A great man is one who collects knowledge the way a bee collects honey and uses it to help people overcome the difficulties they endure - hunger, ignorance and disease!
- Nikola Tesla

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.
- Franklin Roosevelt

While their territory has been devastated and their homes despoiled, the spirit of the Serbian people has not been broken.
- Woodrow Wilson

Metropolitan Irinej (Kovačević)

(1963–1998)

Milan Kovačević was born to Sreten and Kristine Kovačević on 6 September, 1914, in the village Vrnčani near Gornji Milanovac in the Kingdom of Serbia. Milan completed primary school in his village, and high school in Gornji Milanovac. After completing the course at the Teachers High School, he served as a teacher in the village Ljutovnica near Gornji Milanovac.

In 1941, during World War II, because he was at that time an army reserve officer, he was taken by the Nazis to a camp in Germany, where he remained until 1945. After the liberation, Milan went to England, where he temporarily attended a seminary in Dorchester.

In 1950, he emigrated to the USA, and he enrolled in the Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York, and also in Columbia University.

In October, 1953, Milan entered the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Saint Sava in Libertyville, Illinois. On 30 December, 1953, he was tonsured to be a monk by Archimandrite Firmilian (Ocokoljić), and he was given the name Irinej. On 31 December, 1953, the Monk Irinej was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in the monastery by Bishop Dionisije, while on April, 1954, the Hierodeacon Irinej was ordained to the priesthood in the monastery by Bishop Dionisije. On 31 August, 1956, the Hieromonk Irinej was elevated to the dignity of igumen (abbot).

In 1961, upon the recommendation of Bishop Dionisije, the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church elevated Igumen Irinej to the dignity of archimandrite.

In 1963, the schism of Bishop Dionisije began. Bishop Dionisije did not accept the decision of the Holy Synod about the creation of 3 new dioceses, namely, “Midwestern America”, “Eastern America” and “Canada and Western America”. This matter also involved political concerns. In that year, Bishop Dionisije summoned the 10th National-Church assembly, which met in Libertyville from November 10-14, 1963. It was decided not to receive any decisions, orders, and instructions of the Holy Assembly of Bishops (“Sabor”) and of the Holy Synod in Belgrade in Yugoslavia, as long as the Serbian government remained a communist regime. The assembly rejected all decisions about the suspension of Bishop Dionisije, and about the division of the US-Canadian eparchy into 3 new ones. It was also decided to declare that the American-Canadian Diocese was now free and independent.

At the same Tenth National-Church Assembly, Archimandrite Irinej was elected to become a bishop. On 7 December, 1963, archimandrite Irinej was ordained to the episcopate by Bishop Dionisije along with two Ukrainian Orthodox bishops, Bishop Genadije and Bishop Gregory. On the Feast of the Dormition on 28 August, 1983, the Free Serbian American-Canadian Bishop Irinej (Kovačević), the Bishop of Australia and New Zealand Petar (Bankerović) and the Western European Bishop Vasilije (Veinović) proclaimed at the New Gračanica Monastery near Chicago, the establishment of the Synod of Bishops. The New Gračanica Monastery served as the new headquarters of the American-Canadian Diocese. The monastery was consecrated on 12 August, 1984. At that time, Bishop Irinej, the Free Serbian Bishop for the United States and Canada, was declared to be a metropolitan.

In 1992, at the invitation of Pavle the Patriarch of Serbia, Metropolitan Irinej led a delegation of priests and other persons from the whole of the Free Serbian Orthodox Church to Serbia. A reconciliation proposal was made, in which the Free Serbian Orthodox Church would be accepted within the patriarchate as the “New Gračanica Metropolitanate” (amongst other constitutional edits). The reconciliation was achieved. The mutual eucharistic unity was confirmed with a joint Divine Liturgy in Belgrade in February, 1992.

The validity of the hierarchal ordinations was recognised about the Bishop of the Diocese of America and Canada and the Metropolitan of the Free Serbian Orthodox Church, Irenej (Kovačević), as well as the hierarchs : Bishop Dimitrije (Balać), Bishop Petar (Bankerović), Bishop Vasilije (Veinović) and Bishop Damaskin (Davidović).

The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church replaced the Episcopal Council of the New Gračanica Metropolitanate. Every new diocesan hierarch of the New Gračanica Metropolitanate is chosen by the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from amongst the candidates entered in the list of candidates on the proposal of the Episcopal Council of the New Gračanica Metropolitanate. The elected candidate is ordained by the Patriarch of Serbia.

After a long and serious illness, Metropolitan Irinej (Kovačević) fell asleep in the Lord on 2 February, 1998, in the New Gračanica Monastery, near Chicago. After the funeral services on 8 February, 1998, he was entombed in the monastery, on the right side.


SA

 

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Marko Jarić

Marko Jarić (Serbian Cyrillic: Марко Јарић; born October 12, 1978 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional basketball player.

Jarić is the only player ever to win back-to-back Italian Championships on two different teams. He won it in 2000 with Fortitudo Bologna and in 2001 with Virtus Bologna.

