THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
800 YEARS OF AUTOCEPHALY
1219-2019

“...[in] 2019, the year in which we will celebrate a great jubilee of our Church –
eight hundred years of receiving autocephaly...
the consecration of St. Sava as the first Serbian archbishop, and
the obtaining the independence of the Serbian Orthodox Church,
[which] took place in Nicaea in 1219 thanks to the love and
understanding of the Byzantine Emperor Theodore I Laskaris and
the then Patriarch Manuel I Charitopoulos Sarantenos.

 (2018 Nativity Encyclical of the Serbian Patriarch)

TO ALL CLERGY AND ORDAINED MONASTICS;
TO ALL CHURCH-SCHOOL CONGREGATION EXECUTIVE BOARDS;
TO ALL MISSION PARISH BOARDS AND MONASTERY ADMINISTRATIONS;
TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE DIOCESAN COUNCIL AND THEIR ALTERNATES;
TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE DIOCESAN AUDIT BOARD; AND
TO THE FEDERATION OF THE CIRCLES OF SERBIAN SISTERS
OF THE HOLY DIOCESE OF EASTERN AMERICA

Beloved Clergy and Faithful,

Joy and peace to you at the beginning of the wreath of this New Year of the Lord’s Grace!

On the basis of a decision of the Diocesan Council at its extraordinary meeting of August 04, 2018 and on the basis of the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South AmericaArticle 21.3, We herein summon the ANNUAL DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY to its regular convocation from Friday, February 22nd to Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 at the St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, 2110 Haymaker Road, Monroeville, PA 15146 (T) 412.856.8166, per the following schedule:

ASSEMBLY MEMBERSHIP:  In accordance with the ConstitutionArticle 21.2, the Diocesan Assembly is comprised of: The Diocesan Bishop, the Diocesan Council and Auditing Board, all active and retired Priests, Ordained Monastics and Deacons, Presidents of Executive Boards of Church-School Congregations (or their alternates) and one Delegate elected at a Congregational Assembly, and two Delegates from the Diocesan Federation of the Circles of Serbian Sisters.

QUALIFICATIONS: An essential qualification for participation in the Assembly is that all said members of the Assembly must be in good standing with their local parish. As members of the Church, it is incumbent upon everyone presentto participate in the Invocation of the Holy Spirit and thereby prepare themselves to receive Holy Communion at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. (Clergy are asked to bring gold/white vestments.) Only by participating in the Life-giving Mysteries of our Church will we manifest ourselves as an Assembly, i.e. the sacred Community, the Holy People of God, true members of our Local Church, which is one in Christ.

STEWARDSHIP: In order to participate in the Assembly, every Church-School Congregation must also strive to meet its Annual Assessment and all other obligations towards its Diocese.

CREDENTIALS: Enclosed, please find a singularCredential Form for the Parish Priest, Executive Board President (or alternate) and Congregational Delegate. This form must be completed in advance of the Assembly so that it can be submitted upon arrival at the Registration Desk to the Credentials Committee for processing.

REPORTS: Under separate cover, in one envelope, three sets of Reports will be sent in care of your Parish Priest for the perusal of your representatives. Kindly bring these with you to the Assembly as no extra copies will be provided. A detailed Agenda will be provided at the Assembly.

AIRPORT INFORMATION: Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).

ACCOMMODATIONS:  Hotel rooms can be reserved at the following designated hotel:

HAMPTON INN-MONROEVILLE
3000 Mosside Blvd., Monroeville, PA15146
Phone:  412.380.4000Fax:  412.380.0185

 Group Room Reservation Arrangements are Available