On Sunday, October 13, 2024, we joyfully and solemnly celebrated the Patronal Feast – Slava of our Circle of Serbian Sisters, Venerable Empress – Carica Milica – Mother Evgenija, at the St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Lorain, Ohio, in tandem with the Centennial Celebration of the parish and its community.  

Our festal commemoration began with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Grace Kyr Irinej, Bishop of Washington-New York and Eastern America. Concelebrating was the parish priest, Protosyngelos Nektarije (Tesanovic). Our dear guest and brother in Christ, Reader John Buffalini, Diocesan Treasurer, assisted in the altar along with our altar servers.

After the reading of the Holy Gospel about the Talents, Bishop Irinej delivered an inspiring sermon. For many of us, he finally provided an answer as to what we can expect on the Great Day of Judgement: What did we do with the talents that God has given us?! The faithful members of our parish, along with guests from other parishes and local churches, gathered in large numbers for the service, partaking of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Following the prayer of blessing, the festive bread – kolach was broken.

Father Nektarije thanked our dear sisters and emphasized their great significance in the parish from its founding to the present day as we continued the celebration of our parish Centennial.

This year, we celebrated a jubilee—100 years since the establishment of the Circle of Serbian Sisters in our parish. On this occasion, we must congratulate and thank all our dear sisters, members of the Circle, as well as the presidents and vice-presidents of the Circle of Serbian Sisters, who have tirelessly worked and contributed to the progress of our parish for many years. Their efforts and dedication are evident and ingrained in every part of our community. Year after year, step by step, this parish has progressed in many ways thanks to our sisters. 

The celebration continued with a table of love – Agape feast in the church hall. At the Agape feast, Mia Calic, founder of the brand House of Mati presented His Grace with ribbons for the dykirion and trykirion embroidered with monasteries from the region of Kosovo and Metohija and Ramonda flowers symbolizing the rebirth of Serbia after WWI.

 May the prayers of the Venerable Mother Evgenija and Saint George always bless us and gather us in His house and in every other God-pleasing work!