Monastery of the Holy Archangels marks patron Saint's Day; Police search worshippers at entrance

The patron saint's day of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels near Prizren was celebrated with a Divine Liturgy and the ceremonial breaking of the slava bread, attended by a large number of worshippers.

A heightened presence of the Kosovo Police was visible at the entrance to the monastery. Metal barriers had been erected, and police officers searched everyone entering the monastery grounds.

Police officers searched women's handbags, while even children's strollers were subject to inspection.

The Divine Liturgy was officiated by Metropolitan Teodosije of Raska and Prizren, concelebrated by the clergy of the Diocese.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Teodosije said that everything Archangel Gabriel did came from God and that his name carries an important message for the faithful.

"His very name means: God is my strength. The name of Archangel Gabriel is a message to all of us gathered today within the walls of this ruined church dedicated to the Holy Archangels. Today, we can utter nothing greater or more powerful than these words: God is my strength. All our hopes and trust are in God, and the most important thing is that a person should not rely solely on himself. Today, people in the world believe that the greatest achievement is to express their own ideas, create something, write a poem, or possess power, knowledge, fame, honour, and wealth. Yet Christians know that all these things are temporary and earthly, while the only true and eternal reality is that which belongs to God and what we receive from Him," Metropolitan Teodosije said.

The celebration was also attended by Milena Parlic, Assistant Director of the Serbian Government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija, who said that prayerful gathering is the best response to hatred.

"These people, in fact, speak far more eloquently than any words could. The large number of worshippers gathered here today, nearly three decades after the end of the armed conflict—a conflict that, for the Serbian people, has in fact never truly ended—bears witness to the fact that, since that time, our Church has never had more faithful in its ruined and restored churches than it has today throughout Kosovo and Metohija," Parlic said.

She added that those gathered included people from all parts of Serbia and the region, as well as a large number of young people.

"I thank them for being here today, not only to become acquainted with their cultural and historical heritage, but also to strengthen their awareness of their roots, faith, national identity, and the statehood of the Serbian people. Alongside the daily violations of the human rights of Serbs, the people have also witnessed violations of religious rights. A large number of police officers were present, every worshipper was searched, and what can we ultimately say? We respond to all of this through our unity. The best response to hatred, repression, and daily pressure is to gather in prayer—to come together in faith and in ever greater numbers. The Lord God, as our Metropolitan has said, will ultimately set everything in order. I wish all Orthodox believers a happy feast day, and may Saint Archangel Gabriel convey to the Lord the love of the Serbian people of Kosovo and Metohija, who eagerly await God's justice. A blessed and joyful feast to everyone," Parlic said.

The Mayor of Brcko, Sinisa Milic, said that the large number of worshippers attending the celebration testified to the indestructibility of the holy shrines.

"I am happy and grateful to God to be here today with worshippers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska celebrating the patron saint's day of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels. The great number of faithful gathered here today bears witness to the fact that our holy shrines are indestructible. Roots firmly grounded in faith, spirituality, and identity guarantee the renewal of life, and today's feast confirms this," Milic said.

He added that nothing could prevent the faithful from gathering.

"There is no sacrifice or effort great enough to prevent us from being here today with our people. Yesterday I spent five to six hours at the border crossing between Jarinje and Merdare because of administrative obstacles, all with the apparent intention of preventing me from being here. Our presence here, despite everything, is the best possible response. We should continue to gather here, and I am certain that next year even more people will come. Happy feast day to everyone celebrating," Milic said.

Danijela Tomic from Kosovska Mitrovica said that she visits Prizren whenever she has the opportunity.

"The impression is wonderful, as it is every time I come here to Prizren. It is a very special feeling, and I always love coming whenever I can," Tomic said.

Katarina Komarica from Obrenovac visited the Monastery of the Holy Archangels for the first time and said she was pleased to see such a large gathering of worshippers.

"This is my first time here. I am happy that I came, and it is impossible to describe the feeling of being here among so many people," Komarica said.

The celebration concluded with a concert by actor Milan Vasic, who said it was a great honour to perform before worshippers who had travelled from many different places.

"Today is a very special day for me. I don't think there have ever been so many people here before, and my heart is truly full because of that. It means even more to me because my entire family came for the first time—my one-year-old son included. My heart is full not because I think I am someone important, but because I am deeply moved by seeing so many people and by their reaction. I hope everything passed in the best possible way and that there were no incidents. I would like to thank the Abbot and the Metropolitan for granting me this privilege and honour and for blessing me to serve as the organiser for the third consecutive year," Vasic said.