On May 14, 2025, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije officially opened the exhibition titled “Saint Dositej of Niš and Zagreb – Servant of Peace and Love” at the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade. The exhibition marks the 80th anniversary of the repose of Saint Confessor Dositej and is curated by Fr. Dalibor Midić, Deacon Budimir Kokotović, and Ms. Zvezdana Ostojić.
This year, the Serbian Orthodox Church is prayerfully commemorating the 850th anniversary of the birth of Saint Sava, the first Archbishop of Serbia, while also honoring other great spiritual sons of the Church of Saint Sava – among them Saint Dositej of Niš and Zagreb.
The earthly life of Bishop Dositej was deeply rooted in the Gospel of Christ. He walked the narrow and thorny path of the Cross during turbulent times in world history. Through obedience and fidelity to the Church, God granted him from an early age numerous talents which he cultivated both in his homeland and in cultural and academic centers throughout Europe and beyond, reaching as far as India. Wherever he went, he sowed seeds of sincere faith and love, tirelessly laboring in the Lord’s vineyard. Today, those seeds continue to bear fruit not only in the dioceses where he served but throughout the Orthodox Church.
In his opening remarks, Patriarch Porfirije addressed the hierarchs, clergy, and numerous attendees: “Your Eminences and Graces, dear fathers, brothers and sisters, on behalf of all, I express gratitude to the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church for organizing this exhibition. Thanks also to Metropolitan Arsenije of Niš and Bishop Kirilo, administrator of the Zagreb–Ljubljana Diocese, for their efforts in making this exhibition possible today. Through God’s grace and the prayers of Saint Dositej, we are gathered here. We thank Saint Dositej of Niš and Zagreb for everything he has done and continues to do for our Church. Offering our prayers to him, we ask that he intercede before the Lord on our behalf. With this prayerful spirit, I declare the exhibition open.”
Source and photos: Patriarchate of Serbia
