life; come and abide in us
and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Gracious One. The supplication for God’s blessings at the beginning of the Church Year is manifest in the hymns chanted at services for the day: Christ our Lord, You who provide the rains and fruitful seasons, and hear the prayers of those who humbly seek You, accept also our requests about our needs and concerns and deliver us from worry, danger and sin. Your mercies are as abundant as Your works. Bless all our activities, direct our steps by Your Holy Spirit, and forgive our shortcomings. Lord, bless the year with Your goodness and make it a year of grace for all of us. Amen. (Matins Hymn) Therefore, let us begin this Ecclesiastical New Year and every day of our lives with prayer to God for His guidance, strength, and wisdom, so that our words and actions, our very life, may reflect His Gospel and that our shortcomings be perfected unto our salvation and eternal life. In the lands of the Bible and the Mediterranean lands it was customary to compute the beginning of the civil year in the fall. This was so because the harvest season was over. The crops were stored for the winter. The people prepared themselves for a new agricultural year. In the same way, in our place and time today, we must prepare ourselves for a new Ecclesiastical Year; a year of new harvest for the Gospel of Christ; a year to bring new fruit of the Holy Spirit Who will strengthen us as we continue His work in this world. Through the treasure of our Unity with Christ and one another, we prayerfully join each other in a community of love, worship and fellowship calling to mind the promises of the Lord “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20) Aware that the Church is in route to Heaven in this fallen world where external historical circumstances can deter her ministries and witness, we nonetheless, assuredly know that Christ has overcome the world. Our hope is in Him, Who when two or three are gathered in my name, there I am, in the midst of them, hence our
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hope comes from the Eucharistic gathering where we are united with the Lord and nourished with food and drink unto life everlasting. This Eucharistic gathering is of utmost importance for our parishes and families. Our hope and expectations are renewed in the Lord each time we come together in faith as the Church on every feast day, and especially on Sundays, as each Sunday is dedicated to the joyous resurrection of Christ so that we never lose sight of the centrality of Christ's victory over death. May this New Year give us a renewed love to celebrate the Sundays and all of the feasts, avoiding the temptations of so many distractions around us which try to take this hope and joy from us. As we begin the New Liturgical Year, we also begin a new school year and are mindful of all of the Christian educational efforts in our parishes. We encourage our dedicated and pious clergy, parents and educators to continue teaching with their instructive words and by their good example. Let us remember these efforts are the means to an end as our main task is to lead our children, youth and each other to God’s Kingdom and salvation in Christ our Lord. Likewise we call to mind the stewardship way of life – a total commitment to Christ who sanctifies our life, turning challenges and mundane events into opportunities for the proclamation of His Gospel and love in this often lost and confused age. Our stewardship or deep and compassionate care for our families, parishes, and environment is our responsibility before God who gives them all to us as gifts. At baptism we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit so that through our participation in the Church, “we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13) The Lord has supplied us with the necessary gifts that we cannot ignore, but rather must multiply faithfully for the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our each word, action and thought must reflect the love of Christ for mankind and the nature around us. Continued on page 4
Continued from page 3 Finally, as the faithful people of our beloved Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, and in incessant prayer before the Lord for our lands, our families and communities, the many among us who struggle to work through so many temptations, and especially for our suffering brothers and sisters in Kosovo and Metohija, Krajina, Republika Srpska, Serbia, Holy Land, Syria, Russia, Ukraine, and other regions of the world, we rest our hope on the Lord for perseverance in overcoming the temporal trials and suffering, awaiting the reward in the life that is in Christ our Lord, our Resurrection, The Way, The Truth and The Life. With love in Christ, Rt. Rev. Bishop Longin, President of Episcopal Council, September 1/14, 2014 Libertyville, Illinois
ЕПИСКОПСКИ САВЕТ СРПСКЕ ПРАВОСЛАВНЕ ЦРКВЕ У СЕВЕРНОЈ И ЈУЖНОЈ АМЕРИЦИ 1/14. Септембар 2014.г. Либертивил, Илиној
сапутници стазе која води у живот вечни.
Драга браћо и сестре,
Као православни хришћани ми смо чланови Цркве – тела Христовог. Православна Црква је Истинска Црква. То значи да је Православна Црква сачувала духовно наслеђе ране Цркве, Светих апостола и Светих отаца неизмењено и у пуној чистоти. Њено учење је светоотачко и верно је Светој Традицији која се одржава сталним присуством и усмеравањем Духа Светог. Црквена Традиција, уствари, значи живот Цркве под инспирацијом и усперавањем Духа Светог.
Славећи почетак Нове Црквене Године, почетак начала индикта, даје нам се прилика да созерцавамо неизмерну Божију љубав као и присутност и животворно делање Духа Светога у нашем свакодневном животу и свету око нас. То је прилика да молитвено разабирамо Божију вољу у нашем животу тражећи божанскo охрабрење, опроштај, сарадњу и спремност да носимо крст наш као
Свети Дух је водио Оце Цркве кроз векове и Он и даље наставља да води Цркву. Молитве, а нарочито молитве Светом Духу, су неодвојиви део свакодневног православног живота. Свако црквено богослужење почиње са призивом Духа Светог: Царе Небески, Утешитељу, Душе истине, који си свуда и све испуњаваш, ризницо добара и даваоче живота, дођи и усели се у нас, и очисти нас од сваке
Свом свештенству, ђаконима, монасима и монахињама, председницима и члановима парохијских и црквено-школских одбора српских Праволавних заједница, Колима српских сестара, деци, омладини, и целој пуноћи Српске Православне Цркве у Северној и Јужној Америци
The 21st Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North & South America at St Stevens Cathedral in Alhambra, CA. In August, four days of meetings, SOTAYA gatherings, and wonderful services. Each diocese was represented by a youth at the Oratorical Festival. It was a beautiful event which will be held in five years again. VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 4
нечистоте, и спаси, Благи, душе наше. Усрдно мољење које упућујемо Господу за Његов благослов на почетку Цркве Године види се из богослужбених песама које се певају тога дана: "Господе Исусе Христе, Ти који дајеш кишу и благороднa времена, и услишаваш молитве оних који те смирено призивају, прими Господе наше молитве овога часа, отклони бриге наше и избави нас од маловерја, опасности и греха. Твоја милост је неизмерна као што су дела Твоја. Благослови рад наш и управи стопе наше Духом Твојим Светим; опрости нам грегове наше. Благослови Господе годину ову добротом Твојом и учини је годином благодати за све нас. Амин. (Стихира са јутрења). Почнимо, дакле, Црквену Нову Годину и сваки дан живота нашег са молитвом Господу да нас упути, оснажи, и умудри, е да би наше речи и дела, и цео наш живот, били огледало Његовог Јеванђеља и да би наше мане биле усавршене за наше спасење и живот вечни. У библијским и медитеранским земљама било је уобичајено да се почетак цивилне нове године израчунава у јесен. То је бивало из разлога што је сезона жетви бивала завршена. Плодови житница су бивали смештени у житнице за зиму. Људи су се спремали за нову сезону жетава. Исто тако, ми данас у нашим просторима и нашем времену морамо да припремимо сами себе за предстојећу Нову Цкрвену Годину, годину нових жетви на њиви Господњој и Јеванђеља Христовог, годину када приносимо нове плодове Духа Светог Који нас оснажује за наставак Господњег рада у овом свету. Кроз благо нашег јединства у Христу и самих међу собом, ми се молитвено придружујемо једни са другима у заједници љубави, богослужења и заједничарења подсећајући се на обећања Господња: “…и ево, ја сам с вама у све дане до свршетка света. Амин.” (Матеј 28:20).
Свесни да се Црква налази на путу у Царство Небеско у овом палом свету где спољашне историјске околности могу да спутавају њен пастирски рад и сведочење, ми, упркос томе, са поуздањем знамо да је Христос победио свет. Христос је наша нада, Он који када су двојица или тројица сабрана у име моје, онде сам и ја међу њима (ср. Матеј 18:20), тако дакле, наша нада долази из Евхаристијског сабрања где смо уједињени са Господом и где се хранимо са храном и пићем за живот вечни. Наше Евхаристијско сабрање је најважније за наше парохије и породице. Сваки пут када смо на таквом једном сабрању у вери празником, а нарочито недељом, будући да је свака недеља посвећена радосном васкрсењу Христовом, не губећи дакле из вида централну важност Христове победе над смрћу, ми обнављамо своју наду и очекивања у Господу. Нека би ова Нова Црквена Година дала свима нама обновљену љубав за слављење недеље-дана васкрсења Христовог као и свих празника црквених, избегавајући искушења многих свакодневних сметњи око нас које покушавају да нам одузму наду и радост у Господу. На почетку Нове Литургијске Године ми исто тако почињемо нову школску годину и свесни смо свих хришћанских едукативних напора у нашим парохијама. Подстичемо и охрабрујемо наше најпобожније свештенство, родитеље и учитеље да наставе учити са својим предавачким речима као и добрим примером. Не заборавимо да су наши напори само средства а никако крај, пошто наш главни задатак је да водимо нашу децу, омладину и једни друге у Царство Божије и спасење у Христу Господу нашем. Истовремено скрећемо пажњу на старатељство (stewardship) као потпупо предавање себе самих Христу, дакле, начин живота у Њему који нас освећује, претвара наше изазове и свакодневне догађаје у прилике за ширење Јеванђеља и љубави у овом често изгубљеном и
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збуњеном веку. Наше старатељство или наша дубока и свемилостива брига за наше породице, парохије и природу којом смо окружени је наша одговорност пред Богом Који нам све то даје као дар. На крштењу ми примамо печат дара Духа Светога тако да кроз наше учешће у Цркви, “док не достигнемо сви у јединство вере и познања Сина Божијега, у човека савршена, у меру раста пуноће Христове” (Ефесцима 4:13). Господ нам је дао потребне дарове које не можемо да игноришемо, него напротив, које морамо да верно умножавамо за наслеђе Царства Небеског. Свака наша реч, дело и мисао мора да одрази љубав Христову за род људски и природу око нас. И на крају, као верни народ наше Српске Православне Цркве у Северној и Јужној Америци, у сталној молитви пред Господом за нашу отаџбину и земље у којима живимо, наше породице и заједнице, од којих многи се боре да превазиђу искушења, а нарочито за нашу страдалну браћу на Косову и Метохији, Крајини, Републици Српској, Србији, Светој Земљи, Сирији, Русији, Украјини, и другим крајевима овог света, ми се уздамо у Господа да истрајемо у превазилажењу и победи над овим привременим искушењима и страдањима, очекујући награду у животу који је у Христу Господу, Који је наше Васкрсење, Пут, Истина и Живот. Са љубаљу у Господу,
The Kosovo Testament Does Not Exist Without the New Testament: Interview with Bishop Maxim The outlook of a bishop, priest, Christian must always be different from that of a politician, whether he be conservative or liberal.
