“It is a particular blessing that you, as Prime Minister of Serbia and as the person entrusted with making decisions and attending to the temporal affairs of our people, have come to visit this holy place. In doing so, you show that you are following in the footsteps of Saint Bishop Nikolaj and that you cherish a profound love and reverence for his person.”
With these words, Bishop Isihije of Valjevo welcomed the Prime Minister of Serbia, Dr Đuro Macut, during his visit to the Holy Monastery of Lelić on 20 July 2026.
Standing before the reliquary containing the holy relics of Saint Bishop Nikolaj, Bishop Isihije spoke of the importance of the “Chrysostom of Lelić,” emphasizing that he was the most illustrious son of the Valjevo region and that, thirty-five years ago, he returned to his homeland to guide and enlighten the faithful through difficult and turbulent times.
“Through the prayers of Saint Bishop Nikolaj and of all the Saints, we remain steadfast and continue to walk according to the testament of Saint Sava, a testament that has been renewed many times, both in the person of the Holy Glorious Great-Martyr Tsar Lazar of Kosovo and, in more recent times, through Saints Nikolaj and Justin,” Bishop Isihije said, invoking God’s blessing upon the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, that all his labours, both as a statesman and as a physician, may be for the benefit of the Serbian people and their homeland.
As a blessing and in remembrance of his veneration of the holy relics of Saint Bishop Nikolaj, the Bishop presented Prime Minister Macut with an icon.
The Prime Minister then visited the House of Saint Bishop Nikolaj, where he was welcomed by Archimandrite Georgije, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Lelić; Archpriest Darko Đurđević, Episcopal Vicar of the Second Deanery of Valjevo; and the monastic brotherhood of the monastery.
As part of his visit to the Valjevo region, the Prime Minister of Serbia, Dr Đuro Macut, also venerated the Church of the Holy Archangels in Brankovina, a village renowned for the distinguished Nenadović family, from which emerged leaders of the Serbian Revolution, statesmen, churchmen, and men of letters and culture who played a decisive role in laying the foundations of modern Serbia.
In the churchyard, the Prime Minister was welcomed by the Mayor of Valjevo, Mr Lazar Gojković; Archpriest-Stavrophore Dušan Patijarević, Rector of the Church; and Ms Jelena Nikolić Lekić, Director of the National Museum of Valjevo.
After laying flowers at the grave of Archpriest Mateja Nenadović, the first President of Serbia’s Governing Council (Praviteljstvujušči Sovjet), Archpriest Dušan Patijarević presented to the Prime Minister the history of Father Mateja’s endowment, namely this sacred church, which was built in 1830 in honour of the Holy Archangels and is today designated a cultural monument of exceptional significance.
Dr Đuro Macut also toured the rich treasury of the Church in Brankovina, where he viewed Archpriest Mateja’s handcrafted cross, the Gospel Book he brought from Russia, the carved wooden cross of Hadži-Ruvim, and numerous other precious ecclesiastical treasures.
His visit to the Church of the Holy Archangels concluded with a tour of the graves of members of the illustrious Nenadović family, accompanied by an account of their lives and achievements.
In addition to the Nenadović family, Brankovina is also closely associated with Desanka Maksimović, the great Serbian lyric poet. The Prime Minister visited her grave, as well as the museum exhibition housed in the school where she received her early education.
Dr Đuro Macut’s stay in Brankovina concluded with a visit to the traditional wooden house (vajat) of Ljuba Nenadović and to the permanent exhibition dedicated to the home of this distinguished Serbian family.
