October 16, 2005

KiM Info Newsletter 16-10-05

Festive celebration of the feast of St. Cyriac the Ascetic in Velika Hoca

Today's festivities began with Holy Hierarchal Liturgy served by His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren with the concelebration of his vicar, His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, and a number of priest-monks and priests of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren. Following Holy Liturgy the new monastic living quarters next to the church of St. John the Fore-runner were consecrated, establishing a new monastery under the administration of Protosingel Miron (Kosac), previously a professor of the Prizren Seminary, which has been temporarily dislocated to Nis (in central Serbia).



Bishops Artemije and Teodosije serve Holy Liturgy
in front of the church of St. John the Fore-runner
 
KIM Info Service
Velika Hoca, October 12, 2005
 
On the occasion of the feast of St. Cyriac the Ascetic (Miholjdan), the church parish of Velika Hoca near Orahovac organized a traditional festive celebration that has brought together Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia for years.
 
Today's festivities began with Holy Hierarchal Liturgy served by His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren with the concelebration of his vicar, His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, and a number of priest-monks and priests of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren. Following Holy Liturgy the new monastic living quarters next to the church of St. John the Fore-runner were consecrated, establishing a new monastery under the administration of Protosingel Miron (Kosac), previously a professor of the Prizren Seminary, which has been temporarily dislocated to Nis (in central Serbia).
 

Newly consecrated living quarters for monks
 
After the consecration a festive cultural arts program took place in the Culture Hall in Velika Hoca, including performances by Kosovski Bozuri (Peonies) children's choir and recitals by actresses Jelena and Ivana Zigon from Belgrade. After lunch the cultural arts program continued in the "Decani station" with wine sampling and sales, and the opening of an exhibition of folk handicrafts created by the members of the non-governmental organization "Jefimija".
 
Present along with the faithful from throughout Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia were members of the Georgian KFOR contingent, who also partook in communion during Holy Liturgy. The celebration in Hoca was also attended by deputy minister of culture, Miroljub Radosavljevic, on behalf of the Serbian Ministry of Culture.
 
In addition to the newly founded monastery in Velika Hoca, the nearby monastery in the village of Zociste is also being rebuilt and the first Serbian returnees to the village are expected by the end of the year. The remaining Serbs in the Orahovac region once again demonstrated their desire to stay and survive in their centuries-old homes by their love toward the church, joy and optimism.
 
Velika Hoca is mentioned in written records for the first time in the twelfth century founding charter of St. Simeon Nemanja, who bequeathed it and several other neighboring villages with vineyards to the Serbian monastery of Chilandar on Mt. Athos. Since then several monastic estates have existed in Velika Hoca where monks tended the vines and produced wine. The only remaining estate that remains today belongs to the monastery of Visoki Decani. Monastery wine has been produced in the Decani cellar since the time of Holy King Stefan of Decani, who according to tradition planted the first Decani vineyard in the 14th century.
 


Cultural arts program in the Culture Hall in Velika Hoca

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