“Vidovdan is a sign, symbol, reminder and warning to all lulled into sleep by the habits of a life of comfort and irresponsible thinking,” states Bishop Maxim, bishop of Western America. He speaks to “Politika” of the problems of identity, relative to Kosovo, the Vidovdan ethic and the relationship between Orthodoxy and the modern world. In America, in the past, the Serbian community would celebrate Vidovdan in the best manner in accordance with the local means and circumstances, in the mines, cities, and towns, fraternal organizations or parishes. In early times, people would bring their emblems, military hats, swords, and other symbols. They would gather at the church, the hall or someone's home and commemorate the feast there. Today Vidovdan is also celebrated formally, but with much less zeal. This, however, is a consequence of the state in Serbia; since the newer emigration has arrived with the manners and weaknesses they practiced in their old homeland. But in Serbia, I must admit, a monopolistic class has been at work during the last seventy years which selfreproduced and survived, denying our historical heritage. We see that it hasn't improved to this day. A partocracy is on the scene with politicians who use the language of ruffians. The ruling leadership acts grotesquely, whether they welcome foreign statesman or appear as supermen at floods. Despite the shining examples and feats of mostly lonely individuals, the Serbian political and cultural scene today suffers from the illness of autism. Its symptoms are: a journalistic subculture, retrograde mentality, and literalism in full form, a quasi-scientific fundamentalism, an intellectual provincialism, and barbarianism. That's the impression of the spectator and that is how our neighbors, well-disposed or not, see us, says Bishop Maxim.
How did it come to this of which you speak? This trend appeared as a result of the frustrations after the fall of the conceited greatness of Serbdom, and then, as a magnet, it attracted the primitiveness and crudeness of nationalism. This is a tendency which wishes to showcase the Serbian conceptual system as indigenous, even though it isn't, for Serbs have been nurtured by the Iliad and the Odyssey and the classics, as well as by Byzantine philosophy and the fathers of the Church. Today's government is not aware of this and for this reason they've abolished not only the Ministry of Religion and Diaspora but also the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija. If we do not respect our sacrifices, we ourselves will end up in oblivion and the anonymity of history. What is the basis for the Vidovdan testament or ethic? First of all, I consider it to be based on the Christian heritage of Kosovo and Metohija. It serves as a powerful symbol, and we should consider the role of symbols since mankind still functions based on them. If the Serbian (political, church, cultural) elite has nothing better to offer contemporary challenges, it would be better they quickly leave the scene of these quickly changing and cruel times, since none of their stereotypes and conformity will support any changes. The second feature of this testament is that it does not call upon a misanthropic or armed rebellion against anyone, but is directed towards an awakening, stimulating, and resurrecting among the people the true spirituality that originally adorned the Kosovo testament. As someone aptly said once: the Kosovo testament is the New Testament expressed in a Serbian style and through a Serbian experience. At the same time, it continues to be Christ's New Testament and not anything else. The Kosovo testament does not exist outside the New Testament. Therefore, it is the embodiment of the New Testament in the life and ethos of our people, its history, being, and earthly destiny. And if the essence of Kosovo is not in the New Testament,
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than it is false and as such we don't need it. I firmly believe that the Vidovdan heritage bares something very powerful, like atomic particles: it can become an explosive in a silence that can scatter every lie, falsification, plagiarism, illusion, not destroying anyone; without collateral damage. At the same time, this flash can give truth to life as a blessing of freedom and unity to everyone on planet earth, and even Kosovo which is the Serbian terra sacra. How much of a modification has this heritage undergone in its encounter with modern lifestyle, interests, and multiethnic modern identity? Since life is unpredictable, and man's identity multifold, and again with one common principle, it is inevitable that man adapts in an effort to preserve his core. This adaptation is not bad in and of itself, for a tradition that does not adapt becomes decadence. Introversion destroys creativity. We know well that Serbs are also a mixture, and America is particularly a special conglomerate of people on the new continent. On the other hand, Western civilization is approaching its end and the big question is: “to whom or to what does a Europe serve today?” The decadence of civilization is at work, but the problem is that there is no one to inherit this civilization. And while in Russia we have the oligarchs, the rest of us live in a post-
democratic society at a time when there are serious threats to human beings and health, when technology threatens the freedom of personality, when consumer voracity threatens the sustainability of our civilization and even the planet. American society, on the other hand, shows the required flexibility for diversity. Even though it doesn't openly deprive you of the features of identity, it still seeks a sacrificing of the crucial principles in a cruel, neo-Darwanistic battle of social capitalism. Is there an authentic answer to this of which you speak, do we have an answer? Serbian ecclesiastic culture—from the Middle Ages —is a structured conciliarity that nurtures freedom. But freedom is not chaos, it isn't entropy and anarchy, but discipline and responsibility; more precisely, it is the freedom of policies that see their meaning in a harmony with truth. The entire challenge is that Christianity, as a faith of the highest standards of civilization in urban populations, survives in the new century. Christianity cannot be preserved and advance by glorifying primitiveness. He who stands with stability in his faith has free hands and can offer them to others; he who does not stand is the one who grabs onto all kinds of inherently empty morphemes. Orthodoxy in America must be the carrier of the integral Tradition, and not particularism. I would also say this: just as Serbia lacks a prophetic confrontation with the disoriented government (which now is unreasonably tough and later unjustly capitulates), so too is a lacking confrontation felt in America of a pervasive discourse of secular ideologies. The nationalistic segment of Vidovdan has for centuries swayed between defeat and victory, what is the Christian answer to this problem? Inasmuch as we identify Vidovdan with Paul's “strength in weakness,” then it is possible to live our personal Vidovdan in a way that offers hope. Nicholas Cabasilas, the saint of Thessaloniki (also an
excellent diplomat of his time), said that “we win when others win,” which is an expression of a new manner of existence, a self-emptying approach of being that sees its identity in others so that it rejoices in the victories of others. Christ has taught us with His life, particularly with His Suffering and Resurrection, a kenotic way of existing. He showed us that we exist not to rule over others but that we can only become rulers when we serve others, if we live and feed ourselves by not consuming (killing) others. We do not want to win by making the other persevere, but we want to live with the joy that lifts everyone from hopelessness: “When I am weak, then am I strong. And when I am failing, then I can firmly stand on my feet.” Since you have an inside familiarity with the problem of Kosovo and Metohija, who can help the people remaining there? The Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija are the greatest sacrifice today of the wrong and heartless politics of their country and political elite. Thus, the outlook of a bishop, priest, Christian must always be different from that of a politician, whether he be radical or liberal. Therein is the great task of the church laborers in Kosovo and Metohija and Serbia. Unless the spiritual vision does not go beyond the phenomenological, then it is no different from the publicist; we do not bring hope to the future, we do not invoke the eschatological freedom that translates to the other side. Serbia’s Problem – A problem of criteria and quality Preserving our cultural heritage is just about the most important issue in Kosovo and Metohija, what can be done? This leads me to the following impression: there is in the Vidovdan Ethic something that goes beyond narrow opinions, views, and aspirations ... Andre Malraux said something like this: culture can never be the past if it is kept as something most precious. The same can be said of the spiritual, cultural, and VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 7
material treasures of Orthodoxy in Kosovo, because they go beyond national and political divisions and agendas. A lifestyle that emanates from the Vidovdan ethic calls on all of us— whether we are in the diaspora or in the homeland—to place all of our differences beneath the light of the New Testament ethos. This ethic is a paradox: an unforgettable memory, a new creation at rest, a joyful sorrow, moving while standing still, a humble elation ... Not complete answers, but perspectives. In other words, Vidovdan offers us the spiritual, cultural, and ecclesial conditions for exiting the crisis, because the problem is the Serbia of today—the problem of criteria and quality. Živojin Rakočević interviewing His Grace Bishop Maxim, for Politika, translated into English by Fr. Milovan Katanic Pomoć crkve deci Orahovca i Velike Hoče Devedeset mališana u Velikoj Hoči i sedamdeset u Orahovcu dočekali su, zajedno sa svojim parohijskim sveštenicima Milenkom Dragićevićem i Srdjanom Jerenićem, goste iz Amerike i zahvalili se na pomoći, a lokalni hor predovđen profesorom Gavrilom Kujundžićem izveo je stare prizreneske i metohijske pesme. Novac za decu prikupila je organizacija Kolo srpskih sestara iz San Franciska, a u pratnji vladike Maksima bio je i arhimandrit Sava, iguman Visokih Dečana. Pomoć u raspodeli sredstava pružila je i Humanitarna organizacija “Sveti Jovan Milostivi” iz Gračanice. Vernici zapadno-američke eparhije, mnoge organizacije i episkop Maksim godinama pomažu mnogočlane i siromašne porodice na celoj teritoriji Kosova. Radio Kim
The 21st Church Assembly/Sabor Servant Leadership, Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant (Matthew 20:27)
It has been over ten years since the Western Diocese hosted the Church Assembly (Sabor). In fact, that year, 2003, marked the first time the Assembly was held in the West. The Nov/Dec 2003 issue of The Path described that Sabor as being a “groundbreaking, new kind of meeting for our Church.” Among the changes witnessed certainly the most memorable was the establishment of the Standing Committees of the Central Church. Indeed, much has happened in the life of our Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America since that meeting over a decade ago. After Assemblies held in Detroit and later in Canton our Church once again looked to the West to hold this year's 21st Church Assembly (Sabor). The Church Assembly is the highest legislative and deliberative body of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America. It brings together all the hierarchs and clergy of the Church with the president and an elected delegate from each congregation, members of the Diocesan and Central Church Councils, representatives of monastic communities, and representatives of the Diocesan Circles of Serbian Sisters. The Assembly itself took place from Tuesday, August 5 to Thursday, August 7 at St. Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra, California, the see of the Western American Diocese. SOTAYA meeting at the Assembly.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014 marked the official start of the 21st Church Assembly (Sabor) with the Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am. Three hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America officiated: His Grace Bishop Kyr Longin of New Gracanica Midwestern America, His Grace Bishop Kyr Mitrophan of Eastern America and His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America. His Grace Bishop Kyr Georgije of Canada joined the Assembly shortly afterward. His Eminence Metro-
politan Kyr Amphilohije, Administrator of the newly established Diocese of Buenos Aires and South America, was not present however two priests represented the South American Diocese. Also attending the morning's Liturgy was His Eminence Archbishop Kyr Demetrios. The Invocation of Holy Spirit was then served by His Grace Bishop Longin.
Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant (Matthew. 20:27)
Father Bratso Krsic, Parish Priest VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 8
C E L E B R AT I O N * D E D I C AT I O N * P R O G R E S S * V I S I O N SOTAYA (Serbian Orthodox Teachers, Youth and Young Adult Association) for the 21st Century The purpose of this ministry is to unite the teachers, young adults, and youth of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Dioceses throughout North and South America. It is a special forum through which people will be brought closer together through a ministry of faith and fellowship. JUNIOR SOTAYA Membership in JUNIOR SOTAYA is open to all high school students in the parish. During regular meetings, in a friendly, fun atmosphere, JUNIOR SOTAYA members have the opportunity to discuss matters of faith, opportunities for educational and social events, and community service. The officers of JUNIOR SOTAYA are appointed by the local parish priest and will consist of a President, Vice-President and Secretary and Treasurer. The priest also selects a parent coordinator to assist the youth in planning and organizing their activities. Local Chapters of JUNIOR SOTAYA will be able to network with other chapters established in their respective diocese as well as throughout North and South America. The Standing Committee for Youth Ministry is ready to assist each local chapter of JUNIOR SOTAYA in reaching its goals and will conduct an annual youth conference that will include discussions and activities specifically for JUNIOR SOTAYA representatives. How the following steps can make SOTAYA ministry grow 1. Help your youth leaders learn friendliness skills. You cannot build significant relationships with more than a handful of young people. You must train both student and adult leaders to make and build relationships. We suggest that leaders of your group show up for weekly training one hour prior to the regular youth meeting. This way they will be able to greet your youth group members as
they arrive. Leaders strive to contact their small group members weekly by either email or phone. And they have regular get-together outside of church time. There’s an obvious difference between groups that do things together outside of church and those that don’t. 2. Make relationship time a priority. Every week repeat your emphasis on relationship-building to your leaders. And find creative ways to keep your group attentive to it. One youth leader announces each week at youth group, “Leadership team, remember Project Friend.” The rest of the group has no idea what this means. It’s a cue to leaders to connect with kids who are disconnected or feeling awkward. Often we have great intentions, but just need reminders. We encourage student leaders to assume that some kids are showing up at youth group as a last-ditch effort to find someone who cares before they end it all. 3. Create an environment conducive to relationships. From comfortable downtime to background music, food, couches, foosball, and discussion-based small groups, friendly youth groups are proactive about providing settings where relationships can flourish. 4. Come alongside newbies. Most youth groups have no trouble recognizing visitors because it’s hard to go unnoticed in a group of 10 or 20. But it’s one thing to recognize visitors, and it’s another to befriend them from the start. Do your kids know what to do to make newbies feel welcomed into the group and enjoyed for who they are? Instead of forcing kids who already feel awkward to take the initiative, how powerful would it be if your “regulars” found ways to get visitors connected with the group right away? 5. Identify core students who are gifted in relationship-building and train them to use their gifts. Spend time identifying friendly young people in your group so you can put those kids in key welcoming ministry positions. Identify, motivate, and train your friendly students to greet newcomers, draw in the strays, invite the marginal to events, and minister to those who are hurting. 6. Offer basic friendship training to all your young people. Many kids have no clue what to say after the initial hello. To teach them basic friendliness skills, you VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 9
can use a memorable acrostic such as SALT: • School – “Where do you go?” • Activities – “Involved in any clubs or teams?” • Leisure – “What do you enjoy doing?” • Take – “I’d like you to meet some friends.” 7. Gather your leaders to pray for the Holy Spirit “to come and dwell within us.” This prayer is very important for us Orthodox Christians; we begin every service with it and so you should begin every youth leadership meeting with it as well. O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things; Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life - come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One. 8. Attend and participate in your parish weekly services. Your parish priest will assist you in finding a right place for your youth group to participate; e.g., singing in choir, reading epistle lesson, assisting with collection of donations, selling candles, serving in the altar, handing out weekly bulletins, and welcoming people into the church, etc. Prepare yourself to partake of the Holy Sacraments of Confession and Communion.
Father Bratso Krsic
Saints Commemorated in Autumn November 26 — Saint John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople John was born in Antioch in the year 354. His father, Secundus, was an imperial commander and his mother's name was Anthusa. Studying Greek philosophy, John became disgusted with Hellenic paganism and adopted the Christian Faith as the one and all-embracing truth. Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, baptized John, and his parents also subsequently received baptism. Following his parents' repose, John was tonsured a monk and lived a strict life of asceticism. He then wrote a book, On the Priesthood, after which the Holy Apostles John and Peter appeared to him, and prophesied that he would have a life of great service, great grace and great suffering. When he was to be ordained a priest, an angel of God appeared simultaneously to John and to Patriarch Flavian (Meletius's successor). While the patriarch was ordaining John, a shining white dove was seen hovering over John's head. Glorified for his wisdom, asceticism and power of words, John was chosen as Patriarch of Constantinople at the behest of Emperor Arcadius. As patriarch, he governed the Church for six years with unequalled zeal and wisdom. He sent missionaries to the pagan Celts and Scythians and eradicated simony (act of reducing something sacred that belongs to God to a financial (or other remunerative) transaction) in the Church, deposing many bishops guilty of this vice. He extended the charitable works of the Church and wrote a special order of the Divine Liturgy. He shamed the heretics, denounced Empress Eudoxia, interpreted Holy Scripture with his golden mind and tongue, and bequeathed the Church many precious books of his hom-
ilies. The people glorified him, the envious loathed him, and the Empress, on two occasions, sent him into exile. John spent three years in exile, and reposed as an exile on the Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross, September 14, 407, in the town of Comana in Georgia. Before his repose, the Holy Apostles John and Peter appeared to him again, as did the Holy Martyr Basiliscus (May 22) in whose church he received Communion for the last time. His last words were, “Glory be to God for all things,” and with that, the soul of the goldenmouthed patriarch was taken into Paradise. Chrysostom's head reposes in the Church of the Dormition in Moscow, and his body reposes in the Vatican in Rome. December 9—The Venerable Alypius the Stylite Alypius was born in Hadrianopolis, a city in Paphlagonia. From childhood, he was dedicated to the service of God. He served as a deacon with Bishop Theodore in the church in that city. But, desirous of a life of solitude, prayer and meditation, Alypius withdrew to a Greek cemetery outside the city. This was a cemetery from which people fled in terror, because of frequent demonic visions seen there. Alypius set up a cross in the cemetery and built a church in honor of St. Euphemia, who had appeared to him in a dream. Beside the church, he built a tall pillar, climbed on top of it, and spent fifty-three years there in fasting and prayer. Neither the mockery of men nor the evil of the demons was able to drive him away or cause him to waver in his intention.
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 10
Alypius especially endured countless assaults from demons. Not only did the demons try to terrorize him with apparitions, but stoned him as well, and gave him no peace, day or night, for a long time. The courageous Alypius protected himself from the power of the demons by the sign of the Cross and the name of Jesus. Finally the demons were defeated and fled from him. Men began to revere him and come to him for prayer, consolation, instruction and healing. Two monasteries were built beside his pillar, one on one side for men and one on the other for women. His mother and sister lived in the women's monastery. St. Alypius guided the monks and nuns from his pillar, by example and words. He shone like the sun in the heavens for everyone, showing them the way to salvation. This God-pleaser had so much grace that he was often illuminated in heavenly light, and a pillar of this light extended to the heavens above him. St. Alypius was a wonderful and mighty miracle-worker in life, and also after his repose. He lived for one hundred years and entered into rest in the year 640, during the reign of Emperor Heraclius. His head is preserved in the Monastery of Koutloumousiou on the Holy Mountain. December 25—Saint Spyridon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Tremithus The island of Cyprus was both the birthplace and the place where this glorious saint served the Church. Spyridon was born of simple parents, farmers, and he remained simple and humble until his death. He married in his youth and had children, but when his wife died he devoted himself completely to the service of God. Because of his exceptional piety, he was chosen as bishop of the city of Tremithus.
Yet even as a bishop he did not change his simple way of living, handling his livestock and cultivating his land himself. He used very little of the fruits of his labor for himself; instead, he distributed a greater share to the needy. He manifested great miracles by God's power: he brought down rain in time of drought, stopped the flow of a river, raised several people from the dead, healed Emperor Constantius of a grave illness, saw and heard angels of God, foresaw future events, discerned the secrets of men's hearts, converted many to the true Faith, and did much else. He took part in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea [325], and he brought many heretics back to Orthodoxy by his simple and clear expositions of the Faith as well as by his mighty miracles. He was so simply dressed that once, when he wanted to enter the imperial court at the invitation of the emperor, a soldier, thinking that he was a beggar, struck him on the face. Meek and guileless, Spyridon turned the other cheek to him. He glorified God through many miracles, and was of benefit, not only to many individuals but also to the whole Church of God. He entered into rest in the Lord in the year 348. His miracleworking relics rest on the island of Corfu, and even today they glorify God with many miracles. From the Prologue of Ohrid
Krsna Slava The celebration of the home Patron Saint is the greatest characteristic of the national and religious life of the Serbian people. It is a beautiful and unique expression of the Orthodox faith that is deeply implanted in the Serbian Christian soul. Krsna Slava is an exclusively Serbian custom. It is the most solemn day of the year for all Serbs of the Orthodox faith and has played a role of vital importance in the history of the Serbian people. Krsna Slava is actually the celebration of the spiritual birthday of the Serbian people. Our forefathers accepted Christianity collectively by families and by tribes. In commemoration of their baptisms, each family or tribe began to celebrate in a special way to honor the saint on whose day they received the sacrament of Holy Baptism. The mother church blessed this practice and proclaimed Krsna Slava a Christian institution. According to the words of St. Paul (Phil. 1:2), every Christian family is a small church, and, just as churches are dedicated to one saint, who is celebrated as the protector of the church, so Serbian families place themselves under the protection of the saint on whose holiday they became Christians and to whom they refer to as their intercessor to God Almighty. To that protector of their
homes, they pay special homage from generation to generation, from father to son, each and every year. Slava is a day not only of feasting, but also a day of spiritual revival through which the Serbian national soul is formed and crystallized. To these celebrations, customs, and traditions, our nation owes its existence, and, therefore, deserves to be appreciated and perpetuated by all grateful Serbian sons and daughters all over the world. The living example of the Patron Saint gives to the celebrant assurance, persistence, and the feeling of protection, support, and the encouragement to do good. For that reason, we hear among our people the ancient saying: “Ko Slavu slavi, tome i pomaze.” In translation this means, “Whoever celebrates the Slava, him the Slava helps.” Rightly so, for according to the teaching of the Church, the Church is the communion of all the Saints, in which Christ abides. There is strong evidence that the intercession of the Saints is effective. Accordingly, St. Paul advises us saying: Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the Saints in light. (Col. 1:12) Because Krsna Slava is regarded as the anniversary of the baptism of the family into Christianity, it is an annual reaffirmation of the family to its baptismal vows and the renewal of its ties to the Orthodox faith and church. The commemoration of Krsna Slava was to our ancestors one of the most important expressions of their Orthodox faith. So they always celebrated their Krsna Slava, regardless of how dangerous the situation. In our long suffering history, the state and freedom ceased to exist, but in our homes, the candle of our Patron Saint never was extinguished. The Serbian Krsna Slava links, as a golden string, our past and our present, our ancestors and their descendants. Serbian people should never ignore their Krsna Slava because through it the Continued on page 12
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Continued from page 11 Orthodox faith was preserved and they were held together through the centuries. Krsna Slava should be kept not only as a sacred custom, but also to attest to the sacred truth that "Where the Serb is, Slava is also".
