On the Road to Libertyville No. 2

Број22 Issue

Празник

The Feast of theРођења NativityХристовог of Our Lord

ЉетаofГосподњег 2017.

Year our Lord 2017

Missionary of St. SavaСветог Monastery, Gathering Place of Serbs in America Лист заPublication мисију манастира Саве,the зборног мјеста Срба у Америци

www.stsavamonastery.org www.stsavamonastery.org www.stsavamonastery.org www.stsavamonastery.org

CHRIST ISСЕ BORN! ХРИСТОС РОДИ! www.stsavamonastery.org www.stsavamonastery.org INDEED HE СЕ IS BORN! ВАИСТИНУ РОДИ!

Come to Libertyville - May God’s blessing be upon you!

CONTENTS:

Editor’s Foreword: Come to Libertyville - May God be with us!, p. 3 From the History of St. Sava’s Monastery - the Eternal House of God: Genuine benefactor Mihajlo Pupin, p. 4 Greeting with the feast of the Nativity of Christ: His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gračanica and Midwest America, p. 5 Religious Education:Venerable Justin of Ćelije: Holy relics, p. 6-7 Interview: Singel Serafim Milojković: Confession - Standing Before Christ, pp. 8-10 From the Patristic Library: Holy Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović: Christmas Reflections, p. 11 Divine Services: Lifeline of St. Sava’s Holy Community, p. 12-13 Serbian People’s Beloved Memories of the Holy Community: The Bishop and Serbian Houselods Constructed St. Sava Monastery continued, p. 14.

The Missionary Publication of St. Sava Schedule of Worship in Monastery in Libertyville, published with the Monastery Temple the blessing of His Grace Bishop of New p. 15.

Gračanica and Midwest Diocese LONGIN.

The Missionary Publication “On the way to Libertyville” is free. By the grace of God published four times a year.

The letters to the Editor are welcome.

Please do not throw this copy away but give it to someone else to read it.

This issue was published with the help of Anne Krosnjar.

Circulation: 1000 Photo on the front-page cover: “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness”.

(Ps. 115:1) 2

Editor in Chief: Dimitrije Stanojević, BDiv Editorial Staff: Singel Serafim (Milojković) Hieromonk Nektarije (Tešanović) Priest Djuro Krošnjar Milan Spasojević, BDiv Publisher: St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville, IL Contact: Saint Sava Monastery 32377 N. Milwaukee Ave Libertyville, IL 60048 Attn: Mission Journal Web page: www.stsavamonastery.org E-mail: stsavamissionjournal@gmail.com

Come to Libertyville - God is pleased with every good deed!

Editor’s Foreword:

Christ is born, dear readers!

In front of you is the second issue of the missionary publication of St. Sava’s monastery in Libertyville, whose cover page bears joyful words: Christ is Born! Indeed He is Born! Isn’t the feast of the Nativity of Christ the best luminary on the way of our salvation? Yes, because it is the most anticipated event in the history of mankind, the day when the Laborer of the world, who created it and wove it with His word, became a part of His creation by taking upon Himself human nature and by giving us an opportunity of salvation. This feast confirms the truth spoken by the prophet Isaiah long ago: regarding the time when God will be with us, in the person of the child Emmanuel.

In the days when we remember the wise men who bore gifts to Christ, I recommend to your attention the text of our monastery dedicated to our well-wisher - Mihajlo Pupin who, without any reservation and wholeheartedly, gave donations to our community, and to entire Orthodox world. Also, we cannot leave out the sincere prayerful greeting of our Bishop Longin on Christmas, as well as the interview with Singel Serafim Milojković on the sacrament of confession, which awakens us and calls on everyone to think about their actions. Leafing through the pages of this issue, you will notice our prayerful call, “Come to Libertyville” through which the Lover of mankind, Christ, calls everyone to come to the oldest Serbian shrine and to join themselves to the means for achieving salvation - our Mother Church. Furthermore, worthy of your time are the texts on Holy relics of Venerable Justin, and on Divine Liturgy - of Hieromonk Nektarije, who sees worship as the lifeline of monastic life.

Finally, in the days when we celebrate the incarnation of Christ who is the only hope of our world, we pray that He opens our hearts and forever dwells in them, and that He - Emmanuel, forever remains in our midst. May we arrive to Libertyville always in love, peace and hope that the feast of the Nativity of Christ brings us, and may we become true givers, like the wise men from the East and our Mihajlo Pupin, never tiring givers who first seek the Kingdom of Heaven, and give themselves constantly to others.

