[Archived News] Thursday, March 22, 2012
Twenty Fourth Annual Washington Deanery Meeting
Lebanon, PA - His Grace Bishop Dr. MITROPHAN scheduled the Twenty-Fourth Annual Washington Deanery Meeting on Christian Education to be held at the Holy Resurrection of Christ Serbian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania on March 10, 2012. The host priest was Reverend Father Christopher Rocknage.
The day began with the celebration of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the Deanery Meeting was held afterwards. Father Rocknage and Washington Deanery Dean Very Reverend Stavrofor Srboljub Jockovich warmly welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of the meeting. Clergy and teachers from the Deanery were invited to attend and participate.
His Grace Bishop Dr.MITROPHAN designated Very Reverend Djokan Majstorovic as the speaker. Protopresbyter Majstorovic is the Dean of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in New York City and serves as President of the Serbian Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of North America. Father Majstorovic is an experienced parish priest and is the father of a college age son and teenage daughter. Father Majstorovic spoke on the theme: “How Can the Church Best Meet the Needs of Her Teenagers.” He said the Church’s mission is more difficult because of the nature of our secular and pluralistic society. Not many Serbian Orthodox families are linked to the Church and their ethnic heritage. Father Majstorovic said the Church must take responsibility to help teenagers address moral and spiritual values. He said clergy, lay leaders and teachers must maintain high spiritual credibility and moral values in the eyes of teenagers. The Church must show Christian love, forgiveness, understanding and openness toward teenagers. In his very well-developed talk, Father Majstorovic examined the role of the home and the parish in the spiritual development of teenagers. Increased engagement of youth in the Church was advocated. An extended and very substantive discussion followed the presentation.
The Washington Deanery includes parishes in Portland, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City , New York; Paterson and Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Philadelphia, Lebanon and Steelton, Pennsylvania. There is also a parish in the Deanery for the Washington D.C. area. Oral and written reports of Christian Education highlights were prepared and submitted by the parishes of the Deanery. Participants in the meeting in addition to those mentioned were
Protopresbyter Aleksandar Vlajkovic, Reverend Father Vladislav Radujkovic, Reverend Father Zoran and Popidija Vesna Radovic, Reverend Father Milorad and Popadija Milena Orlic, Reverend Father Nathan Preston, Protodeacon Milan Medakovic, Joseph Rakalevich, Miroslav Frederick Pantelich, Nesh Pantelich, Anastasia Ilijin, and Predrag Perich. Church school students Sarah and David Radovic were also in attendance.
His Grace Bishop Dr. MITROPHAN consistently schedules and participates in the Deanery meetings. He stressed the need for teachers to be present and stated that holding a seminar for teachers at Shadeland would be beneficial. His Grace spoke of the potential value of having on-line classes for Christian education. His Grace expressed appreciation to Father Christopher Rocknage and the parishioners of the Holy Resurrection of Christ Serbian Orthodox Church for the wonderful hospitality demonstrated in hosting the meeting.
Father Rodney Torbic