Ko Slavu slavi, tome i pomaze
The celebration of Krsna Slava requires the Icon of the family Patron Saint and several items that symbolize Christ and the believer's faith in his death and resurrection: a lighted candle, Slavsko zhito, Slava's bread (Slavski kolach), and red wine. The lighted candle reminds us that Christ is the Light of world. Without Him we would live in darkness. Christ’s light should fill our hearts and minds always, and we should not hide the Light of Christ in our lives. There is one symbol, the Slavsko zhito, that needs some special explanation. Some of the faithful have the misunderstanding that the Slavsko zhito is parastos for the Patron Saint of the Slava. The wheat for Slava and the wheat for parastos (Koljivo) are two different things. In both cases, the wheat symbolizes resurrection and eternal life (St. John 12:24). However, Slavsko zhito is prepared for the glory and honor of the Saint and for the repose of the souls of those departed members of the family who commemorated that Saint. We do not pray for the soul of the Patron Saint, but we pray that he or she intercede to the Lord our God for the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, you should never place a candle in the Slavsko zhito. There is no reason to refrain from celebrating Slava during a mourning period in the family because at Krsna Slava we experience the unity with our departed ones. The gaiety should be omitted, but the zhito, bread, and candle never. On that day they are signs of living union
between the living and the deceased of the family. To not celebrate Krsna Slava, for whatever reason—mourning, travel, poverty, instability, sickness, and so on—creates a spiritual vacuum, which deprives us of spiritual gladness and our departed ones of a connection with us through the prayers on that day. For the faithful, Krsna Slava creates confidence, strength, freshness, stability, spiritual and physical peace, and the ability and incentive to do good and to lend help to others. If we want to be the meritorious heirs of our ancestors, keeping our origin, history, and symbols of Krsna Slava, we can't permit the flame of our Krsna Slava candle ever to be extinguished. The importance of Krsna Slava is not to have a huge, elaborate, and expensive party. All you need is the Icon of your saint, a candle, wheat, bread (kolach), and wine, the service of the priest, and an awareness that Krsna Slava is a great treasure passed on to you by your ancestors. Do not fail to keep this ancient and honorable Serbian Orthodox tradition and to pass it on to your children. As St. Paul says in his epistle to the Thessalonians (2:15): Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught. Traditional foods that are prepared on feasts are: Slavski kolač. (славски колач) and koljivo (кољиво). Slavski kolač literally means the Slava cake, although it is actually more similar to bread. The top of the kolač is adorned with the sign of the Cross, the Dove of Peace, and other symbols that relate to the family. Koljivo (also called Žito) is made of boiled wheat. It can be prepared in a variety of ways but most usually includes walnuts, nutmeg and/or cloves, and honey. The wheat is a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ and deceased family members. Depending on whether the celebration falls in a period of fasting, the rest of the feast consists of animalfree (posni) meals or not (mrsni); thus,
colloquially, Slavas can be referred to as mrsne or posne. On the day of the Slava, the family attends church services and partakes in Holy Communion. Following the service, the parish priest is received in the family's home. He performs a small service which entails venerating the Saint's memory, blessing the slavski kolač and koljivo, as well as lighting the slava candle. Though not necessary, it is common for the priest to bless the house and perform a small memorial service for dead relatives. The most common feast days are St. Nicholas (falling on December 19), St. George (May 6, Đurđevdan), St. John the Baptist (January 20), Saint Demetrius (November 8) and St. Michael (November 21). Many Serbian communities (villages, cities, organizations, political parties, institutions, companies, professions) also celebrate their patron saint. For example, the city of Belgrade celebrates the Ascension as its Slava. Sveti Nikola (St. Nicholas) is the patron saint for so many families that there is a Serbian saying for St. Nicholas Day, 19 December, “Half of Serbia is celebrating their Slava today, and the other half is going to a Slava.” It is a very important day for Serbian Orthodox. Observance of the Slava is performed also by cultural and social organizations, cities and even military units. In addition to relatives, kumovi and friends are assembled that day, the home is open to ALL who come. Emotions of the celebrants are charged with the noblest motives. They have a readiness and desire to welcome and offer the best in friendship, food, drink , and all is ready and prepared in prayer. The host does not sit that day. His duty is to welcome and serve, Da sluzi Krsno Ime. There are many beautiful zdravica's" (toasts) pronounced and heard on that day by the host and the guests invoking blessings of God and the Orthodox Saints and exchanging the best wishes for each other. This is a day for great spiritual rejoicing. http://www.crkvenikalendar.com/
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The Spirit of Thankfulness It is natural for us to ask help from God in times of trouble or sorrow. It is also natural to plead on behalf of our loved ones. These two forms of prayer - petition and intercession - are vital. But the prayer of thanksgiving, mentioned so often in Scripture and made so eloquently in many Psalms, must also be an essential part of our lives as Christians. Are we truly thankful to God for His innumerable blessings and mercies toward us? Do we really feel we even have anything to be thankful for? Perhaps, amid our daily duties and struggles, an occasion for gratitude seems hard to find. We may have pressing financial needs, urgent family problems, deep personal sorrows or concerns. We may be only too well aware of the evils of our time, or the sins of our heart. We may simply feel empty, weary, isolated. The evening news, or the events in our neighborhood, may make us feel that talk of thanking God is at best simple-minded and at worst hypocritical. In reality, the practice of prayerful thanksgiving is essential to acquiring inner peace. Far from being simpleminded, it requires - and develops - a living faith and humility in the soul. One of the reasons God often seems far from us is simply because we do not - even will not - see Him where He is, in the daily circumstances of life He sends us. Giving thanks to God for everything in our "ordinary" lives can help us to see at last that nothing in our lives is really ordinary. Life is never "ordinary". It is rather a passage from time into eternity. The circumstances that rise before us, the problems we encounter, the relationships we form, the choices we make, all ultimately concern our eternal union with or separation from God. If we as Christians truly believe that our lives are lived under the sign of the Cross and in the light of eternity, then we must believe that God is with us in all the changing fortunes of our days. And we must also believe that despite natural disasters and human ills, evil is not finally triumphant and death is not victorious. In our lives there are no chance
events, no irrational twists of empty fate, but rather the ever-present workings of a provident God, Who uses all means to lead us into the harbor of Christ. When we begin to feel, however faintly, the truth of this, we shall find much to be grateful for. The spirit of thankfulness is a necessary part of the spiritual discipline of living in the present moment with God - and not in the past or the future. We cannot know what will happen tomorrow, or even tonight; we cannot change what is already past. But we can be grateful today for the blessings of today - the blessing of life itself, the blessing of communion with God through prayer and the Holy Eucharist, the blessing of repentance, the healing of forgiveness. Even the small, seemingly trivial, moments in our day - the sight of a bird in the sky, the greening of a tree, the laugh of a child, the voice of a friend - speak to us of God if only we wish to hear, for everything of beauty, of light, of love, comes to us from Him. In such small moments, as much as in the dramatic crises of our lives, the headlong rush of time opens upon eternity. If we learn to live quietly, attentively, faithfully, in the "now" which alone truly exists for us, we shall be prepared by degrees for the "everlasting now" which awaits us after death. If we do not find and follow Christ in the present moment, we shall not recognize Him at the end of time. Let us ask of God a grateful heart, and let us resolve to give thanks each day for the day itself and the presence of Christ in it, sustaining our life by His hand and giving courage to our struggles, zeal to our repentance, contrition to our prayer, and stability to our labors. If only we will make an effort, we will find that giving thanks to God - even in adversity - opens our hearts to see blessings we had not thought to find. Reprinted with permission from Life Transfigured: A Journal of Orthodox Nuns, Vol. 24, No. 2, Summer 1991, pp.89, produced by The Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, Pa.
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It's Not Turkey It's togetherness, not turkey, that makes Thanksgiving a special holiday. Try these together-time traditions. Thanks for the Memories - Think of people you're thankful for‌ the older neighbor who has tools to lend or the librarian who can find just the right book. Make thank-you cards for those people who have touched your lives. Double the Pleasure - Have your children help make pumpkin pies. Double the recipe and donate one of the pies to your local soup kitchen, or share it with a shut-in in your parish/neighborhood. Let the Games Begin - What can you do while the turkey's roasting? Get out the games. Each Thanksgiving, begin a tradition of buying a new game that appeals to all ages. Healthy Habits - Make an after-dinner walk part of your family's tradition. Warn guests to bring walking shoes and winter coats. Give Thanks - Attend your parish's or community Thanksgiving service before you carve the bird! Adapted from Jr. High Ministry Magazine, October/November 1993.