Come to Libertyville - feel the presence of the incarnate God, the One who once created the world with His hands, and now, in arms of His Mother of God, saves His created world.

Dimitrije Stanojevic, BDiv

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Come to Libertyville - Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven!

FROM THE HISTORY OF ST. SAVA’S MONASTERY - THE ETERNAL HOUSE OF GOD: GENUINE BEENFACTOR MIHAJLO PUPIN

This page is too small to encompass invaluable contribution of an Orthodox Christian, patriot, scientist, professor and benefactor, Mihajlo Pupin, to our monastery in Libertyville whose holy endower he was. This page is too small to describe the friendship of the Holy Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović and Pupin, which had greatly facilitated the purchase of monastery property and construction of the temple during the time of Holy Bishop Mardarije.

This page is too small to present all the benefits of these spiritual great men, but it will still be filled with sincere gratitude and thanks giving. What was Pupin’s real importance for the Serbian Orthodox -The best and most loyal Church and the Serbian people remains something that the future generations will come to understand. friends and supporters of Holy Bishop Nikolaj talked about Pupin as follows: Bishop Mardarije were “- I did not come to America as a migrant worker Luka Grković - the trader, to make money. I pursued knowledge,and knowlMihajlo Pupin – world edge brought me to wealth, and not vice versa. The scholar and consul Radivo- wealth came as something secondary. I first sought the “Heavenly Kingdom”, according tothe Gosje Janković. pel, and the rest came withit. That is usually how - May 29 and 30, 1927.

Pupin would reply to those who primarilysaw a The Assembly was held wealthy man in him. One could say for Pupin that where those assembled were greeted by the Profes- he achieved everything he wantedand what he pursued in his life. He wantedgreat knowledge and he sor of Columbia University received it. For years and years, he sought to unite Mihajlo Pupin. the Serbian nation in one union. And after putting - In the fall of 1928, the great effort and enduring great bitterness, he lived mortgage on the property to see a united Serbian National Alliance. He wantwas decreased to $15,000 ed his people to be famous in the world and that the justice of his people triumphs.

After the Professor Mihajlo Pupin gave $3640. And he lived to see this. He put a great effort in organization of the Serbian Orthodox Church in -In April of 1929, well-wishing professor Mi- America and in getting a bishop. And he lived to see hajlo Pupin sent an encour- this. He wanted to do as many good deeds both in the homeland and in America. And this was grantaging message that he will ed to him. And everything else. For Pupin, a Bible give new morgage payment verse could be said: “Rich in years and full of life, of $10,000 and with it he reposed and gave his contribution to his own”. I $12,000 more for for was filled with joy that God has given to our peasant the Diocesan Fund. nation such a man, respected by the entire American Retrieved from: D. Dragutinović, continent as one of its great men.” 1) Biography of Bishop Mardarije, 1992.

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1) Politika, March 17, 1935, Interview: Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović.

Come to Libertyville - Don’t let the Souls of Serbian Youth Forget God!

THE GREETING ON THE DAY OF NATIVITY OF CHRIST:

His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gracanica and Midwestern America Longin

We worship Thy Nativity, O Christ, show us also Thy Divine Theophany!

As this Nativity season approaches, dear brothers and sisters, we wish to greet you and congratulate you with this joyous feast – the birth of the only Persona of His kind in the history of the world, Christ the God-Man.

He who is full of grace and truth, Who came to dwell among us and made His abode within us, returns to us every Christmas, renewing human life and delivering eternal and unwaning faith, hope and love.

His first abode was the manger. Since then until the end of time, it is the human heart that is His Bethlehem, the place where His Nativity occurs.

Bishop Longin (Krčo) (Photo: А. Krošnjar)

We bow down before the Lord and the God-Child Christ on this holy day, on which He has visited us, wanting to illumine us and enrich us with His Heavenly Kingdom, with eternal life and with the joy of His Nativity. This is the joy that the God-Child delivers as He unites God with the earth, people with God and with one another.

It is, therefore, most important that we use the time of our lives wisely, glorifying God with the beautiful hymn, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men!”

Worshipping the “Young Child, the pre-eternal God,” let us forgive each other, embrace each other in brotherly love and greet each other with the eternal greeting: Peace of God!

CHRIST IS BORN! INDEED HE IS BORN!

Blessed New Year of the Lord’s goodness 2018!

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Come to Libertyville - Venerate St. Mardarije’s Relics!

