With the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy presided over by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije, on 12 May 2024, there was a celebration of the Patron Saint’s Day of the magnificent Church on Bežanija, dedicated to one of our greatest saints, Saint Vasilije of Ostrog, Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina and Wonderworker.

Addressing the gathered during the liturgical sermon, His Holiness the Patriarch emphasized that due to the dual activity of Saint Vasilije, both ascetic-prayerful and enlightening-consoling, the Lord Jesus recognized this wonderful saint of the Church as His all-pure vessel and filled him with the grace of the Holy Spirit which is why, even after his repose, he glorifies Christ, and Christ glorifies him.

– Saint Vasilije of Ostrog is a saint of God because from his earliest youth, from his earliest childhood, Christ was the only One who filled his heart. And from his earliest childhood, Christ determines every thought of his, his word, his emotion, his action – his entire life. He went to the monastery at the age of eleven and there he grew in prayer and asceticism, in acquiring the godly virtues which can be called love in one word, for all are contained in it. That love is love with the whole being towards God but also towards all people, even those who persecuted him, who did not understand him, who slandered him, who rejected him, love even towards enemies. He grew up in the sacred communities of monasteries of Zavala and Tvrdoš. He became a Deacon first, and then a Hieromonk. He also lived in the Holy Mountain, went to Russia, but in the end, he was elected and ordained as the Bishop of Herzegovina in the Patriarchate of Peć. Coming to Herzegovina, he taught the people, gathered them in the Church of God, strengthened them, supported them, educated them in Christ, taught them about the faith of Christ. He preached incessantly, but with his life, he witnessed Christ – said Patriarch Porfirije, whose entire sermon in Serbian you can read HERE.

Officiating with His Holiness the Patriarch there were: Archimandrite Danilo (Gavranović), Protopresbyter-Stavrophoros Radič Radičević, Protopresbyter Đorđe Stojisavljević, Presbyter Stefan Vasiljević, Protodeacons Dragan Radić and Radomir Vrućinić, and Deacon Vladan Tatalović.