Diocesan Days 2022 – Day One
The twenty-sixth annual Diocesan Day gathering began with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America on Friday, September 2, 2022. The clergy and laity met at the St. Sava Orthodox Mission in beautiful and historical Jackson, California. A lenten luncheon was promptly served at 1:00 pm at the main hall for all the clergy.
Afterward, a Clergy meeting was held in the KSS Room. The meeting was led by His Grace who called upon each dean to report on the the status of the parish life in their deaneries. Offering oral reports and observations were V. Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Vasilije Cvijanovic of the San Francisco Deanery, V. Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dragomir Tuba of the Phoenix Deanery, V. Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Bratislav Krsic of the Los Angeles Deanery, Rev. Russell Radoicich of the Butte Deanery and Rev. Marko Bojovic of the Jackson Deanery. One observation offered by a number of the deans was the report of young people approaching and showing an interest in Orthodoxy. Overall, there was much good new to report from our diocesan parishes.
His Grace used this time to share with his clergy all the events which led up to the joyful news of the recognition by the Serbian Orthodox Church of the autocephaly of the Church in North Macedonia. Reflections were also shared by clergy of the passing of His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware). Rev. Panayiotis Tekosis in particular shared his experience with the late metropolitan.
The clergy meeting was a time for the Diocesan clergy to address any concerns or problems they have in their local churches. Additionally, Stevan Davidovich who serves as advisor of the St. Sava Mission and Retreat Center shared with the clergy some notes he had on improving the church camp based on his participation and notes this past season. This year marks the 60th anniversary More than just maintaining the property Stevan is working on a 15 year master plan which would focus on building and improving.
Members of the Diocesan Council held their meeting afterward while the remaining clergy and laity went to their hotels to rest.
Vespers was served at the St. Sava Church on Main Street. Serving were Rev. Zoran Aleksic and Protodeacon Dragan Stojanovich. At the conclusion of the service His Grace noted that this year marks the 15th anniversary of the translation of the relics of St. Sebastian to this St. Sava Church in Jackson founded by him which was appropriately commemorated at the evening’s Vesper service and will continue the following day and culminate on Sunday at the Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy His Grace will serve at the St. Sebastian of Jackson Mission in Carson City which just recently received a new parish priest, V. Rev Protopresbyter Norman Kosanovich.
Dinner and fellowship followed at the St. Sava Mission main hall. Clergy slowly made their way to their hotels after a long day of traveling and meetings in preparation for the following day’s Divine Liturgy and annual assembly.
Diocesan Days 2022 – Day Two
The second day of the Diocesan Days gathering began with Matins Saturday morning served in the historic St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Jackson, California. The Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was officiated by His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America with the concelebration of the diocesan clergy.
In his homily His Grace spoke from the morning’s gospel reading of all the “good things that have been delivered to Me by My Father” (Matt. 11:27). All of these good things, His Grace stated, is knowledge of all things related to, or those which are destined to be in His Kingdom, to be redeemed by Him. In other words, this includes nothing evil, nothing which prevents us from knowing or being in communion with God. And the most important is love, as the Apostle Paul says there are many virtues and qualities but love is above all things. Because it is love that has been revealed through the Son and all things will be covered by God’s love. This is why the Lord says ‘Come to Me, all of your who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’. This rest is a loving relationship with Him. The church exists for this very reason, to offer us this love, this good will of the Father and this rest, this relationship with God.
At the conclusion of the liturgy His Grace greeted all clergy and delegates and noted that all delegates, all those who work for the good of their church in their local parishes are ministers in extension, using their talents for the glory of God in His Church.
Following the continental breakfast in the lower level of the parish hall clergy and delegates made their way to the main parish hall for the annual Diocesan Assembly. During the assembly the administrative, financial and other pressing issues related to the Diocese were addressed and discussed.
The banquet followed at the St. Sava Orthodox Mission. Тhe program during the banquet began with children from the St. Sava parish in Jackson beautifully singing the song dedicated to St. Sebastian, popular among all children who attend the St. Sava Camp every summer. Popadija Biljana Bojovic and Gorjana Doskovic, the choir director of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Serbian Church in Fair Oaks, CA, entertained the clergy and delegates and all guests attending this year’s Diocesan Days banquet. They at first played “Mirror in Mirror”, for piano and cello, written by Arvo Pärt, the most performed living composer of classical music in the world and a devout Orthodox Christian from Estonia. In his middle age, he experienced a serious existential crisis and was not able to write a single note of music for full eight years. However, during that period he encountered the Lord Jesus Christ in the Orthodox Church as the meaning, solace and joy of his life. When he finally started writing music again, his style completely changed—from a flamboyant to a minimalistic, humble and child-like. As he says, all his new compositions spring out from his prayerful silence. This piece was played as an homage to all those who departed this world since the previous Diocesan Days in Jackson: our former Patriarch Irinej, Metropolitans Amfilohije and Kallistos (Ware), Bishops Milutin, Atanasije, Luka and Lavrentije, Protopresbyters Dušan and James, Protodeacon Triva, all other brothers and sisters from our parishes and families,
and this time especially the 47 miners who died in the Argonaut Mine Disaster a hundred years ago. At second, Biljana and Gorjana sang three songs about the Most Holy Mother God, since the Diocesan Days always take place during the Labor Day weekend, in the after-feast of Dormition of the Theotokos. Around this feast Saint Sava was enthroned as our first Archbishop, Saint Sebastian was ordained a priest and his relics were transferred from Žiča to Jackson, and our Bishop Maxim was enthroned in Los Angeles as the bishop of the Serbian Western American Diocese sixteen years ago. The three songs were from Serbian, Russian–American and Greek tradition. The Serbian song was written by Saint Nikolai Velimirović and the Greek by Saint Nektarios of Aegina. Finally, playing piano and cello again, they performed the Serbian folk song “Oj Kosovo, Kosovo” in support for our suffering brethren at our holy land of Kosovo and Metohia, and in anticipation of the blessed event of enthronement of our Patriarch Porfirije in the historic see of our Patriarchate in Peć this fall, God willing.
At the conclusion of the program and closing prayer this year’s Diocesan Days gathering came to an end.
