In the Church of St. George in Prizren, the Saint Patron’s Day of the Prizren Theological Seminary St. Cyril and Methodius is commemorated

The liturgy and cutting of the ritual bread in the church of St. George in Prizren celebrated the feast of St. Cyril and Methodius and the Saint Patron’s Day of the Prizren Theological Seminary, which is celebrating its 152nd anniversary this year.

In the presence of a large number of believers and students of the Prizren Theological Seminary, the holy liturgy was served by the Bishop Teodosije of Raska and Prizren and Kosovo and Metohija with the concelebration of numerous clergy from that Eparchy.

In his speech, Teodosije pointed out that the church of St. George and the seminary had been burned and destroyed, but that "by the will of God and by the power of God, they were resurrected."

"It is really nice to sing to the Lord and celebrate the holy resurrection, especially here in the city of Prizren, which recently, in our time, experienced its Golgotha, but by the power of God, all the holy places were resurrected, life sprung from the grave. This is how our seminary was burned and devastated restored by the power of God and by the will of God, and since 2011, students have been learning the word of God in it and are preparing to become future pastors of the Church of God and teachers of their people," Teodosije said.

He also reminded of the deeds and merits of the saints who were celebrated that day.
Representatives of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija also attended the liturgy in the church, and the assistant director of the office, Milena Parlic, congratulated the believers on the holiday.

"We are here on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia to celebrate this holiday together with our Eparchy and our faithful people, to celebrate the Saint Patron’s Day of our Prizren Theological Seminary, which is a true example of the Resurrection of Christ. Today we are here in Prizren, tomorrow together with our suffering Kosovo and Metohija people, the Patriarch of the SOC, and the people, at the Salvation Day prayer we will pray for the salvation of our people, and on Friday at the general assembly to strengthen that prayer with faith and hope that the Lord God and the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church will give strength, and to provide support, with the desire to resist all worldly temptations with the aim of preserving the Serbs and preserving these centuries-old holy places of ours," Parlic said.

Recently, the eighth generation of the Prizren Theological Seminary finished their education, and one of the graduates, Danijel Jancic from Pasjan, emphasized that today's holiday was very important for the entire school.

"This is one of the most solemn days in our school, precisely because our school is named after these saints Cyril and Methodius. I had the honor and privilege to attend this school, it has produced important figures throughout its history, and it is an honor and a privilege to be a part of all this," Jancic said.
The Prizren seminary was renovated in 2012, and the following year, professor-doctor Valentina Pitulic started working as a professor of Serbian language and literature; she emphasized on this occasion that it was the joint task of both professors and students to continue the tradition of their famous ancestors.

"The school continues the tradition of good professors, good students, the founders of this school, let me mention Ivan Stepanovic Jastrebov, the Russian consul who helped to establish this school in those difficult Turkish times, then Sima Igumanov, who ceded his house so that the school could start working and it is the first school in the Serbian language in what was then Turkey, where priests and teachers were educated. We have a big homework to continue what they started," Pitulic said.

Dressed in the national costume of the Prizren region, Jasmina Savic, born in Prizren, attracted the special attention of those present, who had a message for all displaced fellow citizens who want to return to their city.

"For the last couple of years, I have been thinking about returning, and so, due to a combination of life circumstances, I have now decided to return and to start this 'Prizrenization', which is in full swing, with the aim of having the right supporters help to intensify everything that made Prizren a special city," Savic said.

She told her fellow citizens that their city had been waiting for them.

"Prizren is waiting for us, who will if not us, when if not now? God help us as we work," Savic said.

After the Liturgy, the clergy and believers walked through the center of Prizren, and then a formal academy was organized in the building of the Prizren Theological Seminary, where the students of the Theological Seminary presented a rich cultural and artistic program.