ST. SAVA CELEBRATION IN BOSTON PARISH
Boston, Ma - St. Sava was celebrated throughout the Eastern American Diocese. Especially festive was the celebration in Boston and Cleveland where His Grace Bishop Mitrofan served the Divine Liturgy. The patron saint for both the Boston and Cleveland churches is St. Sava. On the eve of the Feast of St. Sava, a Great Vespers service took place in the Boston parish (Cambridge). Four priests, including one monk from Greece, served in the presence of Bishop Mitrofan. His Grace greeted the faithful people at the end of the Service.
On the actual day of St. Sava, His Grace Bishop Mitrofan together with eight other clergy celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Besides Serbian priests there were clergy from the Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian and Antiochian jurisdictions. During the Liturgy, Bishop Mitrofan awarded Fr. Ivan Marjanovic from the Portland parish with a rank of Protopresbyter for his many years of service. At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Slava bread was blessed in the presence of many children and Slava kumovi, Zivadin and Borka Gvozdenovic and their children Dusan and Bojana..
In his sermon, Bishop Mitrofan emphasized the importance and greatness of St. Sava. He mentioned the recent attacks on St. Sava in the newspapers in Serbia. Namely, an author of a text wrote that St. Sava wanted himself to become an Archbishop, ignoring historical facts that he took with him several monks and suggested that one of them becomes an Archbishop. Also, he accused St. Sava that he established the Serbian church for the Serbian elite, which is very far from the truth. The Bishop stressed that St. Sava is not only a Serbian Saint but a pan orthodox saint, and is loved and respected by other nations, which is confirmed by the presence of clergy and laity from other Orthodox jurisdictions at the Liturgy.
After a festive lunch that was prepared by the kumovi, a children’s program followed, consisting of poems, songs and folklore. For the first time in the Boston parish, a St. Sava play was performed by the children, written by Fr. Radovan Jakovljevic. This play depicts young Rastko Nemanjic who departs for Mount Athos and becomes monk. About three hundred faithful participated in honoring St. Sava in the Boston parish.
In the evening His Grace departed from Boston and the next day, January 28, he took part in St.Sava celebration in Cleveland.