In the birthplace of Patriarch Pavle of blessed repose, some two thousand people from several dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church gathered in the morning hours on the feast day of Saint George, November 16, 2019, to participate in the solemn act of consecrating the Holy Apostles church at Kucanci.
Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, accompanied by Bishop Jovan of Slavonia and other hierarchs, arrived in the churchyard, where the ceremonial gauntlet consisted of the Guardians of the Tomb of Christ, women dressed in Slavonian folk costume, pious people from the Diocese of Slavonia with clergy, monastics and guests from all over Serbia.
The Patriarch performed the act of consecrating the restored temple of the Holy Apostles, in which prayers have been offered for 270 years. Thereafter, the Primate of Serbia officiated the holy Hierarchal Liturgy with concelebration of Metropolitans Amfilohije of Montenegro-Littoral and Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana; Bishops: Dositej of Britain-Scandinavia, Atanasije of Mileseva, Jovan of Slavonia-Pakrac, Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac, Nikodim of Dalmatia, Heruvim of Osijek-Polje and Baranja, Dimitrije of Zaholm-Herzegovina, retired Bishop Konstantin of Middle-Europe and priesthood of the Serbian Church.
Appreciating merits of those who supported the reconstruction of the church at Kućanci, Patriarch Irinej handed over Patriarch’s grammata to the mayor of Magadenovac Municipality Stjepan Živković; Dr. Mileta Radojevic, Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities; Mr. Dragan Pavlovic, head of the Guardian of the Tomb of Christ; and Mr. Mitar Petkovic who made efforts that the church might look magnificently.
The ceremony was attended by BandH Ambassador to Croatia Alexander Vranjes, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers of BandH Igor Crnadak, representatives of the Embassy of Serbia in Croatia and Serbian organizations from Croatia, Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar, Archbishop of Djakovo-Osijek Đuro Hranić, Bishop of Pozega Antun Skvorcevic, Bishop Jasmin Milic of the Protestant Church, President of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party Milorad Pupovac, Director of the Secretariat for Religions of Republic Srpska Dragan Davidovic, a great number of Orthodox believers from Slavonia, guests from the Republic of Srpska and Serbia, from diaspora, clergy and donors of this holy temple.
Source: Serbian Orthodox Church
