Prizren, July 27, 2005
KIM Info-Service

The monastery slava of the Holy Archangel Gabriel and the 650 year anniversary of the repose of the Emperor Dushan, the patron and founder of Holy Archangels Monastery near Prizren, was formally celebrated on Tuesday in this holy shrine. His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren and Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan. The holiday religious service and spiritual academy after it was attended by several hundred faithful and pilgrims from central Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija. After Holy Liturgy a memorial service was served at the graveside of the Emperor Dushan, whose body rests in St. Mark's Church in Belgrade.

Patriarch Pavle, Bishop Artemije and Bishop Teodosije
Large format: http://www.kosovo.net/images/img_0005.jpg

Holy Archangels Monastery was built from 1343 to 1353 as the pious endowment of the Emperor Dushan. Among the other holy Serbian lavra, it was one of the largest and most significant monasteries of that age. After the fall of Prizren under Turkish rule in 1455, one hundred years after the founding of the monastery, this holy shrine began a period of difficult life and stagnation. The monastery lost its many properties and privileges. In 1615 Sinan Pasha ordered the destruction of the church of the Holy Archangels and its living quarters in order to build the mosque named after him, which still stands in the center of Prizren, out of the gorgeous marble used to build Dushan's church. The monastery with the grave of the Emperor Dushan was vacant until 1998 when the first monastery dormitory was restored with the blessing of Bishop Artemije. However, the suffering of the monastery continued and five years later, during last year's March riots, Albanians burned down the living quarters and the chapel of St. Nikolai of Ochrid and Zhicha. The monastery brethren led by Hieromonk Herman quickly restored the monastery's living quarters and this much suffering monastery celebrated this year's anniversary with new hope and élan.

Representatives of the Belgrade government and the faithful among the church ruins
Large format: http://www.kosovo.net/images/img_0034.jpg

After Holy Hierarchal Liturgy, Patriarch Pavle addressed those present with the following words:

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have gathered here today in this holy place where our forebears prayed to God throughout the centuries, in times of peace and times of enslavement, and in times when they fought for their freedom. They prayed for justice, truth and peace for all people of good will in the world. Because we all need peace, freedom and justice. That is why, brothers and sisters, we must always be aware of this truth throughout the centuries. Time builds palaces throughout the land; time builds and it destroys. However, time cannot build a man and then destroy him, for he remains human while he who has never been human will remain inhuman to the end of time. Our forebears know this as did all faithful Christians throughout the centuries. The most important thing is to achieve a blessed state while still in this world, and to live in it in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven with all the saints of our people. It is important that we who represent our faith do not enter the place where our saints are with our head bowed, and that we are not ashamed before Our Lord and God and theirs but that He recognizes and acknowledges us as His faithful servants.

That is the message, brothers and sisters, of these 2,000 years. The message of the saints up to and including the present day. It is not easy to be human even in a world of men, let alone in a world that wallows completely in evil. But let us repeat that there have always been those who even during difficult times have remained human. What sort of consolation would we have if the times were pleasant and carefree, and we were to lose our honor and our soul, that which is most important.

Our Lord and Holy Archangels and all the Saints, help us to truly remain on the narrow and difficult path and at the narrow gate that leads to life eternal. That we may gather thus on the side that Christ will recognize and acknowledge as his faithful servants. Then we will be overjoyed and our joy will have no end nor will anyone be able to take our joy from us. Lord, help everyone, including ourselves. Help all people of good will throughout the world. Everyone needs peace and justice and freedom.

Glory to you, O Lord, and gratitude eternal. AMEN.

The celebration at Holy Archangels Monastery was attended by the following representatives of the Belgrade government: Serbian Assembly Speaker Predrag Markovic; Dr. Nebojsa Covic, head of the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija; Minister of Religions Radulovic; and representatives of the cabinet of Serbian President Boris Tadic. The ceremony was also attended by KFOR representatives led by the commander of Multinational Brigade South-West, German General Norbert Steer.

Serbian national television's Second Program broadcast the entire Hierarchal Liturgy live.

The celebration took place with the assistance and protection of international KFOR troops and UNMIK police, who made it possible for the faithful to attend and secured the area around the monastery. The festivities at Holy Archangels unfolded peacefully and in dignified fashion to the joy of the few remaining Serbs of the Prizren region and the monastery brotherhood, which invested great efforts in ensuring a hospitable and brotherly reception for their numerous guests.