St. Stefan's Day celebrated at Visoki Decani Monastery

On Thursday, November 24, 2005 Visoki Decani Monastery celebrated the feast of its founder and endower, St. Stefan of Decani. Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of his vicar, Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, who is also the abbot of Visoki Decani, and a number of other abbots, priest-monks and priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Approximately 800 faithful from Kosovo and Metohija, other parts of Serbia, Montenegro and Republika Srpska attended the festivities despite a surprise blizzard, escorted by KFOR and members of the Kosovo Police Service

 
From yesterday's services in church of Visoki Decani Monastery (click on photo to enlarge)

KIM Info Service
Decani, November 24, 2005

On Thursday, November 24, 2005 Visoki Decani Monastery celebrated the feast of its founder and endower, St. Stefan of Decani. Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of his vicar, Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, who is also the abbot of Visoki Decani, and a number of other abbots, priest-monks and priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Approximately 800 faithful from Kosovo and Metohija, other parts of Serbia, Montenegro and Republika Srpska attended the festivities.

The celebration of the feast of the Holy King Stefan of Decani, who founded this monastery in the 14th cenutry, began the night before with a monastic vigil service, which included the tonsure of novice Slobodan Rojevic, who received the new monastic name of Petar after St. Petar of Cetinje, 18th century Serbian Bishop in Montenegro. During the Holy Liturgy Bishop Artemije elevated Monk Kiril Djordjevic to the office of hierodeacon, thus introducing another young monk originally from Pristina to the order of the servants of the Holy Altar.

Also attending the celebration were UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen; Italian general Claudio Mora and his officers; representatives of the EU and the Council of Europe; and the heads of international diplomatic missions of several countries, including the U.S., Russia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria and Greece. Groups of Orthodox faithful from Albania and Romania were also among the guests.

Today's festivities at Decani were secured by strong Italian KFOR forces and by the Kosovo Police Service and no incidents were recorded.

 
Detail from tonsuring of Monk Petar (Rojevic) on the eve of the feast (click on photo to enlarge)

With the blessing of Bishop Artemije, Bishop Teodosije addressed the guests who were present during the banquet luncheon, who expressed gratitude to the Lord that so many people from different parts had come together in the monastery despite a surprise blizzard. He also thanked members of Italian KFOR and UNMIK for the care demonstrated toward the monastery and the monks, emphasizing that without their help, the monastery could not survive in these difficult times. Bishop Teodosije added that the monastery has brought together people of good will for centuries, and that it needs to continue this mission in the future in order to demonstrate that spiritual values far outweigh the transiencies of the time in which we live.

 
Bishops Artemije and Teodosije with UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen
and general Claudio Mora (click on photo to enlarge)

UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen stressed the importance of Visoki Decani Monastery and other Orthodox holy shrines in Kosovo as a part of the general heritage of civilization and all of humanity. He mentioned that he issued an executive order placing the monastery and its enviroment under special protection as a UNESCO World Heritage List site, saying that in the future all citizens of Kosovo and the International Community should contribute to the preservation of cultural and spiritual treasures.

After Decani Monastery the UNMIK chief and representatives of the Council of Europe continued on to Prizren to visit the church of Bogorodica Ljeviska (the Most Holy Theotokos of Ljevis), which recently had a part of the lead covering stolen from its roof. (See more in the UNMIK press release on this event at the end of today's bulletin).

In a recent letter addressed to Bishop Teodosije the UNMIK chief informed him of the stats of the investigation into the theft of the lead roof, stressing that KFOR will undertake special protective measures to ensure that such unfortunate incidents do not reoccur.

 
Detail from monastic wake on the eve of the feast of St. Stefan (click on photo to enlarge)

Stefan was the son of King Milutin and father of Tsar Dusan. By the command of his ill-informed father, Stefan was blinded, and at the command of his capricious son (Dusan), was strangled in his old age. When he was blinded, St. Nicholas appeared to him in the church at Ovce Polje (Field of the Sheep) and showed him his eyes saying: ''Stefan, be not afraid: behold your eyes in my palm. In due time, I will return them to you.'' Stefan spent five years in Constantinople as a prisoner in the Monastery of the Pantocrator. By his wisdom and asceticism, his meekness and piety, his patience and benevolence, Stefan not only surpassed all the monks in his monastery, but all monks in Constantinople. When five years had passed, St. Nicholas again appeared to him and said: ''I came to fulfill my promise.'' He then traced the sign of the Cross on the blind king, and Stefan received his sight. In thanksgiving to God, Stefan built the Church of Decani, one of the most marvelous works of Byzantine artistic beauty, and one of the most famous monuments of Serbian piety. The holy King Stefan, with St. Sava and the holy Prince Lazar, constitute a most glorious trinity of holiness, nobility and self-sacrifice-the gift of the Serbian people. St. Stefan lived his earthly life as a martyr, and died as a martyr in the year 1336, receiving the wreath of immortal glory from the Almighty God Whom he had faithfully served.

Decani monastery under snow covering, Nov 24, 2005

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