RESOLUTIONS OF THE 2026 DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY 

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT! 

We, the clergy, monastics, and elected representatives of the people of God, members of the Diocesan Assembly of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, 

have gathered around our Diocesan Hierarch, Kyr Irinej, 

Bishop of Washington–New York and Eastern America, 

at the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael 

in the God-protected City of Akron, State of Ohio, 

on March 13th and 14th in the Year of Our Lord 2026, 

to support our Bishop in his labor unto God and His people 

and to assist him in the God-pleasing mission of the 

Serbian Orthodox Church and our Eastern American Diocese. 

In light of this gathering being reflective of the very nature of the Church, Ecclesia, which means “calling together,” and as our salvation relies on our community, or common union, with one another as a family in Christ, we dedicate this Assembly to the theme espoused in the words of the Holy Apostle James: 

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17-18). 

As the United States of America prepares to celebrate its glorious 250th Anniversary of its Founding on July 4th, 1776, our Serbian people have been blessed by God to have illustrious ancestors, who have labored in the United States and contributed to the course of its history. We, Serbs of the Eastern American Diocese, are especially blessed by the distinction of having several of the greatest Serbian minds of the 20th century among our members. This year marks anniversaries for two of them – the 170th Anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla and the 70th Anniversary of the falling asleep in the Lord of Saint Nicholai of Zhicha and Ochrid. 

We are proud that Nikola Tesla spent the latter part of his life on the soil of our Diocese. Born at midnight on July 10, 1856, to a Serbian Orthodox priest, poet, writer, teacher, and polyglot, and a gifted inventor mother who hailed from a prominent priestly family, young Nikola grew up in an environment of creativity and inspiration. Nurtured in traditional values of the Way of Saint Sava, i.e., Svetosavlje, he dedicated his entire life to serving all humanity with his inventions. Thus, he ushered in the luminous phase of the modern age, by lighting up America and the world. 

This year also marks the 70th Anniversary of the Blessed Repose of the Holy Bishop Nicholai (Velimirovich) of Zhicha and Ochrid, one of the greatest theological and mystical minds of the 20th century, who labored in America and was instrumental in founding the first Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States of America and Canada in 1921, becoming its first administrator. This great contemporary hierarch of All-Orthodoxy, directly impacted the growth and prominence of the Orthodox Christian faith in America among religious and secular leaders, as well as raising awareness of the plight of our Serbian people. He fell asleep in the Lord at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary on March 18, 1956. 

Thus, in gratitude to God for such a distinction and in their honor, we dedicate this Assembly to their memory. 

The Holy Spirit has gathered us again this year in the community of the fullness of God’s Church, as one Diocesan family around our Bishop and Spiritual Father, Kyr Irinej, mindful of the fact that where two or three gather in Christ’s Name, He will be present, as He promised. Therefore, we offer hymns of praise and thanksgiving, fully cognizant that our most merciful God has blessed us abundantly and continues to provide for all our needs.   

In filial love, this year, as always, we greet the fullness of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the person of His Holiness, the Archbishop of Pech, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch Kyr Porfirije, together with the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops and all members of the Holy Assembly of Bishops. We especially note the Hierarchs of the Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church serving in the American Continent. May God grant them many blessed years! 

From this gathering, we greet Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine. Furthermore, we greet here the entire Karageorgevich Dynasty. May God grant them many blessed years! 

We continue to offer our deep gratitude to God for granting us a loving father and a true shepherd to the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in the person of our Bishop Irinej. We are grateful for his tireless efforts in guiding our God-protected Diocese of Eastern America, and in safeguarding our heritage and the survival of our brethren in all Serbian lands, particularly in Kosovo and Metohija. We also congratulate him on the 20th Anniversary of his consecration to the episcopacy and 10th Anniversary of his accession to the Throne of the Hierarchs of the Eastern American. May God grant him many years at the helm of our God-protected Eastern American Diocese! 

We offer words of gratitude for our Bishop and Father who has spent much time in pastoral visitations and liturgical celebrations within the Eastern American Diocese. We especially applaud his work and engagement with our Church camps, recognizing that an investment of effort in educating our youth ensures the continuous existence of our Holy Church and our people on this continent. We observe with unreserved admiration his indefatigable efforts in visiting with great joy and pastoral responsibility even the remotest parts of our Diocese always ready to provide spiritual help and support to our parishes and organizations.  Thus, it causes us much sadness and consternation that the peace and harmony has been disturbed in our Diocese and that our Bishop is attacked in the media. We fervently pray and hope that the ecclesial spirit of repentance, humility, and good canonical order will prevail and that the peace will once again reign in our Diocese. 

