Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia presided over the Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, marking the 150th anniversary of the historic Battle of Vučji Do.
The service was celebrated on the feast of Saint Athenogenes at the church dedicated to the Hieromartyr, built at the site where, exactly 150 years ago, Serbian and Montenegrin forces won a major victory over the numerically superior Ottoman army.
In his homily, Patriarch Porfirije reflected extensively on faith, love, sacrifice and the Christian understanding of freedom, linking these themes with the legacy of those who fought at Vučji Do.
The Serbian Patriarch began by stressing that God created the world in perfection and humanity in His image and likeness, placing love at the heart of creation and human existence.
He said that Christians, despite their individual differences and gifts, become one through Christ and participation in the life of the Church. He also emphasised the central place of Saint Sava in the spiritual identity of the Serbian Orthodox people, describing him as the root from which their spiritual tradition has developed through the centuries.
Turning to the significance of Vučji Do, Patriarch Porfirije described the battlefield as a place transformed by sacrifice into a site of spiritual importance.
According to the Patriarch, those who fought there understood that earthly life and earthly concerns acquire their true meaning only when they reflect the Gospel of Christ. He argued that they could have chosen worldly comfort, privileges and security by abandoning their faith and identity, but instead remained faithful to Christ despite the trials this entailed.
“They went into battle not against anyone, but against demonic forces; not against, but for Christ, for their Orthodox faith and for their Orthodox Church,” Patriarch Porfirije said.
He added that their sacrifice had transformed Vučji Do into a place where subsequent generations could gather in prayer and commemorate “those who gave their lives for freedom, for justice, for truth — here, but also everywhere.”
The Patriarch also reflected on the Gospel parable of the labourers in the vineyard, emphasising that human life and the Kingdom of God are gifts rather than rewards earned through comparison with others.
Returning to the fighters of Vučji Do, he said they had not fought in expectation of payment or personal reward, but out of love for God, Christ, their people and their neighbours.
Concluding his homily, Patriarch Porfirije called on the faithful to follow their example by rejecting hatred and selfishness and cultivating forgiveness, mercy, humility and love. He prayed that God would grant peace and joy not only to those gathered at Vučji Do but to all people.
The Divine Liturgy was concelebrated by Metropolitans Chrysostom of Dabar-Bosnia, Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral, Jovan of Šumadija, Atanasije of Mileševa, David of Kruševac, Ilarion of Timok, Arsenije of Niš, Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and the Littoral, and Metodije of Budimlje-Nikšić.
Also concelebrating were Bishops Jovan of Pakrac and Slavonia, Kirilo of Buenos Aires and South-Central America, Isihije of Valjevo, and Vicar Bishop Paisije of Dioclea.
Source: Patriarchate of Serbia
