Patron saint feast of the Holy Unmercenaries celebrated at Zociste Monastery

The patron saint feast of the Monastery of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian in Zociste was solemnly celebrated today, with the Divine Liturgy officiated by Metropolitan Teodosije of Raska and Prizren and Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo, concelebrated by the monastery brotherhood and clergy of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren, Radio Television Gracanica reports.

The festive gathering at the monastery brought together numerous faithful who came to venerate the miraculous relics of the Holy Unmercenaries.

In his sermon following the Liturgy, Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo recalled the difficult path of suffering and restoration endured by Zociste Monastery, stressing that although the holy site had been destroyed in the past and afflicted by violence and hatred, it had risen again through the power of indestructible life and faith.

He emphasized that Zociste had become a source of spiritual strength and a refuge for all those seeking healing beside the reliquary containing the relics of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

“A Christian believes that all is already well because he has experienced the Resurrection of Christ. Through that victory, people have been healed for centuries. Remember the Holy Unmercenaries and the fact that, in addition to possessing the art of healing, today we should also extend our greetings to all those who practice the medical profession. May God give them strength and guide their hands and minds as they heal the people,” Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo said, according to RT Gracanica.

Speaking about the importance of genuine reconciliation, he said that full communion with God could not be achieved without healing relationships with one’s fellow human beings, calling on the faithful to forgive, support one another and preserve Christian virtues.

He also emphasized the importance of preserving ancestral homes and land in Kosovo, warning of the transience of earthly possessions in the face of the testimony of faith and the sacrifices made by previous generations.

“When we come here to pray to the Holy Unmercenaries, let us remember how destructive a passion the love of money is, how cheaply a person can sell his soul, sell his ancestral land—as, unfortunately, we have witnessed in Kosovo and Metohija in recent times—and then squander that money. Here, all of us, and especially you who live in Kosovo and Metohija, when you remember Cosmas and Damian, let that be an encouragement not to sell that piece of land that your ancestors watered with their blood and sweat,” Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo said.

Milena Parlic, Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, stressed that the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian carried particular significance and warmth in Zociste and the surrounding area because both the people and the Church there had suffered during the war.

“By God’s grace, it was raised from the ashes, just like many churches and holy sites that were destroyed both in 1999 and after the March pogrom. They were destroyed and then rebuilt thanks to the Lord, the Diocese of Raska and Prizren, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, numerous donors and the God-loving people,” Parlic said.

Today, restored once again, these holy sites bring the faithful together in the love of God.

“I congratulate everyone celebrating today on this great feast. May this resurrected holy site, as well as all the others, bring us together spiritually and serve as a source of strength for the Serbian people, not only those from Kosovo and Metohija but from all parts of Serbia,” Parlic said.

The Holy Unmercenaries are particularly revered in healthcare institutions, where physicians celebrate them as the patron saints of their profession.

The faithful turn to them in prayer for health, healing and the protection of their loved ones, while some families also celebrate the feast as their family patron saint day, or slava.