We note his wide spectrum of representational work promoting Pan-Orthodox, inter Christian, interfaith, educational, and governmental relations. We are also grateful to him for tirelessly working on advancing the standing and prestige of our Serbian Orthodox Church and our Diocese in the Pan-Orthodox community. He worthily represents our holy Serbian Church before our Orthodox brethren from other jurisdictions and at various institutions. This year, we are especially proud to highlight His Grace’s offering of the Opening Prayer at the 53rd Annual March for Life at the National Mall in Washington, DC on January 23, 2026, before one of the largest assemblies for such an occasion. Also, as a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and as a former student of +Protopresbyter John Meyendorff, His Grace was invited to offer an introductory reflection at a symposium on the occasion of the centennial of his birth, concerning the life of this scholar of extraordinary range, who shaped the study of Byzantine theology, Orthodox ecclesiology, and ecumenical dialogue for generations. We recognize His Grace’s overall archpastoral work as a credit to the Serbian Orthodox Church everywhere. 

With special concern, we follow the deterioration of peace and stability throughout the world. We deeply mourn the suffering of many and loss of life of all who are affected by wars and hostilities, especially in Russia and Ukraine and the Middle East. We pray for a speedy resolution to all conflicts and restoration of peace. 

We are especially concerned for our long-suffering brothers and sisters in Kosovo and Metohija who are ever more persecuted and oppressed by the illegitimate and temporary Prishtina-Albanian regime. We offer our continued prayers for the deliverance of our brethren from their plight and pledge our support in their struggle for survival in view of constant threats of memoricide, religious and ethnic persecution, and lawfare. We are particularly concerned with the regulations which the Prishtina-Albanians pass periodically, which gradually take away rights of the Serbian population. We are particularly concerned with the most recent legal attack on the Serbian institutions of education and healthcare. 

We congratulate the missionary parish of SS. Cyril and Methodius, founded on June 18, 2023, for its selfless endeavors in acquiring a church complex in Middlefield, Connecticut, as we acknowledge that the founding of a new Serbian Orthodox parish is a moment of deep joy and gratitude and a visible sign that the Church is alive, growing, and responding faithfully to God’s call. May God grant them many blessed years!

In like manner, we congratulate and pray for the ministry of the Most Venerable Mother Paraskeva (Milosavljević), who was installed as abbess of the sacred monastic community of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel—New Marcha on the January 8, 2026. We wish her many years in God’s service! 

We offer our sincerest congratulations to all parishes and organizations that marked milestones in the past year, notably: Synaxis of Serbian Saints Church in Portland, Maine, which marked its 25th Anniversary on September 13, 2025; St. John the Baptist Church in   Paterson, New Jersey, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary on October 4, 2025; St. Petka Circle of Serbian Sisters, which celebrated its patronal feast and its 100th Anniversary at St. Sava Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio on October 25, 2025; and also St. Petka Circle of Serbian Sisters, which celebrated its patronal feast and the opening of a new parish library at St. Nicholas Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 26, 2025; the Holy King Milutin Church in Jacksonville, Florida, which celebrated its patronal feast, and the 25th Anniversary of the parish, and the consecration and raising of the cross on the dome of the new church on November 9, 2025; and finally, St. Nicholas Church in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, which celebrated the 120th Anniversary of the parish and the consecration of a new iconostasis on November 15, 2025. 

With faith in Christ and in hope of the Resurrection to life eternal, albeit with profound sadness, we remember the repose of distinguished faithful Serbs of our Eastern Diocese: Dr. Radmila (Rajka) Jovanović Gorup, eminent Professor of Serbian Language and South Slavic Studies and Chair of the Njegos Endowment for Serbian Studies at Columbia University, Fulbright Scholar at Berkeley University, and esteemed intellectual linguist and author; and Milutin Lazich, Professor Emeritus of Voice and Director of Choirs at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he taught, conducted, and performed for more than 40 years, and Choir Director at St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church in Monroeville, Pennsylvania; as well as all those that have entered into blessed repose since our last Assembly. May God grant them all eternal memory! 

