On August 28th, 2024, the Diocesan Federation of Circles of Serbian Sisters celebrated their Patronal Feast – Slava, the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God. St. Nicholas Church in Monroeville, PA, was the host parish for this feast day and the Kuma of the Slava was the president of St. Petka Kolo of St. Nicholas, Vesna Baer. 

The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the feast was presided over by His Grace, Bishop Irinej of Washington-New York and Eastern America, who so graciously came to make the feast solemn and ever-memorable. His Grace brought a sense of honor and privilege to the celebration. The joyous gathering of over a hundred faithful around their Bishop and father, Irinej, was a testament to the significance of the event. The festal spirit of the feast of Dormition was further elevated by His Grace’s enlightening sermon, which deeply nourished the spirits of the attendees and enhanced their understanding of the Feast.

His Grace pointed out that the Feast Day of Dormition signifies the victory of life over death and that falling asleep of the Mother of God represents her transition into blessed eternity with Her Son and God who in such a loving way received His Mother to ease the pain of death. The love of the Mother of God and Christ Jesus, her Son, is evident on the icon where Christ gently plays with her while she holds Him in her loving embrace. His Grace remarked that the embrace of the Mother of God and her Son becomes fulfilled through the icon of today’s feast, wherein Christ holds His Mother’s soul as an infant.

Additionally, His Grace reminded everyone that the prophecy of the Holy King David is finally fulfilled as expressed in Alleluarion of the feast through the psalm verse: “Arise o Lord and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.” (Ps 132:8). The Ark being his Mother who bore Him. Pointing out to an important relic that the Mother of God left behind herself, Bishop Irinej spoke about the holy monastery of Vatopedi where the belt of the Mother of God is preserved, the belt, which as she was ascending, was given to Thomas the Apostle. This relic is the visible sign of her triumph over death. 

The Bishop also made the connection between the Vatopedi and Hilandar monasteries. At Hilandar, we have the grapevine of St. Symeon, which he said will be the visible sign of his presence and protection of the monastery. Both the Belt of the Theotokos and the vine of St Symeon are connected in that they are the visible signs of Paschal triumph, life over death. His Grace, Bishop Irinej, pointed out that our Kolos throughout the diocese, with their hard work and dedication, testify to those who likened unto Mary and Martha, “hear the Word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28), through their gracious acts of mercy and service to their communities.

After the Divine Liturgy and cutting of the Festal Bread, the solemn banquet followed prepared by the St. Petka Circle of St. Nicholas. The Kuma of the Slava, Vesna Baer, recounted her journey to the point where she is now the president of St. Petka Kolo and an honored kuma of the Slava. On Behalf of Sveta Petka Kolo and St. Nicholas Church, she presented a small token of appreciation to the Bishop, a small set of hierarchical vestments taken from one of his designs. 

Federation President Millie Radovick spoke about the great success of the St. Sava Children’s Camp in Shadeland and thanked all the counselors, parents and helpers. She also spoke about the original Crest of the Circle of Serbian Sisters from their founding in 1903 in Belgrade, which she was pleased to announce would be reintegrated into the letterhead of the Federation. Millie showed two hand-embroidered samples of the CSS Crest made by the Sisters from the Diocese of Pozarevac in Serbia, which the Bishop brought back with him for our Federation. She explained how she would like to strengthen ties with the Sisters in Serbia and their Sabor Kolo Srpskih Sestara. 

Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Stevan Rocknage, Spiritual Father of the Federation, praised the Sisters as those who are tending to the Body of Christ, which is His Church, the same way the myrrh-bearers tended to the very body of Christ.

Bishop Irinej concluded by sharing with everyone the meaning of the original Charter of the Circles of Serbian Sisters, as illustrated by famous Serbian painter, Uros Predic, wherein sisters are depicted in a series of circles in all the various costumes of our Serbian provinces, reaching out of their frames to hold each other’s hand and form a circle – without beginning or end. He then invited everyone to a retreat organized by the Sisters on October 11th-13th at our beloved Shadeland Camp, which is run by the Federation, where one of the honored guest speakers will be Mother Christophora, Abbess of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City. 

The solemnities were brought to a close with prayer, and Glory was given to God for all things!