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Савремени еклисиолошки подсетник о Дијаспори

Историја и анализа тзв. „Америчког раскола“ (1963-1992) и предлози за његово превазилажење

Епископ Атанасије (Јевтић)

У издању Севастијан преса из Лос Анђелеса и Братства Св. Симона Мироточивог из Врњачке Бање, недавно је изашла нова књига Атанасија (Јевтића), умировљеног Владике херцеговачког, Савремени еклисиолошки подсетник о Дијаспори - Историја и анализа тзв. „Америчког раскола“ (1963-1992) и предлози за његово превазилажење.

Текст ове књиге је написан сада већ далеке 1990.године, и до данас био необјављен будући да је само за Синодске Оце Архијереје био намењен ради превазилажења тзв. „Америчког раскола“. Данас, када је тај српски раскол литургијски и административно превазиђен, сасвим је разумљиво и пожељно било да се овај текст предочи јавности.

На молбу Светог Архијерејског Синода, ондашњи јеромонах Атанасије је сва питања везана за болни раскол у српској дијаспори ставио под светлост православне Еклисиологије и Предања, што је био једини начин за њихово суочавање како би се дошло што ближе до зацељивања раскола. Читалац ће приметити како је он савесно и непристрасно проанализирао цело питање раскола и дао целисходне икономијске предлоге за његово решење. Ова књига је резултат његовог савесног христољубивог и црквољубивог рада.

Конкретан резултат Атанасијевог еклисиолошког предлога била је обнова евхаристијског општења и помирења које је постигнуто на празник Сретења Господњег, 15. фебруара 1992. године у Саборној Цркви у Београду, када су Српски Патријарх Павле и чланови Светог Архијерејског Сабора служили са Митрополитом Иринејем (Ковачевићем), дотадашњим епископом у расколу. Коначно, 21. маја 2009. године, Свети Архијерејски Сабор је донео одлуку и о коначном административном јединству Српске Цркве у Северној и Јужној Америци.

Истовремено, ова књига осветљава битно питање Дијаспоре. Дијаспора је пред Православну Цркву поставила два битна проблема: питање провере исправности нашег схватања Цркве, оног које се у последњим вековима код многих од нас усталило, и питање мисије Цркве у свету.

Књига је изашла са благословом Епископа новограчаничког и средњезападноамеричког Лонгина и Епископа западноамеричког Максима.

Књигу можете наручити по цени од $15 код:
Western American Diocese
1621 West Garvey Avenue Alhambra CA, 91803
847 571-3600, 626 289 9061, 626 284 1484 (fax), Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Visit our online store at http://westsrbdio.org/en/sebastian-press/sebastian-press-publications


Contemporary Ecclesiological Reminderon the Diaspora:
History and analysis of so called “American schism” (1963-1992) and recommendations for its overcoming

by Bishop Athanasius (Yevtich)

Recently, a new book by Athanasius (Yevtich), retired Bishop of Herzegovina, was published in Serbian by Sebastian Press of Los Angeles in cooperation with St. Simeon the Myrrh-streaming of Vrnjacka Banja.

This book was written in a now already distant year of 1990. This is its first publishing since the original intent was to have it available only for the hierarchs of the Holy Synod for the purpose of overcoming the so-called “American schism” within the Serbian diaspora. Presently, as the Serbian schism has been liturgically and administratively vanquished, it is understandable and desirable to have this valuable research available to the public.

At the request of the Holy Synod, back then hieromonk Atanasije acceded to collect all relevant documents in reference to painful schism in Serbian Diaspora, placing them in the light of Orthodox Ecclesiology and Holy Tradition, which was the only way to face it properly and bring it closer to healing.The readers will notice how Bishop Atanasije analyzed responsibly, and impartially the whole question of schism, and at the same time provided comprehensive, integral and thorough ecclesial economy, recomendations for solutions.This book is the result of his Christ-loving and Church-loving labor.

A tangible result of Atanasije's ecclesiological recommendation was the Eucharistic renewal, communion, and reconciliation which was established on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, February 15, 1992. At the Cathedral in Belgrade, His Holiness Patriarch Paul and hierarchs of the Holy Episcopal Assembly celebrated for the first time together since the schism, with Metropolitan Iriney (Kovacevic), up until then, schismatic bishop in Diaspora.Finally, on May 21, 2009, the Holy Assembly made a decission about conclusive administrative unity of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America.

In the same time this book reveals crucial question regarding Diaspora, because ecclesial organization of the Orthodox Church abroad presents itself with at least two problems: a) a check-up of our interpretation and comprehension of the Church, especifically of the last couple of centuries existing convictions, and b) a question of the Church mission in the World.

This book is published with the blessings of His Grace, Bishop Longin of New Gracanica - Midwestern America, and His Grace, Bishop Maxim of Western American Diocese, of the Serbian Orthodox Church for North and South America.

Price $15

Call us today with your order!
Western American Diocese
1621West Garvey Avenue Alhambra CA, 91803
847 571-3600, 626 289 9061, 626 284 1484 (fax), Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Visit our online store at http://westsrbdio.org/en/sebastian-press/sebastian-press-publications