CHURCH CALENDAR 2014 NOVEMBER 15
Cevap Challenge
23
Stewardship Sunday
27
Thanksgiving Day
28
Nativity Fast Begins through Jan 6, 2015
DECEMBER 19
St Nicholas - Serbian Children’s Day
21
Serbian Children’s Day
28
Serbian Mothers’ Day
31
New Year’s Eve (Gregorian Calendar)
For more information call Fr. Bratso Krsic at 619-276-5827 or visit www.StGeorgeInSD.org
Memory Eternal St George Stewardship member Sam (“Savo”) Purlia, of Alpine passed away peacefully at home on September 15, 2014, surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was 90 years old. Sam was born on January 25, 1924 in the tiny copper mining town of Claypool, Arizona, the youngest of Ljubo and Georgina Purlia's five children. His parents, both immigrants from Dupilo, Montenegro, were intensely proud of their Serbian heritage, which they passed along to Sam, who in turn instilled it in his own children. At the age of 19, Sam enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He always remembered his World War II service as a P-38 pilot (eventually achieving the rank of captain) flying photo reconnaissance missions in Europe as a highlight of his life. He was grateful for the opportunities that his military service opened up for him. Upon his return home, Sam finally attracted the notice of the girl of his dreams, Gloria Fernandez. Although they grew up in the same small town and knew each other as children, she had a different set of friends, belonged to a different church and even spoke a different language at home. During the war, Gloria graduated from the University of Arizona and started teaching art at the local
elementary school. When her friend and fellow teacher Olga Purlia reintroduced her to her younger brother Sam, Gloria saw that the "scrawny little kid" she remembered was now a handsome and decorated officer. Sam and Gloria were married in 1949, and they began their life together in Tucson, where Sam attended pharmacy school on the GI Bill while Gloria continued her teaching career. After Sam earned his degree, the young couple moved to San Diego, where Sam honed his craft and started his own business in 1957 ‒ Purlia's Owl Rexall in Serra Mesa, which he owned for more than 30 years. The store was a family endeavor. Gloria did the much of the buying and merchandising, while the four Purlia children pitched in after school and on weekends and learned the benefits of hard work, fair business practices, and strong community involvement. In his limited spare time, Sam managed to squeeze in some serious hobbies ‒ tending to his fruit orchard, golf, travel, and especially distance running (long before it became popular). He even ran the New York City Marathon at the age of 59. Sam was also a founding member of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church. Following his "retirement" in 1988, Sam continued to work as a part-time pharmacist, finally hanging up his white jacket for good at the age of 85 to spend more time with his family and enjoy his favorite activities. Sam would be the first person to say he was a very lucky man. He and Gloria VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 14
were married for 65 wonderful years. Together they raised four children who adored them and never gave Sam a single worry, or as he said, "No sramota" (shame). Their children's spouses agree that they lucked out by marrying into the Purlia clan. And Sam was the very best "Jedo" ever to his two beloved grandchildren. Sam is survived by his wife Gloria, and their four children and families: Gina Purlia Johnson (husband Kent and daughter Casey), Marianne Demers (husband Joe and son John), John, and Danilo (wife Catherine Kuss). In addition, Sam is survived by his older brother George. Blessed are those who died in the Lord; let them rest from their labors for their good deeds go with them. Eternal rest grant Savo, O Lord. May he rest in peace. Amen. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
San Diego Union-Tribune [The 2009 winter issue of The Voice published an article about how Sam and an older brother Vaso who studied medicine in Belgrade and who had escaped to Italy during the war, met in England accidentally. They had been separated for 11 years. You can find the article at this link: https://www.scribd.com/doc/ 25342281/Voice-Winter-2009]
Am I My Brother’s Keeper? The sad lesson of the last days of Peter Dopudja Peter Dopudja’s funeral was July 21, 2012. At most funerals, loved ones gather around to share memories and accolades of the departed. In most cases, the story ends there with the exception of a Parastos and later private conversations of happier days. Sadly, Pete’s funeral was strangely sparse, and his story definitely did not end there. Peter was a quiet, unassuming gentleman, an elderly bachelor who lived with his mother until her death a few years ago. At church, Pete helped when asked, but mostly he kept to himself except for a few friends and the church’s spiritual leaders. Then things went dark. He stopped coming to church, and the few close to him started to wonder why. In what is becoming an all too common occurrence among seniors, Pete had been “befriended” by an outsider, in his case, a middle-aged woman. She quickly moved in with him, into his home, then she began blocking everyone from seeing him. The web that was woven over the course of two plus years reads like a horror novel, culminating in Pete being physically abused and denied medical attention, then taken from his home, driven across state lines, and coerced into a marriage. All this was an attempt by his “wife” to avoid public officials who had been sent to investigate reports of elder abuse and also to get her hands on Pete’s money. A short time later, he died a lonely death in Oregon, far from his home, church, and friends, and far from anyone who might have heard his cries for help. Through all this, Peter Dopudja did leave a legacy, not just in an amazingly generous monetary gift intended for St. George Church, but also a lesson for us, one and all—we must be vigilant in caring for those that may not be able to care for themselves. And we should never forget to plan our estates carefully when we are our healthiest, not when we are vulnerable and an easy target for predators. A trusted financial advisor will NEVER allow you to make decisions in haste.
Peter left an estate of two homes in addition to his retirement funds, with the intent that most of it would go to St George Church. Unfortunately, for the past two years, the church board has been involved in a legal battle to not only get the estate sorted out, but also to seek justice for Peter, a man who suffered mentally and physically under another person’s control like no one ever should. To do this, the church board hired the law firm of McKenna, Long, and Aldridge, a respected firm with a history of fighting for the rights of the elderly, who took the case on a contingency basis. But no matter how great a law firm, they did not know Pete, they do not know the people of St. George. We were just another case they needed to fight. In our hour of need we were blessed with the amazing help of St George Stewardship member Pamela Naughton, who is a well-known San Diego attorney. Pam unselfishly gave not only of her time, but also of her firm’s time at no charge. She even enlisted the help of her mother Stewardship Member and former St George Church Financial Secretary and Treasurer, Millie Mrja. Millie spent more than three months carefully sifting through hundreds of bank and other financial statements to establish a paper trail of where Peter’s money went. This work resulted in uncovering a staggering overcharge by an attorney hired by the trust’s executor. The court removed this attorney, citing the law firm for flagrant billing violations. We are now looking at legal ways to recover that money. Many thanks go to Millie, who even though she herself is on a fixed income and has had several major health struggles recently, plowed through more than eight boxes full of financial statements to help us. And if not for Pam, and her firm, this case would most likely still be in court, at an increasing cost to the estate. I don’t know how to thank Pam enough. Her legal knowledge is profound and her style brilliant. I cannot express how impressed I was with the passion she had in getting justice for Peter. T hank you, Pam. VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 15
We cannot forget and should all be proud of our spiritual leaders, in particular Proto Bozidar Draskovic and Proto Bratso Krsic for repeatedly trying to help Peter and to comfort him, even when being harshly ordered to get out by the woman. Last, but most certainly not least, we are thankful to Lydia and Howard Rhoads, for their never-ending help, before, during, and after Peter’s death. They were instrumental in the investigation leading to the gathering of information vital to our case. If not for them reaching out to law enforcement near and far to look out for Pete, it is unlikely we would ever have known of his passing away in an Oregon Hospital and seen the subsequent arrest of his wife on kidnapping and elder abuse charges. A special thank you also goes to Heather Walker and Julie Lazar, the teller and manager at Citi Bank in Claremont, who while working there, noticed a pattern of abuse and took the time to contact the authorities. They looked beyond their job titles and tried to help a fellow human being, something that seems to happen less frequently in today’s world. In the end, after all of the legal proceedings and costs, the church will be lucky to receive any cash at all, and the condition of the properties is unknown, but we are expecting major repair bills after the properties change hands. This is not what Peter would have wanted, but sadly this is a common result when an estate plan is not put together properly. Peter’s story is one we should never forget as we watch our parents, our grandparents, and even ourselves age. We have resources all around St. George to help anyone navigate an estate plan, and sadly, we now have experience on how not to do it as well, which can sometimes be the best teacher. And we should always be ready to help our friends and neighbors when they are in need. Vladan Trifunovic, former Church Board President, currently Church Board Vice President
News from your Kolo Sestara Greetings to all from the Kolo President and all of the sisters. We hope you had a wonderful summer and returned home safely. Kolo had a full and busy spring and summer. Our Sunday Luncheons are going smoothly, and we are doing well with the set up. I would like to thank all the church families who participated and donated with love their hard work and time for this project. This helps us to reach the goal for our budget and allows us to accomplish the projects that we have taken upon to complete. If you have not participated up to now, please do so, and do your part. I am appealing to you to Volunteer, pick a Sunday and help us by cooking. Share your God given talents. These are some of our accomplishments up to now; 1. Sisters have donated $5,000.00 to the Church for the St. George entrance doors to be replaced. 2. We have beautified our hall with new banquet chairs, enough for 400 to be seated. 3. Our kitchen is completed with beautiful cabinets, material purchased by kolo and
labor donated by Mr. Stevo Basic. Thank you, Stevo, for the beautiful job. Notice the lovely counter tops—Caesar stone purchased by us and installed by Neso Rajkovic. He also donated his labor for the project. These two gentlemen are God’s blessing to us. Thank you both!
Sunday, September 21, we celebrated the “Nativity of Theotokos,” the Kolo Sisters Slava. Kuma was Nada Milicevic and her lovely family. Thank you, Nada for honoring us. Chair ladies were Ljubinka Plavsic and Dusanka Amanovic with assistance from the following ladies: • Dobrinka Jojic, • Maca Asimovic,
Morava youth served the food, thank you, Morava. Thanks to one and all. Music and entertainment was provided by Maja Markovic and Rajko Sakic, a new parishioner. Welcome Rajko to St. George! If you missed this beautiful event, it is too bad. We did have wonderful attendance. Thank you for coming out to celebrate with us. Last is a big thank you for your assistance in support of our annual Serbian Festival, October 25. We needed volunteers for preparation, set up, and the day of festival, as well as your fantastic home-baked pastries again. Once again you came through with flying colors.
• Juliajana Stojadinovic, • Bojana Rajkovic, • Tina Zivkovic and • Simona Trifunovic.
Milos Plavsic did all the heavy work in the kitchen and hall set up and clean up. We should have more young men like Milos. Pastries were provided by our own ladies of the parish and what a spread, it was!
Remember: this is your Church, your second home and your Orthodox family. Get involved, we need your HELP! Especially with the holidays and other events coming up. Many thanks in advance to all and may the good and loving God bless you and yours. With love, Snezana Pantovic, Kolo president
The hall was beautifully set up and decorated by Milica Plavsic. You felt like you were in a five star hotel, with lovely soundings, service, and food. Our
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Nativity of Theotokos, Slava of the Kolo Sisters with Kuma Nada Milicevic and her family
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St George Choir The St. George Choir travelled to Phoenix at the invitation from the Stevan Hristic Choir to be the honored guest choir at their annual choral concert on September 26 to 28. The event started with a welcome dinner and dance. During the concert, our choir sang ten numbers including both the sacred and secular compositions. We were warmly greeted. Following the concert, there was a dance with XBand playing. We also sang the responses during the liturgy. After the liturgy there was a banquet with XBand playing again. The Stevan Histich Choir treated us royally. It was a fun and memorable event. Our choir sang at the funeral of Savo (Sam) Purlia. Velimir Jovanovic, Choir President
From the Holy Fathers: Young people must be made to distinguish between helpful and injurious knowledge, keeping clearly in mind the Christian’s purpose in life. So, like the athlete or the musician, they must bend every energy to one task, the winning of the heavenly crown.—St. Basil the Great
What Orthodox Christians believe about Almighty God Orthodox Christianity is grounded in the belief that God is the Eternal Being who exists beyond our space and time. God is
Choir Singing during Worship Words not chanted in Orthodox worship are sung by the choir. The Church uses eight tones or modes, which are broad categories of melodies. Within each of these tones are many small more precise melodies. All of these tones and their melodies rotate weekly so that during each
the Lord of All and He has revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection. Even though we can understand God’s energies (or how He acts in the world) His essence, or inner nature, is a Divine Mystery, due to our limited intellect and language. While we know God in His energies; i.e,. in what He does for His people, we can never know in this life, his essence or exactly who, or what, He is. Orthodox Christians believe: All that exists depends upon Almighty God. We, as mortal human beings, rely on Him for every good thing which comes our way. Through His sustaining energy God makes Himself known throughout creation and therefore is the very source and substance of life itself. Our language is not equipped to describe all that God is. He has told
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week a particular tone is used for singing music. Singing in an Orthodox service is as varied and multi-faceted in its forms as chanting and vestments, it changes with the Church seasons of commemoration. The power of music is used to its full effect to bring about spiritual renewal in the listeners during an Orthodox service.
us in Holy Scripture, “Neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55;8), and when we speak of His love we are confined by the limitations of human thought and speech. To summarize what we believe about God: 1. He is the source of all life. 2. He shows His love for us in creation. 3. He wants to offer His life to us and calls us into union with Him by imparting all that He has to share. 4. God is existence itself and each moment of our lives depends on God offering to share Himself with those beings He created. 5. God revealed Himself completely through Jesus Christ, His Only-begotten Son. Jesus Christ imparts to us the fullness and perfection, of God’s own life. 6. Christ, as God, lived in this world and gave us the Commandments of Salvation. Christ brought us the will of the Father and told us what His Father desires each of us to become. God lives with us today in the Holy Spirit.