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: HOLY RELICS

Venerable Justin (Popovic)

The holiness of Saints, and the sanctity of their souls and their bodies comes from their grace and virtuous life in the theandric body of the Church of Christ.

Such holiness encompasses entire man’s personality: entire soul and body, everything that is included in a mysterious organization of man’s being. The holiness of Saints is not only preserved in their soul, but it inevitably spreads throughout their body, so the Saints’ souls and bodies are both holy. While reverently venerating Saints, we revere their entire personality, not differentiating between their holy soul and their holy body. Hence, the pious reverence of Saint’s relics is a natural part of devout reverence and prayerful invocation of Saints. The devout reverence of holy relics, based on their miracles, originates from Divine Revelation.

Back in the Old Testament, God deigned to glorify holy relics of some of His God pleasing men and women with miracles. Thus, a man was raised from the dead when his body touched holy relics of the prophet Elisha. The tombs and the bones of the prophets, which predicted to Jeroboam the demolition of idolatrous altars, were greatly revered by the Jews. Patriarch Joseph left a legacy to the sons of Israel to keep his bones in Egypt, and take them when they go to the Promised Land.

The New Testament uplifted the human body to the previously unseen, divine heights and glorified it with a glory which Cherubim and Seraphim do not have.

The New Testament announced about human body: the purpose and objective of the human body together with the soul is to acquire and inherit the eternal life in eternal blessedness. Our Lord Christ came to save the whole man, that is both his soul and his body, and with His resurrection, to ensure the victory over death and eternal life for men. Since then, a man knows that the body was created for eternity through God-Man, and that his divine work on earth is to transform himself into a temple of the Holy Spirit, into a temple of the living God. Bearing in mind that this goal of the New Testament for human body was attained and realized in the persons of Saints, devout Christians show their reverence toward Saints’ bodies, toward their holy relics - as holy temples of the Holy Spirit who dwells in His grace in them.

Throughout the Orthodox world, there are countless relics of Holy God-pleasing men and women. Their miracles are innumerable. Orthodox Christians everywhere show their reverence of holy relics. Without a doubt, holy relics and their wonderworking power cause this pious reverence in believers. From the very beginning, in apostolic times, Christians devoutly guarded honorable relics of Holy Apostles, so that they could be handed down to us.

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Retrieved from: The Orthodox Church Dogmatics, third book, Belgrade, 1978, p. 675-683.

Come to Libertyville - Experience a Foretaste of the Kingdom of Heaven!

The reliquary with the relics of Holy Bishop Mardarije. Photo: Editorial Staff.

And since then until the present day, holy relics of God-pleasing men and women pour their immortal joy of our theandric faith into the hearts of Orthodox Christians. Speaking of wonderworking power of holy relics, St. Ephrem the Syrian relates about Holy Martyrs: “Even after death they act as if alive, healing the sick, expelling demons, and by the power of the Lord rejecting every evil influence of the demons. This is because the miraculous grace of the Holy Spirit is always present in the holy relics�.

Christ our Lord has given us the relics of the saints as salvific sources that stream forth countless charities and pour out sweet-smelling myrrh. No one can doubt that!

For, if God brought water from a rough and hard rock in the wilderness for His thirsty people, would it be unlikely that fragrant myrrh would be abundantly stream from relics of the Holy Martyrs and Saints?

These facts testify that the devout reverence of holy relics is a part of theandric dispensation of salvation: from the earlies days of Holy Tradition, temples were built on the tombs and relics of saints, and Divine Liturgy was celebrated only on Antimins which includes the particles of holy relics. In addition to this, liturgical books, particularly Menaion, are full of prayers and hymns that refer to the pious reverence of holy relics. The Lives of Saints contain abundant testimonies about their miraculous actions, thereby diffusing immortal joy of our Orthodox theandric faith to the hearts of Orthodox Christians.

Overall: mystery of holy relics is in the heart of the New Testament Mystery of Mysteries: the incarnation of God. For, the entire mystery of human body is explained in the incarnation, in the embodiment of God: in GodMan our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, the annunciation, the all-encompassing annunciation regarding a body is: the body is for the Lord and the Lord is for the body. And through the body of man, the whole creation, all matter received its divine meaning, its theandric all-encompassing meaning.

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Come to Libertyville - for God forgives all who sincerely repent!

