June 28, 2004

ERP KIM Newsletter 28-06-04

St Vitus Day celebrated in Gracanica and  Gazimestan

"In our times of trouble, I expect every help from God, from our glorious holy ancestors and other numerous Serbian martyrs and new martyrs whom we remember today together with Holy Prince Lazar. May they help us with their prayers and example to endure on our cross-bearing but also Christ-bearing and salvation-bearing path that we may live in accordance with the Gospel of Christ here on earth, and become worthy heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven," said Bishop Artemije in commemoration of the great Orthodox and Serbian national holiday

Holy Hierarchal Liturgy on St. Vitus Day in front of Gracanica Monastery church (Click on photo to enlarge)

ERP KIM Info Service
Gracanica, June 28, 2004

Memorial service at Gazimestan Bishop Artemije, Patriarch Pavle and Bishop Teodosije

St Vitus Day (Vidovdan), the feast of the Holy Prince Lazarus and the 615th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, was celebrated today with Holy Liturgy in Gracanica Monastery and a memorial service (panykhida) for Serbian heroes in Gazimestan served by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle and three other bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

After remembering "all the heroes who honorably perished for the defense of the land of their fathers from the Battle of Kosovo to today", the primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church reminded in his sermon that "Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) and Holy Prince Lazar, the eternal values for which he fought and laid down his life, remain at the center of the conscience and hearts of our entire people".

"This should remain a lesson for us even today and the path we should follow. To defend freedom but with the awareness that it is necessary to all," said Patriarch Pavle. He prayed to God to help "both us and our enemies to earn as humans a life of eternal blessings in the Kingdom of Heaven". Glory to all our deceased who perished to today, martyrs and new martyrs, and may the Lord help us endure on His path regardless of all difficulties, said the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Pavle served the memorial service at Gazimestan hill near Pristina and liturgy in Gracanica together with Bishop Artemije (Radosavljevic) of Raska and Prizren, Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic) of Zahumlje and Herzegovina (retired), Bishop Teodosije (Sibalic) of Lipljan, and the priests and monks of the Dioceses of Raska and Prizren, Zahumlje and Herzegovina and Zica. In his sermon during the liturgy at Gracanica Monastery, Bishop Artemije called on the Kosovo Serbs to remain in their homes, "to stay, holding on tightly to their holy shrines, the graves of their ancestors and the holy land of Kosovo and Metohija for without Kosovo, there is no Orthodoxy for the Serbs and no Serbian state," he emphasized.

Patriarch Pavle and Bishop Teodosije on the memorial service at Gazimestan - photo Darko Dozet (Tanjug)  (click to enlarge)

Because of "the evangelical virtues according to which he lived and his readiness to give his life and spill his blood for eternal values", Holy Prince Lazar still remains the leader of the Serbian people, most of all those who have managed to survive in Kosovo and Metohija for more than five years under abnormal conditions, more difficult than during the Turkish occupation, Bishop Artemije emphasized.

"In our times of trouble, I expect every help from God, from our glorious holy ancestors and other numerous Serbian Christian martyrs and new martyrs whom we remember today together with Holy Prince Lazar. May they help us with their prayers and example to endure on our cross-bearing but also Christ-bearing and salvation-bearing path that we may live in accordance with the Gospel of Christ here on earth, and become worthy heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven," said Bishop Artemije in commemoration of the great Orthodox Christian and Serbian national holiday.

Services in Gracanica and Gazimestan were attended by the faithful as well as by Milan Radulovic, minister for religions in the Serbian Government, Kosovo Serb political leaders and representatives of the Serbian ministry of culture. The memorial service in Gazimestan was secured by strong KFOR forces.

St Vitus Day, University Day celebrated in Kosovska Mitrovica
 

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, June 28, 2004 (Beta) - Orthodox priests served Holy Liturgy and a memorial service to all fallen Serbs from the Battle of Kosovo to today on the foundation of the church of St. Dimitrije in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, whose construction is in progress.

