The pilgrims from Banjska arrived in Novi Sad, Archpriest Milovac: We were not afraid, our only weapon is prayer

A group of believers who spent the previous day and last night in the Banjska monastery in the north of Kosovo, while it was under siege, arrived tonight in Novi Sad, where they were welcomed by the mayor, Milan Djuric.

Although they were locked in the monastery premises at the time of yesterday's shooting, they say they were not afraid.

Archpriest Brane Milovac, from the Eparchy of Backa, which organized the trip to the Banjska monastery, tells for Kosovo Online that the goal was to save all believers who went on the trip.

"We had our weapon, and our weapon is prayer. The conciliar spirit reigned. In addition to praying in the church, and the time we spent in the monastery dining room, with the hospitality of bishop Teodosije and abbot Danilo, who kept vigil with us all the time, we comforted, supported each other, and read prayers together," he says.

With that, he says, they encouraged each other that this too will pass.

“Thank God, it didn't take long. Unfortunately, there are victims, as we hear from the media, on all sides. But as for our believers, we have returned, thank God, all alive and well to their homes and families," Archpriest Milovac said.

A bus of believers from the Eparchy of Backa went on the way to the Banjska monastery, and not for the first time.

"We regularly go to Kosovo. And to Prizren, Decani... The Eparchy of Backa is organizing the trip and people are very happy to respond. The presence of everything that happened was something we didn't expect, but we survived... Everyone with their own impressions and stress, will carry it as God's blessing or as a blessing...", Archpriest Milovac said.

The pilgrims who were locked in the Banjska monastery yesterday and tonight traveled to the Jarinje crossing accompanied by the Kosovo Police and Eulex.

The mayor of Novi Sad, Milan Djuric, welcomed them home.

"I'm glad you're all alive and well, you know best what you've been through and how you've been... I wanted to welcome you, to let you know that we were with you, just to know that you're okay," said Djuric.