During the Divine Liturgy on June 30, 2024, celebrated by Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, alongside Archbishop Stephan of Ohrid, the two hierarchs honored the solemn canonization of the Holy Martyr Stefanida of Bitola and Skadar. The ceremony took place in the Cathedral Church of Saint Demetrius in Bitola.
At the conclusion of the service, Patriarch Porfirije emphasized the unity of the faithful: “Since we are one Body and one Blood, that we are the Body of Christ, that we are His Church – we understand each other with the language of faith and the language of love. Just like the three thousand people gathered in Jerusalem who came from all over and did not know the Jewish language, they understood the Apostle Peter who addressed them in the Jewish language as if he was speaking to them in a language they understood.”
He elaborated, “This was due to their faith in the living God, their love for God, and their search for truth, fullness, perfection, and holiness. The Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Peter, and everyone understood each other.” Patriarch Porfirije concluded, “In the same way, brothers and sisters, speaking the same language, the language of the Holy Spirit, speaking the Orthodox language, speaking the language of the Church, speaking the language of love, we not only understand each other but are truly one, because we partake of the same Body of Christ and with the same Blood of His.”
Stefanida of Bitola and Skadar was born Stevka Đurčević in Vraca near Shkodra in 1887. In 1933, her family, along with numerous Serbs from that region, were deported from their birthplace to Drenovac near Klina in Kosovo and Metohija. From an early age, she dedicated herself to a living love for the Lord Christ. She was martyred by the occupiers in Bitola in 1945.
The canonization of Holy Martyr Stefanida stands as a testament to her unwavering faith and sacrifice, and it serves as an inspiration for the faithful in the Orthodox Church.
Source: Patriarchate of Serbia
