Sunday, November 8, 2026 – With hearts filled with gratitude and joy, our parish Community gathered to celebrate the Slava of FK Ravna Gora, honoring its heavenly patron, the Holy Great Martyr Demetrios.

The festal celebration began with the Divine Hierarchical Liturgy, presided over by His Grace Bishop Maxim, with concelebration of our priest  Predrag Bojovic, protopresbyter stavrophor. A large number of faithful gathered in prayer, with many receiving the Holy Gifts, partaking of the Holy Eucharist and sharing in the spiritual joy of this blessed occasion. The beautiful chanting of our parish choir further enriched the solemnity and beauty of the divine services.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day, concerning the healing of the Gadarene demoniacs, His Grace reminded us that the forces of evil and demons never desire Christ’s presence, and that evil always resists His coming into our lives. Drawing a connection to the life of our heavenly patron, the Holy Great Martyr Demetrios, the Bishop emphasized that St. Demetrios placed Christ above everything else in his life, never allowing worldly status, comfort, or even the threat of death to take precedence over his faith. He was never ashamed to openly and publicly confess his love for Christ. His example remains a powerful reminder of the courage, faithfulness, and unwavering commitment to Christ that every Christian is called to.

A particularly moving and joyful moment of the Liturgy was the Holy Baptism of one-year-old Isidora Maric, the fourth child of our Church Board member Zoran Maric and his wife Sabina. Her entrance into the life of the Church was a special blessing not only for her family but for the entire parish community. It was a beautiful reminder that the Holy Mysteries  of the Church are never merely private occasions, but celebrations of the whole Body of Christ, in which we rejoice together as one family in the Lord.

Following the Liturgy, the celebration continued with a festal luncheon lovingly prepared and hosted by our Kolo Srpskih Sestara (KSS). More than 200 guests were welcomed and treated to a wonderful meal. As everyone knows, we may very well have the best food in all of Los Angeles!

At the beginning of the luncheon, Bishop Maxim, together with our parish priest, Fr. Predrag Bojovic, blessed the slava offerings and presided over the traditional breaking of the Slava bread with this year’s kum, subdeacon Luka Lukic, Master of Theology.  In keeping with the beautiful tradition, a portion of the bread was then passed to next year’s kum, Mr. Milan Kubatlija, who graciously accepted this honor and responsibility.

Words of welcome were offered by our Church Board President, Mr. Dusan Radic, and FK Ravna Gora President, Mr. Milan Drulovic. Both welcomed everyone with warmth and enthusiasm, expressing their gratitude for the strong participation and encouraging all present to remain actively involved in the many aspects of our parish and community life.

Perhaps the most beautiful sight of all was the abundance of children running around, filling our church grounds with laughter, energy, and joy. Their presence, together with the music, fellowship, warm conversations, and wonderful hospitality, reminded us of what makes our parish a living and thriving community.

The celebration continued well into the late afternoon, bringing together generations of faithful in a spirit of Christian love, Serbian tradition, and shared belonging.

May the Holy Great Martyr Demetrios continue to intercede before the throne of God for FK Ravna Gora, our parish, and all our faithful, granting us many blessed years in faith, unity, and love.

Na mnogaja ljeta!

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