“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
On Saturday, February 21, 2026, our parish joyfully gathered for a very special fundraiser dedicated to completing our long-awaited hardscape and landscape project and finally finishing our church grounds. By the grace of God, the evening was a tremendous success, welcoming 250 guests and many esteemed clergy and civic leaders.
We were especially honored by the presence of His Grace Archbishop Grigorije of Düsseldorf and Berlin and Metropolitan of Germany, His Grace Archbishop Maxim, as well as Hieromonk Father Vasilije from Los Angeles, Father Marko from Jackson, Marko Vilotić, Assistant of Metropolitan Grigorije, a distinguished representative, Vice Mayor Tina Walia from the City of Saratoga, Father Vidoslav, the host priest, and our Deacon Lazar for this memorable event.
The evening began prayerfully with Vesper service in our beautiful church. Following the service, guests proceeded to the hall where they were welcomed with Champagne and an extraordinary appetizer buffet, accompanied by live piano music performed by our talented young parish member, Maksim Miočinoviċ. The elegant atmosphere set the tone for a truly uplifting evening.
After a delicious dinner, His Grace Metropolitan Grigorije. delivered an inspiring keynote address, encouraging everyone to give generously and with love toward this important project. His heartfelt words deeply moved those in attendance and energized the spirit of giving. The evening continued with fellowship, outstanding cuisine, wonderful music, and a sophisticated ambiance that made the night unforgettable.
As the formal program concluded, the evening continued with lively music by the Tamburica House Band from Chicago, joyful dancing, and wonderful fellowship. The hall was filled with laughter and celebration, and many guests stayed late into the night, not wanting this truly amazing evening to come to an end. It was a beautiful expression of unity, generosity, and parish spirit.
This event would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of so many faithful parishioners. We extend our deepest gratitude to our event chairs Svetlana Miočinović and Andjelija Masnikosa for their excellent leadership and detailed organization.
Special thanks to His Grace, Bishop Maxim, for donating two beautiful paintings to the silent auction. We are also deeply grateful to Alex Dzigurski for donating one painting for the silent auction and one painting by his late father, Alexander Dzigurski, for the live auction.
Heartfelt thanks to Rob Adzich for guiding us so beautifully through the evening’s program and for clearly presenting the vision for our church grounds project. We are also grateful to Father Vido for the inspiring video presentation, which thoughtfully emphasized the importance and necessity of completing the church grounds.
May the Lord bless all who contributed, attended, and supported this effort with love and generosity. Together, we moved a big step closer to completing our church grounds for the glory of God and for generations to come.
On the following day, Sunday, February 22, we were very blessed to have two Hierarchs, His Grace Archbishop Grigorije of Düsseldorf and Berlin and Metropolitan of Germany, and our Diocesan Hierarch, His Grace Archbishop Maxim, celebrate the Divine Liturgy in our beautiful church together with Father Vidoslav and Deacon Lazar. The service was uplifting and well attended, bringing together many of our faithful for a joyful and spiritually enriching morning. In a very inspiring and beautiful sermon on forgiveness, His Eminence Metropolitan Gigorije reminded all the faithful of the necessity of forgiving one another’s offenses in order to receive forgiveness from our Lord and God. He emphasized enlarging our hearts to make room for those who offended us by forgiving them.