Church Family News New baby. The family of Ana MileticSedy, St George Church Board Secretary, is happy to announce the arrival of Nikola Aleksandar Sedy on October 7. He was born at 9:30pm, only 20 minutes after Ana arrived at the hospital. He weighed 8lbs 3oz and was 20.9in long. Ana reports: “We were happy to go home on my birthday, October 9.” Big sister Karolina and big brother Milan are very happy to have Nikola as their little baby. Congratulations to the Sedy family!
About the Interior of the Church The visitor to an Orthodox Church is usually impressed by the unique features and the external differences between this place of worship and those of the various traditions of Western Christianity. The rich color, distinctive iconography and beauty of the interior of an Orthodox Church generally are in sharp contrast to the simplicity that one finds in many Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. When one enters the interior of the Orthodox church it is like stepping into a whole new world of color and light. The art and design of the church not only create a distinctive atmosphere of worship, but they also reflect and embody many of the fundamental insights of Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church believes that God is the Creator of heaven and earth. The Creator is present through His creative energies of His handiwork. This means that the material world, being valuable and good, is an important means through which God expresses Himself. The Orthodox Church affirms this conviction through her extensive use of material creation not only for the embellishment of her places of worship, but also in her sacramental mysteries and services. For example, when the bread and wine “the first fruits of creation” are offered in the Eucharist, they are also a symbolic offering of all creation to God its Creator. Since there is no hesitation in using the gifts of creation, the interior of an Orthodox church is frequently very beautiful. Designed to create an atmosphere which is special, the building is filled with a feeling of joy and an appreciation of God's bounty. Orthodoxy recognizes that beauty is an important dimension of human life. Through iconography and church appointments, the beauty of creation becomes a very important means of praising God. The divine gifts of the material world are shaped and fashioned by human hands into an expression of beauty which glorifies the Creator. As the pious woman poured her most precious oil on the feet of Our Lord, Orthodoxy seeks always to offer to God what is best and most beautiful. Excerpt from the works of Fr. Thomas Fitzgerald
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• Jovanovic, Marko, Dijana & Family
• Nedel, Naden
Stewardship List—Adults, as of June 6, 2014
• Jovanovic, Misha and Marsha
• Nedic, Sava and Spomenka
• Jovanovic, Ratko and Koka
• Nikolic, Dragan and Gordana & family
• Alemany, Linda and Family
• Jovanovic, Slavko, Tanja & Family
• Orlich, Petar
• Allen, Mike & Markay
• Jovanovic, Slavica
• Pantich, Tom and Helen
• Amanovic, Diana
• Jovanovic, Toma, Vesna & Family
• +Pantovich, Nada
• Aud, Matthew, Laurie and Family
• Jovanovic, Velimir and Mira
• Pantovic, Snezana and Dole
• Basic, Stevo and Stana
• Jovanovic, Verica
• Pantovic, Rajko & Linda & family
• Begovich, Michael , Samantha & Family
• Kasic, Rade and Radmila
• Papac, Wayne and Sandie
• Belcevich, Milos
• Kezic, Vladimir, Ivana & Family
• Perisic, Milan
• Borojevich, Mildred and Wally
• Kinach, Alex and Seka
• Petakovich, Deyan and Natasa
• Bradic, Aleksandar and Jelena & Family
• Klacar, Neven
• Brucker, Mitch and Lidija & Family
• Kostic, Tordis
• Petakovich, Proto Velimir and Protinica Ljubinka
• Caric, Brigitte and Family
• Kovacevic, Biljana
• Connor, Evelyn
• Krsic, Proto Bratso and Protinica Lisa
• Copic, Miro, Laura and Family
• Kukich, Branislav
• Cronemeyer, Jamie and Zorica
• Kunac, Maria and Dusan
• Denton, Natalie
• Lazovic, Alexander and Carole
• Dimich, Marlene
• Lukic, James-Ljuban and Petka
• Ducich, Nick, Tia & Family
• Lukic, Milos
• Drakulich, Persida
• Masic, Milenko
• Draskovic, Proto Bozidar and Protinica Bozana
• Markley, Scott and Nada
• Elez, Sladjana • Freeman, Lillian • Fulton, Jeff and Radmila • Galashty, Natalia • Gavrilov, Gleb • Germain, Deacon Paul, Natalija and Family • Glusac, Milena • Gregovich, Ljubica • Grijakovic, Vladimir • Hjembo, Karl, Alyssa and family • Ilic, Boris • Ilic, Petar and Rosa • Irick, Olga • Ivanovic, Mirko and Sylvia • Janich, Thomas and Marcia • Jaich, Dennis, Rhonda and Family • Jojic, Dobrinka • Jojic, Julijana and Vesko • Jorling, Joe and Nina
• Marin, Mike, Tina and Family • McCarthy, Svetlana • McKienzie, Sally-Ann • Medigovich, Samuel • Melnick, Stanley and Pauline • Mihailovic, Goran • Mikler, Zora • Miladinovic, Radmila • Milanovich, Jennifer • Milasinovich, Zeljko, Marija and family • Milicevic, James, Melanie and family • Milicevic, Nikola and Nada • Miljkovic, Milan and Diane • Miljkovic, Vecki and Miodrag and family • Milovancev, Miroslav, Mira and family • Mitrovich, Desanka • Mitrovich, Jelena • Mitrovich, Predrag and Family • Mitrovich, Risto and Linda • Mrja, Millie • Naughton, Pamela & Family
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• Petric, Alex, Shari and Aci • Petric, Milovan and Jelena • Petrovic, Djordje and Marija • Plavsic, Milan, Ljubica & Family • Plavsic, Mara-Seja • Plavsic, D. Dee • Popa, Cornelia • Popovic, Darko and Family • Popovich, Dolly • Popovich, Vojkan and Nada • Potkonjak, Michael, Sheila and Joseph • Pugh, Zachary and Milica • Purlia, +Sam and Gloria • Raicevic, Vladimir, Silvana and Family • Rakich, Danielle • Rakic, Marko, Vera and Family • Radojevic, Slobodan and Dr. Vesna • Radojevic, Protinica Nadezda • Radomirovic, Vladimir • Radovanovic, Darko • Radovanovic, Dragoslav and Ljiljana • Raicevic, Vladimir and Silvana and Family • Rhoads, Howard and Lydia • Rutherford, Kathleen • Ruzic, Stevan and Marija • Saathoff, Stephanie • Sacchetti, Cynthia • Savchuk, Nikolaj and Olga and Family • Sedy-Miletic, John and Ana and Family
• Selezan, Dusan • Selezan, Nemanja • Serdar, Sophie • Serebryakova, Elena • Skaljac, George and Bernadette • Smith, Justin, Zorana and Family • Smolan, Tom • Srbich, Eva and Jeanette • Starr, Tatyana • Stojadinovic, Djordje and Julijana • Stojanovic, Robert and Sandra • Stoyanoff, Jordan and Beatriz • Suliman, George and Dorina • Thickstun, Kathryn • Topalovic, Vojkan, Maja and Family • Trifunovic, Alexandra
• Trifunovic, Dr. Robert, Simona and Family • Trifunovic, Vladan and Milica and Family • Tully, George • Undheim, Robert and Dobrila
• Vuksanovic, Dusan • Yancey, Peter • Zivkovic, Miodrag and Sarah • Zivkovic, Tina and Jovan
• Urosevic, Branislav and Elaine
Stewardship List—Children
• Valliu, Becky
• Krsic, Anastasija
• Vasiliu, Laurentiu, Daniela & Family
• Krsic, Luka
• Vasich, Branko and Family
• Krsic, Nikolaj
• Vasic, Milica
• Leff, Dylan
• Vlasovich, Milanka
If we have overlooked or misspelled anyone’s name, please, inform our church office (619-276-5827), and we will immediately make the necessary corrections. Thank you!
• Vladic, Milan • Vucelic, Inge • Vukotich, Dorothy • Vukotich, May and Stefan • Vukotich, John and Jean
Message from Stewardship Chairman I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our very generous 2014 Stewards. We are able to survive and flourish because of your commitment to St. George. I have stated many times in the past that it is not just your monetary commitment that makes a difference. Every time you take time to help out at a Sunday luncheon or at one of our events, or with building and grounds maintenance and upgrades, or with Sunday school, or in any other way, you are being an active steward and contributing to our community’s success. Events are coming up all the time, and we could always use your help preparing for and helping out. And we sincerely thank all of you who have helped out with events and with repairing and replenishing the fellowship hall. Stewardship is more than just “treasure,” it is also time and talent. Many of our Stewards fulfill their full pledges up front, and some pay regularly by credit card or check. Thank you for making our job easy. For the others, please take the time now to review your pledge for 2014 and see where you are at with fulfilling it. If you would like to know where you stand, email me and I will let you know. In November, it will be time to renew your stewardship pledge for 2015. Be watching for information in the mail. I know that these are still hard economic times for many of us, but please don’t forget or ignore St. George Church, your second home. Thank you once again. Toma Jovanovic, Stewardship Chairman, tomasjovanovic@hotmail.com
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Treasurer’s Report Dear Parishioners, With only two months before the year ends, and this being the third-quarter issue of The Voice, I would like to update the congregation of financial matters in meaningful ways. As I reflect on this year’s developments, the first thing that comes to mind is to say “thank you” to all those who make the church’s ministry possible. Our second home, our beloved St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, has undergone many improvements this year that will substantially contribute to everyone’s enjoyment for years and generations to come. We have a newly remodeled bar which required a great deal of structural and financial planning. Many decisions had to be made and it wasn’t easy, especially when developments occurred faster than we had the funds to cover the expenses. But here we are, thanks to so many of you who earmarked special contributions for the bar remodel. To all of you who gave unselfishly with monetary support as well as those who donated their creative talents and their physical labor, we all deeply and sincerely thank you. Additionally, thanks to Kolo Sestara and Stevo Basic, our kitchen has brand new cabinetry and counter tops and is now in perfect working order. Looking forward into next year, our calendar of events begins in January with Badnje Vece and Bozic, St. Sava Celebration and our Annual Stewardship meeting, followed by Great and Holy Friday and Pascha/Vaskrs, our Church Slava in May, and Vidovdan in June.Why do I emphasize these events? Because these events bring a meaningful financial support to our church. But I would also like to inform you that during
the summer months and well into the Fall, we see a significant downtrend in giving from our parishioners. As a consequence, this results in economic concerns for our church, as everyone knows the church’s bills do not go on vacation during those months. While many churches ask people to consider the church’s financial situation by teaching them to give a certain percentage of their earnings as an expression of faith, our church does not encourage giving by the same standards, rather we talk openly about the importance of becoming a steward and leave it to each parishioner to give whatever they can from the heart as a tangible expression of our trust in God. We talk to members about stewardship and opportunities for giving, and on occasion we have made personal solicitations during critical times, especially for larger gifts such as for the bar remodel. I can’t stress enough the spiritual dimension of stewardship as a joyful response to God’s generosity. I invite and encourage all of our parishioners to come on November 23 to our Stewardship Sunday and fill out your card with your pledge for 2015. In order to keep pace with our operating expenses, we depend on our stewardship offerings by more than one third for our yearly budget. In honor of Petar Dopudja and with perpetual gratitude for his gift to the church, I would like to thank and recognize those who worked to see some justice in administering the wishes of Mr. Dopudja: Father Bozidar Draskovic for his unconditional spiritual, moral, and physical support; to Howard and Lydia Rhoads for their invaluable contribution; and to Pamela Naughton for her professional legal assistance, for the time she spent, for her energy and her talent to defend the cause and ramifications of the Dopudja Trust, as well as her mother Millie Mrja. It was through their work that much of the injustice and abuse surrounding the Dopudja case came to light and allowed the legal system to take action.
