Abbot Methodius Visited the Diocese of New Gračanica and Midwestern America
With the blessing of His Eminence, the Archbishop of New Gračanica–Chicago and Metropolitan of Midwestern America, Longin, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Methodius, the Abbot of the Hilandar Monastery, visited the United States of America from October 18 to 21.
The immediate occasion for this visit was the arrival of the faithful copy of the icon of the Most Holy ‘Three-handed’ Theotokos, which had been prepared at the Holy Imperial Serbian Lavra of Hilandar for the Church of St. Sava in Merrillville, Indiana, to serve as a source of prayerful strengthening and joy for the clergy, parishioners, and faithful people of the God-protected Diocese of New Gračanica and Midwestern America.
Upon his arrival in Chicago on Saturday, October 18, Abbot Methodius, accompanied by Hieromonk Arsenije of Hilandar and his associates, was welcomed at the diocesan seat—the Monastery of New Gračanica. After the vespers and the Akathist to the Most Holy ‘Three-handed’ Theotokos, a warm welcome was given in their honor, during which His Eminence Metropolitan Longin extended words of welcome. On that occasion, Abbot Methodius thanked them for the kind reception and gave his blessings upon all gathered during the prayer within the monastery church. Expressing his joy, he gave each of them individually a small icon of the Most Holy ‘Three-handed’ Theotokos as a gift and blessing.
That same evening, at the nearby Church of St. Basil of Ostrog in Lake Forest, Abbot Methodius delivered a lecture to the attendees. He engaged in a spiritual conversation with those who had gathered for the occasion.
The following day, Sunday, a Divine Hierarchical Liturgy was served in the Church of St. Sava in Merrillville, after which the solemn consecration of the icon was performed, presided over by His Eminence, the Archbishop of New Gračanica–Chicago and Metropolitan of Midwestern America, Longin, together with His Grace, the Vicar Bishop Seraphim of Kostajnica, Abbot Methodius of the Hilandar Monastery, Hieromonk Arsenije, and Reverend fathers, hieromonks, and deacons of the Diocese of New Gračanica and Midwestern America.
Continuing his prayerful visit, as he had begun, on Monday, October 20, Abbot Methodius concelebrated with Metropolitan Longin during the Divine Hierarchical Liturgy in the Monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville, where, in addition to the relics that have marked the life of the Serbian community in the American state of Illinois in recent decades, since 2017 the faithful have been spiritually strengthened by the canonization and newly opened relics of Saint Mardarije of Libertyville, the first Serbian Bishop in America, the founder of the aforementioned Monastery of St. Sava.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Abbot Methodius read a prayer before the relics of St. Mardarije, after which he addressed the faithful and took the opportunity to congratulate His Eminence Metropolitan Longin on the jubilee of his forty years of episcopal service.
After that, he visited the grave of St. Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović), located beside the monastery church—the place where the saint’s relics rested until their transfer to his native Lelić in 1991.
Abbot Methodius’ visit was continued by a delightful encounter with the professors and students of the St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville—the only theological educational institution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States. The Abbot spent time with them in an interesting conversation about spirituality and life experience on Mount Athos.
Before his return to Serbia, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Methodius, together with Hieromonk Arsenije and his associates, also met with His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (Metropolis of Chicago).