Considering the adoption of new Regulations and the Statute of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, noted at our Diocesan Assembly of 2025 in Lackawanna, New York, we anticipate a transition to Triennial Assemblies, as proposed in Article 15.3 of the Statute. Considering not only the time, effort, cost, and additional responsibilities placed on both diocesan staff and communities that host the assemblies, but also the many other essential and vital aspects of our common life within the diocesan family, adopting a triennial plan affords time during the intervening years to address these additional needs: Expanding the scope of the Diocesan Education Commission to include the assemblage of educators for their own edification and the vital exchange of knowledge and skills; Further development of the Liturgical Music Commission and the formation of a Liturgical Arts and Architecture Commission; Establishing deanery branches of the Federation of Circles of Serbian Sisters; Forming a comprehensive Serbian Orthodox Youth Association (SOYA); Establishing a Stewardship Commission; and Supporting the clergy through continuing education, seminars, and conferences to foster fellowship, and to address practical issues of the clergy as a means to ensure their spiritual health, as well as the spiritual health of both their personal families and their parish families. For the sake of the advancement of our diocesan family, the two years between Triennial Assemblies will allow us to dedicate time and resources to one or more of the above initiatives. 

Being committed to walk and never stray from the Way of Saint Sava – Svetosavlje – and our holy ancestors, and being keenly aware of our sacred duties and responsibilities, from this sacred place and gathering of love, we now issue the following: 

RESOLUTIONS 

WHEREAS this Assembly proudly commemorates the 250th Anniversary year of the 1776 Founding of the United States of America, one nation under God, which offer us the liberty and justice to freely profess our Orthodox Faith and cultivate our Serbian Heritage; 

WHEREAS we dedicate this Assembly to the 170th Anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla, whose life and legacy are an inspiration to all who desire to observe, study, and learn; 

WHEREAS we also dedicate this Assembly to the 70th Anniversary of the Repose of Saint Nicholai Velimirovich, our Diocesan forebearer, who was instrumental in the founding of the first Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States of America and Canada in 1921 and was its first administrator; 

WHEREAS we offer continued prayers for peace and stability in Kosovo and Metohija; for the cessation of persecution of Christians throughout the world; that the hostilities in the war between Russia and Ukraine come to an end; and that peace and resolution to the conflicts in the Middle East be achieved; 

WHEREAS His Grace Bishop Irinej has spent much time in pastoral visitations and liturgical celebrations within our Diocese, as well as with other Orthodox hierarchs, engaging with youth, visiting them at Church camps, promoting Pan-Orthodox, inter Christian, interfaith, educational, and governmental relations; 

WHEREAS this past year, we celebrated six milestone parish anniversaries and celebrations; 

WHEREAS we acknowledge that Article 15.3 of the Statute of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church calls for Triennial Diocesan Assemblies; 

THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Diocesan Assembly of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church: 

1. Expresses its profound respect and appreciation to our Diocesan Hierarch, His Grace Bishop Kyr Irinej, who wisely leads all Diocesan bodies and ministries in their tireless work and invaluable contributions to our Diocese;
2. Firmly and resolutely supports our Diocesan Bishop Irinej in his efforts to intercede for the Serbian Orthodox people, and supports the desire of the faithful to continue the education of our youth, whether at the level of Christian Education, in their homes, in our churches, or in our Serbian Orthodox youth camps;
3. Enthusiastically responds to the continuous call of our Holy Church and our Diocesan Hierarch to voice unanimous support for all suffering and displaced persons everywhere, while especially appealing for justice for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and throughout the world;
4. Acknowledges the provisions of the Statute of the Diocese of Eastern America and accepts the new triennial schedule of Diocesan Assemblies, which is a meeting of our spiritual diocesan family to assess our material and spiritual needs in concert with and in holy obedience to the pastoral intentions of our Diocesan Hierarch, His Grace Bishop Kyr Irinej; and
5. Sincerely thanks those who labor on behalf of our Diocese, including all Administrative bodies and personnel of the Eastern American Diocese; together with the Federation of Circles of Serbian Sisters; the Shadeland Management Committee; the Christian Education Commission; and the hosts of this gathering, the Parish Family at Holy Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio for sponsoring the 2026 Diocesan Assembly.

Proclaimed in the God-protected City of Akron, in the State of Ohio

on this 14th Day of the Month of March in the Year of our Lord 2026.

AMEN!