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Finally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the St. George Executive Board, for their unwavering support in all legal decisions and structuring of the Dopudja Trust. For those of us who are taking care of our elderly parents as well as those who have elderly family and friends, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of making sure that your loved ones have a living trust, a will and long-term care provisions in place in order to avoid going into probate and the courts to carry out their last wishes and uphold their legacy. Most sincerely, Linda Alemany, St George Church Treasurer
Think 2015! Stewardship Sunday is coming November 23
St. George thanks all of our current eScrip & Club Card contributors!!!
St. George thanks all of our current eScrip & Club Card contributors!!! Make Your Shopping Dollars Work! Everyone knows Club Cards allow you discounts while you shop. But did you know registering them with eScrip (or the Ralphs program) directly donates a portion of your shopping dollars to St. George Serbian Orthodox Church!!!
PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, & NEIGHBORS TO SIGN UP!!! Dollars Spent Up to $300 $300.01-$500 $500.01-$600 Over $600 Special note:
Vons will contribute 1% of your purchases 2% of amount over $300 3% of amount over $500 4% of amount over $600 Safeway and Vons eScrip contributions are not earned on purchases paid for with a credit card. Please use any of the following payment types to earn for your organization:
Dollars Spent Up to $200 $200.01-$350 $350.01-$500 Over $500 MAX ---
Ralphs will contribute 1% of your purchases 2% of amount over $200 3% of amount over $350 4% of amount over $500 $150 quarterly
Debit Card, Check, Cash, SmartCheck, Gift Card, WIC, SNAP/CalFresh, and Fast Forward Debit Card (Northern California Only)
Ralphs Community Contribution Program Donates to St.George! You can support St. George every time you go grocery shopping at Ralphs! And it won’t cost you anything extra! Just let your checkers know that you want to link your Rewards card with St. George (NPO #93561) or go to the Ralphs Rewards website online. It’s just that simple! And only needs to be done once a year – every fall! Once you’re on the Ralphs site, log in, go to “My Account” and click on “Community Rewards”. Follow the instructions to add St. George Serbian Orthodox Church. Once this process is complete, you will see the St. George Church contribution at the bottom of each receipt. It’s that easy! Every time you shop at Ralphs, be sure to swipe your participating Rewards card, or enter the phone number associated with your card and you will be helping St. George Church! Ask family, friends & neighbors – you don’t have to be a member of St. George to participate. Won’t you please sign up now?
&
donate through
Click on www.escrip.com , select “sign up”, follow prompts to support our group {St. George’s group ID info: “St. George Serbian Orthodox Church” (3025 Denver St., San Diego) – 137331530}. (Vons Club Card is not your telephone #; rather it is Club Card # - if you don’t have your Vons Club Card #, please call: 1-877-723-3929).
Planning to shop online (maybe over the holidays)? Don’t forget to go through the eScrip Online Mall Portal!!! Your online shopping dollars will go a long way to helping St. George Serbian Orthodox Church. Register any card with eScrip (does not have to be same credit card you use to online shop), then click on the eScrip Online Mall icon at www.escrip.com and follow it to the website you plan to shop at. You can earn up to 10% of your purchases!!!
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MORAVA! Dear Friends and Supporters,
Morava is in full-swing for season 2014/ 2015. I am happy to report that Sinisa Ristic has agreed to return this year to continue teaching Morava the finer points of kolo dancing! Thanks Sinisa! Our Canada trip in June and July went off without a hitch, and Morava made its mark on Eastern Canada. First performance was in Niagara Falls for Serb Days with a memorable Bosilegrad performance. The icing on the cake was when Vladimir Spasojevic, choreographer of our Bosilegrad, made an impromptu jump in at the end to be included in a group photo. The dancers all knew that he would be there watching, and this was the first time he was going to see his dance performed by Morava, so Morava took out all the stops. Those of us filming the dance were speechless and moved to tears by the performance. Afterwards, Vladimir invited the group to join in at Oplenac's picnic area and to share lunch with them. Our hosts, SFE Kolo from Hamilton, were great and made sure we always knew what was what and showed us a great time—thank you, SFE Kolo! Special thanks to George and Nikoluja Lukich for going out of their way to make us feel welcome! As Morava continued its journey, we were excited to announce that Morava will be representing Serbia at Semblanza's Europe in America Concert on November 15, 2014 at the Los Angeles Historical Theater. We are proud to have been asked to participate and to share Serbian song and dance with a wider audience. The attendance is expected to be at 1900 people!
Another first for Morava is dancing at the San Diego Diplomacy Council's Gala on October 25 at the Horton Grand. We know we will leave a favorable impression on some of San Diego's local dignitaries as well as visiting officials. Thank you for the support for Talija Artistic Company's Concert on October 12, 2014. Those in attendance were treated to a memorable and inspirational concert. Thank you Talija for coming to San Diego. We look forward to seeing you again! I am happy to announce Morava has two new male dancers: Aleksandar Savovich and Uri Papukchiev. We can still use more men dancers as there are still twice as many females in the group. A shout out to Stefan Trifunovic who left Morava to attend University in Boston. We wish him well. He will be missed—especially his fantastic smile! New Leskovac costumes are in the making and decisions need to be made as to what invitations to accept—Chicago? Milwaukee? If you or anyone you know is at least 16 years old and has an interest in kolo dancing, singing, music, travel, and making lasting friendships, please send them our way. Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 7pm to 9pm. If you do not dance and like to sing, the vocal ensemble is always eager for new voices. Look for a detailed calendar of events in the next edition of the Voice. Ziveli! Dobrila Undheim, Director, Morava Folklore Ensemble 760-212-5891
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Morava Juniors
Morava Seniors in new costumes VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 25
Tesla Science Center’s Vision for the future of Wardenclyffe When you visit the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in a few years, what will you see? Your visit will begin at the Welcome Center, with friendly people, exhibits, and a gift shop with books and souvenirs. Here you can get tickets to the Museum and a brochure about the center, with a map of the campus. Then you’ll walk along a winding brick path leading to the primary focus of the Center: the Nikola Tesla Museum, housed in Tesla’s old Wardenclyffe laboratory. Along the way, you’ll come to a statue of Tesla, which was given to the Center in 2013 by the Republic of Serbia. Just north of it you will walk across the 90 foot-wide base of Tesla’s enormous wooden tower (shown in picture), which once dominated the local landscape. It could be seen from Connecticut, twenty miles to the north across Long Island Sound. Only the base remains; the tower itself was sold for scrap in 1917. As you stroll on toward the museum, you may notice that some bricks on the path are engraved with the names of people or firms who have made donations to the Science Center. On your right, you’ll see the flags of five levels of national and local government, and ahead of you, a global flag, reminding us that Tesla was a world citizen. Inside the museum, you will stand where Nikola Tesla once stood: in his last laboratory, restored to look much as it did in 1902. As well as exhibits, it will also contain examples of the equipment he used—generators, capacitors, transformers, and a machine shop. There might be a scale model of the massive tower whose base you just crossed. Built of thick wooden beams, it was 187 feet high, topped by a large metal dome. A long metal shaft, reaching 120 feet deep in the ground below the tower, was a key element of his design. With the tower and the grounding shaft, Tesla hoped to send wireless information and electric power across the planet.
Exhibits in the museum will try to portray this unique man and his inventions. Tesla was a powerful creator of new technology, such as the induction motor, which led us to use AC power. In the 1890s, Tesla was a superstar, speaking to overflowing audiences in America and Europe. He demonstrated his inventions in such dramatic style that he came across as an electrical wizard. Some exhibits in the museum will be interactive, designed to teach young people about science and technology. They will be part of the second focus of TSC@W, a Learning Center that spreads across several buildings, with more exhibits, classrooms, an auditorium, and a large exhibition hall. Brick pathways and patios will connect these buildings. As you follow the map, you’ll find the Physics Playground, where your kids can play while learning about physics. For example, a swing is a pendulum. Further along, you’ll pass the Environmental Corner, where native plants are thriving in a balanced ecology. In the northwest corner of the campus, there will be a sign for the new Tesla Trail for hikers and bikers, built on the path of the old railroad, which once had a spur leading to Tesla’s laboratory. The Tesla Trail will run beneath a high power AC transmission line, which uses technology based on Tesla’s patents from 1888. The third major focus of the Tesla Center will be the Innovation Space, located in the southwest part of the campus. Here Tesla’s inventive spirit will be honored in an active way. The Accelerator will help entrepreneurs to launch new technical start-up companies providing work VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 26
space, help in finding good engineers and operating a business, and contact with venture capitalists. The Maker Space will allow ordinary people with a new technical idea to try it out, building and testing a prototype. They can also learn a new skill in a class or program. Visitors may view these activities at certain times. Your tour of the campus will lead you back to the Welcome Center where you began. Here you can ask questions, check out the gift shop, and find out about upcoming events. If you arrived in a Tesla car, you can pick it up at the TSC@W supercharging station where you left it. When you go home, you can always stay in touch via the website, which aims to become a portal to all information about Tesla and his contributions, wherever it may be found. Tesla Science Center at Wardencliffe (TSC@W)
Bedouins attack and levy a tax on St. Catherine's Monastery on the Sinai The most ancient St. Catherine’s (Katherine’s) Orthodox Monastery situated on the Biblical land of Sinai peninsula has been once again persecuted by Muslim extremists and local authorities, reports the Linga news portal with the reference to Copts Today. For today Arab islamists, who lead a seminomadic way of life in the Sinai desert, pose the main threat to lives of the monks and condition of the monument of the world architecture. Specifically, Dr. Iyhab Ramzy, a prominent lawyer, related the following details of the crimes committed by the extremists against the monastery and its monks: Recently some residents of Tala district attempted to take the monastery by storm—and eventually they managed to demolish the gate and took two monks hostage. The monks had to submit to the raiders and agreed to pay them a tax in exchange for end to the attacks. Nevertheless, the islamists are still threatening all the clergymen and monks with violence, this time because of the monastery territory that they claim had been illegally occupied.