INTERVIEW: SINGEL SERAFIM (MILOJKOVIC): CONFESSION - STANDING BEFORE CHRIST

Singel Serafim (Milojković) Photo: Editorial Staff

What is the Holy Sacrament of confession? - A sacrament of confession is sanctified time when the believer and his father confessor stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and offer Him a joint effort of care for soul’s salvation. This joint effort is the result of sincere relationship between a spiritual child and his/her father confessor, which resembles a friendly conversation and entrusting oneself to a friend who understands you, although primarily this is the fruit of repentance of the person who comes to the father confessor.

The conquest of this remarkable victory over oneself and one’s selfishness is difficult in terms of the struggle with passions and sin, but this is a struggle in which our Lord encourages us and cheers us on to overcome it. Therefore, a confessor is there to encourage his spiritual child by the grace of the Holy Spirit and to uplift them on the path of truth, and to help them persevere to walk that path.

You mentioned that confession resembles entrusting oneself to a friend, so does that mean that a father confessor and his spiritual child should have a friendly relationship? - The trust must be there, and when I mentioned a friendly relationship, I had in mind that confession should be conducted at the level of friendship, in terms of finding common solutions of best spiritual remedy for the spiritual child whose confession he is receiving. Sure, father confessor and the faithful need to have good communication, but not excessive closeness, such as private socializing.

What is the best way to prepare for confession if a person is coming to confession for the first time? - The Ten Commandments are the indication of the way! The best way to prepare someone for the first confession is have them read the Ten Commandments and carefully think about each of them. The underlying idea of this spiritual exercise is for a person to start thinking about his/her actions, which is very important, and thereby come to the first step that leads to repentance, and this is to recognize his/her guilt. The first three commandments indicate the faith

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Come to Libertyville - Confess!

in the One God, and especially today, when the world is oversaturated with false teachers and so-called preachers, this must be the beginning of confession: a person should confess who he/she believes in. Of course, this should be complemented with the reading of the confession of faith or the Creed, which best sums up the truths in which we believe. Then, the fourth commandment teaches us to devote Sundays to our Creator and rest from physical work.

The fifth commandment reminds us that we must be grateful to our parents who raised us in the faith and to continually respect and thank God for them. Next, clear commandments follow: do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal and do not bear false witness, which are concluded in the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor’s”.

As we see, the tenth commandment is perhaps the most serious since it forbids desires, and stands at the level of the New Testament Christ’s commandment said in the Sermon on the Mount: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Mt. 5: 48).

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Come to Libertyville and leave your prayer lists, and if you are unable to come, please send it by mail. Names of your living and deceased family member and friends will be regularly commemorated during the office of Prothesis (Proskomedie). We will pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, forgiveness and remission of sins of the living and eternal memory and life in the Heavenly Kingdom of the reposed.

Monastery Administration

PRAYER LIST FOR LIVING

_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Come to Libertyville - Receive Holy Communion!

Can you tell me how to deal with the clerics who have the mentality of a guru?

PRAYER LIST FOR THE REPOSED I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________

This is a burning issue in Orthodoxy in general. Russian Orthodox Church addressed this issue in 1998 when the Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch Alexei II, and issued an act by which it drew attention of the clergy to this negative phenomenon. In fact, as we have said, confession is standing before Christ and the priest is obligated to constantly direct and guide his spiritual child to Christ and not to himself. But if the priest directs his spiritual child to himself, then this is an abuse of Holy Mystery of confession and represents a huge tragedy for a man who is confessing. These are clerics who command and impose to their spiritual child to be dependent on his own personality and they tend to attract large numbers of believers who glorify them instead of forgetting to glorify God. They intervene in all aspects of life starting from personal relationships, who the person should marry, how they should eat or dress, and impose various bans: “You do not have the blessing for that”, for example, to consult with doctors or even accept medical help. One must stay away from this negative phenomenon and must stop any contact at all costs with such “guru clerics” for the sake of spiritual health and peace.

Interviewer: DS

Come to Libertyville - Where is the House of God is Your own!

FROM THE PATRISTIC LIBRARY: Saint Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic:

Christmas Reflections

Christ is born, glorify Him!

Christ is Born!

