Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Visits Illinois Monasteries

Patriarch Irenaeus (Gavrilovic) of Pech has made a pastoral visit to the Serbian Orthodox Church in Midwestern America, stopping at both the patriarchal Monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville and the region's diocesan seat, the Nova Gracanica Monastery of the Protection in Grayslake. During his time at Nova Gracanica the patriarch stressed the unity of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the former Yugoslavia and worldwide. More here and here.

Serbian Orthodox Church to Establish New Dioceses, "Bond" Dioceses in Americas Closer to the Old World

The Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church has decided to create new dioceses in the Americas and Europe. Discussions on the division of the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren in Kosovo into new dioceses has, however, been postponed.

In Europe the Serbian Orthodox Church in Austria, Switzerland, and Italy is to be separated from the Central European Eparchy of Hildesheim and established as the Eparchy of Vienna, whilst the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Americas is to be reorganized to include a diocese with jurisdiction over Latin America.

The Holy Assembly also discussed designating St. Sava's Monastery and Theological Seminary in Libertyville, Illinois, as stavropeghial institutions as "an an effective way of bonding the Church in America closer to the mother country" (so much for pan-Orthodox unity).

More on the above can be found here.

Patriarch Irinej Serves in Libertyville

This past Saturday Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovic) of Pech concelebrated the Divine Liturgy and the 6-month memorial for Metropolitan Christopher (Kovacevich) of Libertyville with Bishops Longin (Krcho) of Nova Grachanica and Maksim (Vasilijevic) of Alhambra as well as clergy of the Serbian, Russian, and American Orthodox Churches in Libertyville's Cathedral of St. Sava. More here.