Abbot Methodius Visited the Diocese of Pakrac and Slavonia

At the invitation of His Grace Bishop Jovan of Pakrac and Slavonia, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Methodius, the abbot of the Hilandar Monastery, participated in the central celebration of the feast of the Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac and the consecration of the reconstructed church of the Holy Trinity in Pakrac.

On Saturday, September 6, Abbot Methodius participated in the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy in the Monastery of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Jasenovac. Following the Liturgy, bread and wine were blessed in the immediate vicinity of the Stone Flower memorial in the Jasenovac memorial area. The Hilandar abbot had visited Jasenovac early last year, when he presented the Monastery of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist with a copy of the wonderworking icon of the Most Holy Theotokos the Milk-Giver.

On Sunday, September 7, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije presided over the Eucharistic gathering and the consecration of the reconstructed church of the Holy Trinity in Pakrac.

Alongside numerous bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, and the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Abbot Methodius also participated, joined by hieromonks, priests, and deacons.

After the Liturgy, the library of the Diocese of Pakrac and Slavonia was ceremoniously opened in the bishop’s residence. The library is renowned for its manuscripts and printed books of exceptional value and significance. Within the library is a reading room established as a gift from Abbot Methodius and the brethren of the Holy Imperial Serbian Lavra of Hilandar.

The church in Pakrac suffered extensive destruction during the wartime events from 1991 to 1995. Reconstruction began in 2003 and represents a special joy and comfort for Serbs in Slavonia, especially after great suffering and success in surviving and preserving their identity despite everything.

Source: spc.rs