Nativity of Chirst fresco, St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville (work of Miloje Milinković)

This is how we as Orthodox Christians greet each other every Christmas. Christ is born, and indeed He is born! This is how we say: Christ is born, but we chant in church katavasia not “Christ is born” but “Christ is being born”. Both are correct. Christ was born once, but Christ is being born continuously. Just as we say about the sun: both it was born (it rose) and it is born (it rises). It was born once and for all when it was turned on by the Creator as the “great light” and it is born each night on the east, at the beginning of a new day. The sun is a symbol of Christ, which is referred to in the scriptures: the Sun of Righteousness. After each night of injustice, Christ as the Sun of Righteousness is born; After each night of the dark tyranny, Christ as the Sun of Freedom is born; After each dark fear of death, Christ, as the Sun of Life is born; After each dark suffering from lies and violence, Christ is born as the Sun of Truth and Love. That’s why the Church of Christ joyfully chants on Christmas: “Christ is Born!” The darker the night injustice, tyranny, fear of death, suffering and dark suffering from lies and violence, the more joyful is anticipation of rising Sun.

Christmas is the day of joy and the day of warning. It brings gifts, but it expects an offering. His main gifts are truth and love. He illuminates the world with the Light of truth, and warms the hearts of men with the warmth of His love. As no natural light or heat comes from the earth, but from the sun on large and distant heights, both truth and love do not sprout from the earth, but they come from heavenly heights, from God’s Heavenly Kingdom. Without these two, truth and love, every earthly kingdom is based on and maintained on lies and violence. That is why Jesus, as the bearer and bringer of eternal truth and eternal love said in court before Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world”, i.e. it is not a kingdom of lies and violence but the kingdom of truth and love. Today, let us bow down and worship our Lord Almighty Jesus Christ, and with faith and hope and love, let us sing with the angels and the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will among men.”

Retrieved from: Nikolaj Velimirović, Collected Works, Volume 13, Himelstir, 1986, 21-25.

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Come to Libertyville - Participate in Holy Worship!

DIVINE SERVICES: LIFELINE OF ST. SAVA’S COMMUNITY

Compiled by: Hieromonk Nektarije (Tešanović)

The foundation of Orthodox Church divine services was laid by our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord teaches us how to pray, he spends His time in the temple, he recommends communal prayer and fasting, and certainly recommends to others to fast which is a virtue they should perform. Each divine service is, in the words of St. John of Kronstadt, “mutually, God is serving people and people are serving God”. One should attend divine services Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Libertyville temple. on a regular basis, appropriately dressed (Photo: Branimir P.) and consciously prepared.

Liturgy is the basis and essence of Christianity, the backbone of the entire Church life, because through it one attains a direct connection with God. Based on Scriptures and Holy Tradition, each divine service is the crown of fullness of Church spiritual life and of every individual believer. Through the centuries, the organization and order of worship started to take shape within the Church. In addition to external and visible actions, each liturgical rite and any every action in the rite, has its very precisely defined meaning and symbolism.

The whole life of a Christian believer, in a broader sense, is spent in worship.

For, whatever one does, he or she does for the glory of God, for the benefit of the soul and its growth in deification. Liturgy is the common work of all believers, not only the clergy, but also the present faithful people.

In our monastery, we celebrate morning and evening services daily, and on Saturdays and Sundays we celebrate Divine Liturgy.

In the Orthodox Church liturgical day begins in the evening, at sunset. This practice follows the biblical view of creation: “And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen. 1:5). It starts with reading of Psalm 103, which celebrates the wisdom of the Creator of the universe, and consists of prayers for all members of the church and their needs. During the vespers we chant stichera to the Creator and Saints whom the Church glorifies, and there are stichera and hymns to the Most Holy Theotokos. Vespers remind us of Old Testament times, which began with the creation of the world, and ended with the birth of the Savior of the world. In our monastery, after each vespers, we read Akathist to St. Mardarije of Libertiville, whose incorrupt relics are preserved in the monastery church.

The Akathist is a hymn of thanks-giving.

Being that this hymn was chanted whiile “standing”, because at the time of its reading or chanting one is not allowed to sit (except in case of illness and infirmity).

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Refreshment of Love: The faithful in front of Libertyville temple after Divine Liturgy (Photo: Editorial Board)

Come to Libertyville - Pray to Saint Mardarije!

Morning worship (Matins) is celebrated in the morning, and in olden times it would begin even before sunrise. Matins consists of a whole series of psalms, hymns and prayers that celebrate the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ in the world, His Resurrection, and His God-pleasing men and women through whom He is glorified in this world and who glorified Him with their Christian life or martyrdom. Every morning service starts with angelic song that was heard at Savior’s nativity: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men!” (Lk 2,4) Matins includes canСвета Литургија у Либертивилском храму. ons, which are based on biblical hymns. A canon is the (Фото: Редакција) most important not only for matins but for every service.