The University of Pristina temporarily displaced to Kosovska Mitrovica celebrated its patron saint's day (University Day) on Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) for the first time in five years.

A formal academy was held in the presence of a large number of guests representing all Universities in Serbia, representatives of economic and political domains and religious communities where the rector of the University of Pristina, Radivoje Papovic, reminded everyone of the difficult history of the Serbian people during the last six hundred years.

Papovic emphasized that Kosovo today is "oppressed by both the boot and by hatred".

"Since the last St. Vitus Day in just two days in March, 40 of our holy shrines disappeared. The requiem is the only song we hear in Kosovo and it is unending," he said. He also asked Europe why it remained silent as innocent people disappeared.

Papovic said that working at the University is a privilege because it involved love, learning and defense.

"There is no other University where knowledge and the state are equally defended, where students manage to excel despite the fact they share the fate of the displaced and expelled, and they study under siege," said Papovic.

Final year students with the highest academic achievement received special certificates while deserving professors received special St. Vitus Day recognitions.

Students of the Faculty of Music Arts conducted a cultural program suitable to the occasion.

St Vitus Day poetry event held in Gracanica

GRACANICA, June 27, 2004 (Beta) - The St Vitus Day poetry event was celebrated this evening with the cutting of the festal cake and a poetry reading.

Serbian Patriarch Pavle also attended the event after holding vigil services in the monastery.

The festal (slava) cake in honor of the host was cut by Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan together with the priests of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren.

After the poetry reading, primarily dedicated to the suffering of the Serbs since the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, this year's top prizes were awarded to the poets.

The jury awarded the "Golden Cross of Prince Lazar" award to Belgrade poet Danilo Nikolic.

The "Pen of Prince Stefan Lazarevic" went to Branimir Bojic of Novi Sad, and "The Cup of the Kosovo Maiden" to Ljubica Miletic of Belgrade.

The "Gracanica Charter" was awarded to Kosovo artist Dragomir Kostic from Preoce.

The Gracanica poetry event was attended by approximately one thousand Serbs, as well as by Milan Radulovic, the minister for religions in the Serbian Government. Strong KFOR forces continue to protect Gracanica and its surroundings.

On Monday morning Patriarch Pavle will serve the St Vitus Day liturgy in the morning in Gracanica Monastery and a memorial service for fallen Serb heroes in Gazimestan.

Few hundreds of Serbs gathered at Gazimestan hill under strong KFOR escort to participate in the traditional memorial service to the Kosovo battle knights. Photo Darko Dozet (Tanjug) (click to enlarge)

Bishop Artemije: 615th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo and 5th anniversary under occupation

GRACANICA, June 27, 2004 (Beta) - Commenting on the celebration of the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren said in Gracanica on Sunday that "the Serbs are celebrating the 615th anniversary of the historic St Vitus Day and the fifth anniversary under the new occupation".

"Difficult conditions, a strong will and hope have sustained us during five hundred years under Turkish occupation and five years under the new occupation," said the Bishop. He expressed the hope that "Serbs would welcome the next St Vitus Day in greater freedom".

Local coordinator in the Pristina municipality Marko Todorovic said that the Serbs, despite being crucified between the desire to survive and the intent of the Albanian extremists to chase them from their centuries-old homes, continue to celebrate their Christian holidays for they provide them with new strength.

The Kosovo Battle

The Battle of Kosovo - Serbian Medieval Epic Poems Translated by John Mattias and Vladeta Vuckovic

Serbian Medieval Epic Poetry (Battle of Kosovo) translated into English by Helen Rootham (ed. 1920)

Kosovo-Battle - History and its Importance - Who was St. Prince Lazar and what is the meaning of the Kosovo battle in the Serbian history of Kosovo and Metohija?

The Kosovo Field, June 15, 1389 Sima Cirkovic - A historic essay covering the events before, during and after the Kosovo battle in detail.

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