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Martyrs of Raska and Prizren Diocese
Abbot Damaskin (Damascene) Boskovic, 12 Serb Orthodox priests and a nun
Abbot Damaskin Boskovic was the prior of the Monastery of Devic in the time when the Second World War broke out. Immediately after the Italian Nazi troops occupied Kosovo and established Greater Albania, Kosovo Albanian extremists organized by radical Balli Combetar party launched series of attacks on Serb Orthodox population of the province. According to the historical records around 10.000 Serbs perished in these pogroms, more than 100.000 Serbs and Montenegrins were forced out of Kosovo and Metohija. Their homes and entire villages were first looted by Albanian Moslems and burned to the ground. Serbian Orthodox Church was stricken with exceptional cruelty. In 1941 they killed 14 priests and a nun. Abbot Damaskin Boskovic was murdered most brutally while some priests like Fr. Luka Popovic, Fr. Uros Popovic and Slobodan Popovic were killed during the holy liturgy. After the murder of Fr. Damaskin Devic monastery was burned to the ground. It was only in 1954 that the monastery was reconstructed and became a convent.
Bishop of Raska and Prizren Kyr Serafim (Jovanovic) 1928-1945 At the very beginning of the war Bishop Serafim was forced to leave his throne in Prizren and found a temporary shelter in Decani Monastery. There he was arrested and deported to a special camp in Albania where he was tortured and humiliated in most brutal way. After many sufferings for his faith he departed to the Lord on January 13, 1945 and was burried in Tirana. Bishop Serafim was born in Prizren in 1928 where he attended an Orthodox Seminary. He graduated at the Moscow Spiritual Academy and received ordination as a hieromonk on June 16 1902 in the church of St. Alexander Nevski in Skodra. Prior to his election to the bishop's throne he worked as a professor at the Prizren Seminary. He became a bishop of Zletovo-Struma (today Macedonia) on December 23 1920 and was subsequently elected a bishop of Raska and Prizren Diocese on October 29, 1928.
Archdeacon Gavrilo of Decani
Fr. Gavrilo, the monk of Decani Monastery was born in Mostar Hercegovina
in a rich family of wine merchants. He joined Decani brotherhood before
the Second World War and was ordinated an archdeacon. Fr. Gavrilo
was exceptionally talented for foreign languages and fluently spoke
Italian which was of great help for the monastery during the Italian
occupation of Kosovo during the war. After the war he was arrested
by communist authorities and was tortured in a prison in Pec. Finally
the communist court sentenced him as a traitor and sent to infamous
Sremska Mitrovica prison, near Belgrade where he died in most humiliating
conditions.
Fr. Hariton Lukic 1960-1966
Fr. Chariton Lukic was a monk in the Holy Archangels Monastery near Prizren. He was born on November 21, 1960 in central Serbia and became a monk in Kosovo in 1995. Fr. Chariton was kidnapped by armed persons wearing UCK (KLA) uniforms and insignia on June 16 in the streets of Prizren. In the time of his disappearance the German KFOR troops have already entered Prizren area. Unfortunately they were followed by armed gangs of UCK extremists who have killed and kidnapped a dozen of Serbs in the city during the first days. The body of Fr. Chariton was found near Prizren on August 8th, 2000. The body was decapitated and severely mutilated. The head of Fr. Chariton has not yet been found. According to the forensic report the remains of Fr. Hariton was found in an unmarked individual grave in the cemetery of the Albanian village of Tusus near Prizren. There are many evidences that the body was left in the open air after the murder because only skeleton remains. Several ribs our found broken as well as the left hand. The head and a few vertebrae are missing. The body was found dressed in the clothes displayed on the photo (down). The sweater is found cut in the front side which might suggest that Fr. Hariton's belly was ripped. The holes around the area of heart are found which also might suggest that he was stabbed by knife. In any case it was a painful death. With his clothes the investigators have found his ID and the praying rope. All evidence and the forensic report have already been handed over to ICTY investigators who will procede with the investigation of this crime.
) The ID of Fr. Chariton and his praying rope
Hieromonk
Stefan Puric
Beside Fr. Chariton one more cleric of our Diocese was abducted by the armed UCK rebels. This is Fr. Stephen, a priest-monk in Budisavci Monastery near Klina. He was abducted on July 19, 1999 and since then nothing is known about him. According to unconfirmed information from the Albanian side Fr. Stephen was muredered and his body was thrown in an empty well and covered with carcasses of animals.
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