On Sunday, November 24th, 2024, Father Vidoslav and the faithful of the St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Saratoga, CA, joyously welcomed His Grace Bishop Maxim, who came on the occasion of the parish Slava. The lovely sisters Tesla and Zoe Vulovic welcomed our Diocesan Bishop with flowers at the church entrance. His Grace celebrated the Holy Divine Liturgy in concelebration with the San Francisco Dean V. Rev. Stavrophor Vasilije from Moraga, CA, V. Rev. Stavrophor Djurica from San Francisco, CA, Deacon Christopher from Fresno, CA, Deacon Lazar from Palo Alto, CA, and the host priest V. Rev. Vidoslav. Right at the beginning of the Liturgy, the altar boy Milan Grbovic was bestowed the honor of becoming officially a reader by His Grace upon the recommendation of Father Vidoslav for his 11 years of faithful serving in the altar.

In his homily, His Grace, Bishop Maxim talked about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, emphasizing that we should be thoughtful and careful not to create gaps and chasms between people. As God created everything good without divisions, we are also called to do the same. The rich man created a huge gap between himself and the poor people, yet we are called to overcome divisions and avoid creating separations between God and us and all others. Lazarus, on the other hand, didn’t solve his economic problems in his life but was able to solve the existential problem by not creating gaps, and he was saved by this. Bishop Maxim concluded his sermon by saying that as Christians, we should avoid individualism as a trend in society but rather share what we have and be together without gaps, divisions, and separation among us.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the Slava Kolac was blessed by His Grace Bishop Maxim in the beautiful church. It was adorable to see so many children from the Sunday School turning the Slava Kolach with our Bishop. His Grace thanked the people, the clergy, and the choir and wished everybody Sretna Slava!

The day’s celebrations continued in the festively decorated parish hall, where a delicious lunch was served. Bill Davidovich, the emcee of this event, thanked His Grace Bishop Maxim, the other clergy, and all guests for coming, and he emphasized our gratitude to the 22 Slava Sponsors. He also expressed his thanks to the chairs of the event, Mihajlo Vrcelj, Maja Grabovac, and Jelena Vukicevic, as well as to our kitchen staff, Milena and Rajko Bukarica, and to everyone who helped.

Father Vidoslav highlighted the newly installed doors between the Nave and the Narthex in the church and thanked Stan Grgich, Dushan Medan, and Eddie Berljafa for their work. He also informed the parishioners and guests about the current renovation project of the old chapel, taken on by the Čukic brothers based on the architecture plans graciously projected by Architect Robert Medan and the ongoing fundraiser for the landscape of the church property. Our wonderful Kolo group, led by Susan Pavich, organized a Bake Sale to support the church building.

The hall was filled with laughter, joy, and gratitude, with many guests from the whole Bay Area attending the banquet. It was a wonderful day of fellowship and a true parish family Thanksgiving. Glory to God for everything!