Orthodox Liturgy of Byzantine-type (originates from Antiochian and Cesarean rite) and was written in the fourth century by St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great. In the sixth century, St. Gregory the Dialogist, wrote in Constantinople a text of another Liturgy which is now celebrated during the Great Lent, called Liturgy of previously sanctified Holy gifts - Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. The Liturgy reflects the Christian view of the world and the main tendencies of the Church with the ultimate focus on the future Kingdom (Eschaton) which transcends time and space. Its main event is the celebration of Eucharist (celebrate - to permanently carry out together), offering of the Holy Gifts: Anaphora.

It was founded by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. Divine Liturgy consists of three main parts: Proscomedion (office of Prothesis) - the act of preparation of bread and wine offering; Liturgy of the Catechumens - in the middle it contains a sermon (Liturgy of the word) and represents the mission; Liturgy of the faithful - in the form of common service and common Eucharist.

Retrieved from: http://www.pravoslavlje.net.

THE LEGACY OF SAINT BISHOP MARDARIJE: The works of Holy Bishop Mardarije came to us in Russian: Arrival of a Foreigner to Russia and Bessarabia (left) published in 1912 in Chisinau and The Legacy of Russian People (right), issued in 1912 in Odessa.

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Come to Libertyville - Visit the Serbian Cemetery and Pray for the Salvation of Souls!

BELOVED SERBIAN PEOPLE’S MEMORIES OF OUR HOLY COMMUNITY IN LIBERTYVILLE:

The Account of Petar Roknic: The Bishop and the Serbian Households Constructed St. Sava’s Monastery (continued from the previous issue)

Serbian community from Gary, Indiana slowly moved to the vicinity of St. Sava’s Monastery, to a small-town Waukegan on the shores of Lake Michigan, which at that time was an important industrial center. The metal industry enabled our parents to have employment, as well to situate Serbian community in times of scarcity.

As I said earlier, there were only two cars in the Serbian community in Waukegan, so it was extremely difficult to visit the monastery. When we would come to church on great feast days, the joy we felt was immense. Priests tried hard, as much as they could, to prepare us for the day of St. Sava, when we would recite short poems about this Saint. Unfortunately, I must admit that our religious education ended there, because there was no Sunday school at the time, since it was not possible for a church school to work. It was the time of poverty.

I remember that we always modestly celebrated our Patron Saint - St. George and the priest would come to our house in Waukegan. We knew all the customs, but then I had no idea who was St. George, and why is he the protector of our home. I am glad that now the times are different, and that there are exceptional church schools that educate and teach our generations of children.

Finally, I would also like to share with you the marriage certificate of my parents, who were married in St. Sava’s temple in Gary, Indiana, as well as the passport of my mother, Sava, which we preserved up to present day. These are the witnesses of a time that is slowly but surely being surrendered to oblivion.

Photo on left: Passport of Sava Božić, Peter’s mother, from 1928.

Photo on right: The marriage certificate of Peter’s parents dating back to 1930, signed by Protopresbyter Peter Stijančić.

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Казивање записао: Д.С.

Дођите у Либертивил - и помолите се за своје ближње!

SCHEDULE OF WORSHIP IN SERBIAN ORTHODOX ST. SAVA’S MONASTERY IN LIBERTYVILLE:

DAILY MATINS 8 AM DAILY VESPERS 5 PM DIVINE LITURGY ON SATURDAYS 9 AM DIVINE LITURGY ON SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS DURING THE WEEK 10 AM THE TEMPLE IS OPEN: MONDAYS- FRIDAYS: 11 am to 2 pm ON SATURDAYS: 8:30 am to 6pm ON SUNDAYS: 9 am to 6 pm COME TO LIBERTYVILLE!

AGENDA FOR OUR PEOPLE: Keep up the goodness. Evil costs more than goodness.

Live in peace. Litigation costs more than reconciliation.

Better lean peace than fat litigation.

Return the stolen. If a stolen item remains unreturned, this will bring fear into your soul and unhappiness into your house.

Do not testify falsely. False slander - thin harvest, disease in the household and discord among brethren.

Conduct yourself honestly, and hope for the good.

Honest conduct eliminates suffering.

Give thanks to God. One who is thankful for small things will receive more.

Saint Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic

Rejoice, Saint Mardarije, good shepherd of Christ’s flock, gathering Orthodox people around your reliquary!

CHRIST IS BORN! - INDEED HE IS BORN!