The newly built church of Saint John Vladimir in the village of Ostrace near Leposavic has been consecrated

In the village of Ostrace, not far from Leposavic in northern Kosovo, a newly constructed church of Saint John Vladimir was consecrated today. The church was built on an existing church site where the local villagers used to gather during the village's celebration of the Holy Trinity.

Bishop Teodosije of Raska and Prizren consecrated the church by performing the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy, with the participation of local monks and clergy.

During this event, Bishop Teodosije stated that people had gathered today in this holy place to perform a divine act – the consecration of the renovated church.

"Every church we consecrate is similar to Solomon's great Jerusalem temple, where the glory of God dwelled. Here, in this consecrated church, we serve the Holy Liturgy. We have consecrated the altar on which we will offer our gifts, bread, and wine. By the Holy Spirit, this bread will become the body of Christ, and the wine we offer will become the blood of Christ, as the Lord has commanded, 'Do this in remembrance of me'. Those who eat His body and drink His blood will have eternal life. They will be united with the Lord in this life, they will be sanctified, and they will be prepared so that when they pass from this life to the other eternal life, to the kingdom of Christ, the Lord will recognize and receive them as His own," Teodosije said.

The Bishop added that the good people, led by the local priest, had done a great deed by renovating the church.

"Blessed be the Lord, who has instilled love and a great desire to consecrate this church in our hearts. I want to share my feelings when I approached this place. It's such a beautiful location and church, with its frescoes and icons, and honestly, I can't find a single fault because everything has been done beautifully and pleasing to the Lord. When you have a church, you should come more often to meet the Lord, as He dwells in this temple," Bishop Teodosije emphasized.

For the villagers, this is a significant event that brought together not only those who live in the village but also many who returned to their hometown for this occasion.

Miladin Janicijevic, the President of the Church Committee for construction, stressed the importance of this church to the villagers, who continued to reside in significant numbers.

"We are thankful to God for its construction, primarily funded by the villagers. Until now, they had to go to the church in Lesak, but now they will have liturgies, processions for the Holy Trinity, weddings, and baptisms here in larger numbers. It contributes to the survival of our people in these highlands," Janicijevic said.

The consecration was attended by a large number of believers, local government representatives, as well as the Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Milena Parlic.

Parlic used the opportunity to congratulate Bishop Teodosije, the monastic community, the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren, the people, and the Municipality of Leposavic on the consecration of the church.

"I want us to gather here every June 4th, on the day when the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates this saint, in peace, joy, and prosperity. I proudly emphasize how many churches have been built on the church sites that our ancestors erected in Kosovo and Metohija since the 1999 war, especially in the north. Today, we have new churches in Lesak, Gulije, Borjanica, Potkomlje, and the church in Kajkovo, which will be completed in a month. All these new churches confirm the determination of the Serbs to stay on their ancestral hearths and build upon the foundations of their forebears," Parlic said and added that such developments restored hope despite the pressures people faced from Pristina.

She also emphasized the importance of this church, as it was the first newly constructed church under the auspices of the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren.

The village of Ostrace is located 12 kilometers away from Leposavic. In mid-July 2017, construction work began on the church of Saint Martyr John Vladimir.

This is the first church in the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren to be named after a saint who was the ruler of Duklja between 1000 and 1016.