springs”) to Muslims” with the reference to the Quranic texts. “Against the background of all this lawlessness not only are the local officials sitting idle and doing nothing—they are even aggravating the existing situation,” Dr. Iyhab continues. “For example, not long ago the authorities imposed a certain tax upon absolutely all the monastery’s monks. It was done because the monastery had a refectory for pilgrims, which allegedly “served as a source of enrichment.” For the first time in Egyptian history, such a decision was made towards the ascetics who never leave the house of prayer! Ramzy has regarded the actions of the respective agencies as “an attempt to annihilate Christianity in the region,” concluding: “All this leads to the physical destruction of the monastery as such”. In his interview with the website, a monk from St. Catherine’s Monastery, Hieromonk Gregory, related a more striking demarche of the “Ikhwan” (“of Muslim brotherhood”) authorities against the monastery and its brothers:
The lawyer stresses that in spite of the numerous complaints and appeals the law-enforcement agencies did not react to the existing situation at all, remaining outsiders and, in fact, accomplices of the above-mentioned offences. “The only pseudo-juridical instance in the desert is the Arab tribes’ court that has levied a tax of 150,000 Egyptian pounds (about $21,000 USD) on the monks,” notes the expert. However, according to the lawyer, “the oddities in behavior of the authorities” are not confined to this. According to the evidence of Ramzy, local autonomous bodies close their eyes on the extremists’ calls to obliterate Christianity on Sinai and “to restore justice”, which means returning the Christian settlement Oyun Musa (“Moses VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • AUTUMN 2014 27
“While still under president Morsi, a retired colonel named Ahmad Radjai Atiye brought an action against the monastery. In it he accused us of ‘encroachments on state land’. It was found that we had ‘illegally constructed’ in 2006 many monastery churches, which in reality date to the time of the Holy Emperor Justinian I (527-565)! “The local government, dependent on “the Muslim Brothers”, issued 71 decrees for the demolition of the fourthcentury’s churches, giving Atiye’s action a chance to get ahead; and so already at the highest level the indictment confirmed the claimant’s lie.” The clergyman also noted that hearing of this case would take place in November, asking all Orthodox brothers and sisters “to pray hard for preservation of the shrine common to all Christians, the true gem of the peninsula.” Source: Pravoslavie.ru, 20. October 2014.
Kragujevac 1941: One Hundred for One Over three thousand civilians,1 including children, were shot by the German occupiers in the course of three days in October 1941, in the central Serbian town of Kragujevac and the surrounding villages. The executions were performed by the 724th and 749th infantry regiments, following the orders of the German military commander in occupied Serbia, General Franz Friedrich Böhme to shoot 100 civilian hostages for every German soldier killed, and 50 for every German wounded. Though Böhme – a former Austro-Hungarian officer – was an eager executioner, the monstrous proportion was conceived in Berlin, as a proposal contained in the September 16, 1941 order from the Wehrmacht Chief of Staff Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel on suppressing the insurrection in Serbia. Following the Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia in April 1941, organized resistance began coalescing around the group of officers and soldiers who refused to surrender, led by Col. Dragoljub Mihailović. Local resistance sprung up in Dalmatia and Herzegovina, as the Serbs living there reacted to Nazi Croatia’s campaign of mass murder. Following the Axis invasion of the USSR in June 1941, the Communists launched their own insurrection in central Serbia. Between Mihailović’s 5oyalists and the Communists, soon much of Nazi-occupied Serbia was up in arms. [Editor: Mihailovic’s 5oyalist forces, known as Cetniks, and their supporters, were, in fact, attacked by the communists as well as the Germans.] Following a[n Axis] skirmish with both Communists and 5oyalists that left 10 1.On 29 October 1941, Felix Benzler, the plenipotentiary of the German foreign ministry in Serbia, reported that 2,300 people were executed. Later investigations by the post-war Yugoslavian government came up with between 5,000 and 7,000 people executed, although these figures were never proven reliable. Subsequently, Serbian and German scholars have agreed on the figure of 2,778.
Germans dead and 26 wounded, General Böhme ordered the mass arrests and executions. The task was entrusted to the 1st Battalion of the 724th Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the 749th Regiment. On October 19, German “punishment details” raided three “Finish him” – Šumarice near Kragujevac, October 21, 1941 villages outside Kragujevac – Grošnica, Maršić, and Mečkovac – set them ablaze merely getting new papers. In the mornand killed 412 civilians. In Kragujevac ing hours of October 21, some 2,300 itself, 119 Jews and Serbs were arrested detained were first taken to a Serbian and shot on October 20th. But the bigmilitary cemetery, then marched in gest mass execution took place on the groups of 100 to a nearby creek and shot. 21st. Some 5,000 civilians were rounded up and taken to the artillery barracks outside of town. Most went peacefully, believing the German explanation that they were
According to the Kragujevac memorial society, 29 persons survived by running away, as the Germans were too busy shooting and bringing new victims to
Visiting Sumarice in 1981. On my first visit to Serbia after marrying Misha Jovanovic, his family, who lived in Paracin, about 40 miles from Kragujevac, thought I might find it interesting to visit Sumarice Memorial Park, which was commemorating the 40th anniversary of the massacre. (See Misha & his brother-in-law Micha Bozickovic, circled in the photo.) I remember the day very well, as I tried to imagine the horror these people faced in October 1941. Having knowledge of World War II events and atrocities from magazines, and movies, I had never personally visited any of the actual locations before. So it was that at Sumarice I stood among the widows and other survivors of this major military atrocity. My mind boggled at the horror of 300 teenaged school boys, along with their teachers, being killed to meet the German’s retribution quota—100 Serbs for every 1 killed German. And during this reign of terror, only one German soldier refused to participate in the executions, for which he, also, was executed. War is such hell; please pray for peace.—Marsha Jovanovic, editor
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give chase. The wounded were finished off by German officers, though. Altogether, some 2,272 men were shot between 7 AM and 2 PM that day. Among them were 217 boys, of which 60 were taken from a local high school. In the three days of executions in Kragujevac and its environs, the German occupiers murdered 2,803 civilians. The names and personal information of 2,796 of them were published in 2007 in the book “Name and Number” („Име и број“) by Staniša Brkić of the “October 21” Museum in Kragujevac. Another 1,736 men were executed in nearby Kraljevo. According to German documents 49,724 Serb civilians were executed in counterinsurgency reprisals in just one year between September 1, 1941 and September 1, 1942. General Böhme was captured in Norway in 1945 and tried at Nuremberg for executing civilian hostages. About to be extradited to Yugoslavia for trial over the Kragujevac massacre, he committed suicide. Nebojsa Malic, October 21, 2014 copyright Reiss Institute, all rights reserved.
Šumarice Memorial Park To commemorate the thousands of victims of the civilian massacre, the whole of Šumarice, where the killings took place, has been a memorial park for many years. Several writers have written about the massacre. Desanka Maksimović wrote a poem (see below) titled “Krvava Bajka” (“A Bloody fairy tale”). The Belgian poet Karel Jonckheere (19061993) wrote in 1965 the poem “Kinderen met krekelstem” [Children with cricket voices]. An English poet, Richard Berengarten, wrote a book of poetry, The Blue Butterfly, based on his experiences of visiting the commemorative museum at Šumarice in 1985 when a blue butterfly landed on his hand at the entry to the museum. In 2007, the title poem from the book provided the oratorio at the open-air memorial event for the victims at the annual commemoration of the massacre.
According to many sources, “All males from the town between the ages of 16 and 60 were assembled and the victims—including high school students— were selected from among them.” There are many monuments in the park, including the monument to the murdered schoolchildren and their teachers, called the “Interrupted Flight,” the “Monument of pain and defiance,” “One hundred for on,” “Resistance and Freedom,” and the monument to shoe cleaners. The Museum of Genocide is located at the site of the massacre. Abstracted from Wikipedia
... a blue butterfly simply fell out of the sky and settled on the forefinger of my international bloody human hand.
The Interrupted Flight monument Krvava Bajka Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka na brdovitom balkanu, umrla je mucenickom smrcu ceta djaka u jednom danu. Iste su godine svi bili rodjeni, isti su im tekli skolski dani, na iste svecanosti zajedno su vodjeni, od istih bolesti svi pelcovani, i svi umrli u istom danu. Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka
na brdovitom Balkanu, umrla je mucenickom smrcu ceta djaka u jednom danu. A pedeset i pet minuta pre smrtnog trena sedela je u djackoj klupi ceta malena i iste zadatke teske resavala: koliko moze putnik ako ide peske... i tako redom. Misli su im bile pune istih brojki i po sveskama u skolskoj torbi
besmislenih lezalo bezbroj petica i dvojki. Pregrst istih snova i istih tajni rodoljubivih i ljubavnih stiskalo se u dnu dzepova. I cinilo se svakom da ce dugo, da ce vrlo dugo trcati ispod svoda plava dok sve zadatke na svetu ne posvrsava.
umrla je mucenickom smrcu ceta djaka u istom danu. Decaka redova celi uzeli su se za ruke i sa skolskog zadnjeg casa na streljanje posli mirno kao da smrt nije nista. Drugova redovi celi istog casa se uzneli do vecnog boravista.
Desanka Maksimovic Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka na brdovitom Balkanu,
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Voice of St George Winter Issue Please submit all articles reports, events, news, photos, announcements, ads, etc.,
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In the Green: St George Recycling Program In an effort to gain much needed revenue and to help the environment, we are actively recycling at St. George. Did you know that every time you throw a water bottle, aluminum can, or glass beer bottle into the garbage instead of recycling it, you are throwing money away? Each can or bottle that is not recycled equals five cents gone forever. While five cents may not seem like much, every can and bottle quickly adds up.
Please remember to put all plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans into the blue recycling containers that are located both inside the hall as well as outside. In 2012, over 17.2 billion containers were recycled in California, saving natural resources, conserving energy, extending the life of our landfills, and helping to reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE â&#x20AC;˘ AUTUMN 2014 30
A prayer to Christ & St. Demetrios the Myrrh-streamer O Lord Jesus Christ our God, the Pre-eternal Word of God and the Father, Who through Your grace endowed endurance in the soul of the glorious Martyr Demetrios, to withstand manfully, in a body of clay, the great tortures of tyrants, on behalf of Your name, strengthen us also, we pray, that we may bravely endure the temptations brought about because of our sins, and all forms of dangers of the devil. And as You then scattered the schemes of the lawless through Your power, granting the ranks of the Angels, also now, through his intercessions, gladden our hearts, delivering us from this bitter tyranny that has been laid upon us, that we also, Your humble entreaters, may go forth with peace in life, and commemorate his annual memory, that we may be made worthy of Your mercy, for which You are well-pleased. For You are ever blessed, unto the ages of ages. Amen. Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen! May the Lord bless you as we enter the season of Slavas, Thanksgiving, & the Christmas Holidays Misha Jovanovic & family
Misha Tours / Firstworld Travel
619-588-5811 / 619-588-4644 misha@mishatours.com VOICE OF ST. GEORGE â&#x20AC;˘ AUTUMN 2014 31