St. George
Serbian Orthodox Church
Carmichaels, PA

Vidovdan Remembrance in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania
June 27, 2010


For twelve consecutive years the St. George Serbian Orthodox Church has held a dinner and program in remembrance of Vidovdan. The martyrdom and Christian witness dating to the Battle of Kosovo and continuing to the present has remained a focus each year. This year was the most intense in inspirational readings as parishioners and friends of the parish gathered in the church hall on Sunday June 27, 2010 following the Divine Liturgy. Classic writings and poetry from Kosovo Revisted 1 were read as were selections from Proto Stavrofor Dr. Mateja Matejic's Hilandar Manuscript 2. Other sources were also used. 3

Reading with clarity and from their hearts and souls, the participants captured the attention of all present and changed the atmosphere in the church hall to reflect the significance of the day's remembrance. The readers included Mitzie Hunchuck, Anamaria Andrade, Djelosh Milosevich, Aaron Carson, Linda Porter, Paulette Radock, Maria Djonovich, Dr. Katerina Popstojanova, Harry Richard Porter, Sonia Janson and Milosh "Serb" Krewasky.

The St. George Kolo prepared the dinner. The St. George Church is located far from Kosovo and 1389 was many centuries ago. We do not live in an isolated world. As Christians we benefit from the witness, the example and the intercession of saints and martyrs. Here in Greene County, Pennsylvania it was not long ago that military personnel from the area were deployed to Kosovo. Here in St. George Church, as in Orthodox churches in many places, the bells were rung each day when bombing was taking place in Kosovo. Prayers for the suffering in Kosovo and Metohija have been offered in the St. George Church continuously for many years. When parishioners learned of the destruction of Kosovo peonies, peonies were planted in the St. George Cemetery and near the St. George Church in remembrance of the martyrs of Kosovo. Financial contributions from the St. George Church have been forwarded to help alleviate suffering in Kosovo.

Christians cannot be complacent when churches are being vandalized and destroyed. Christians cannot be inattentive when believers are attacked and suffer because of their ethnic and Christian identity. The martyrs of Kosovo past and present have a place in the Church's liturgical life and have a place in the hearts and minds of serious believers.

The annual Vidovdan dinner and program at St. George Church is held in addition to and in conjunction with the liturgical services for June 15/28. Vidovdan is not only a day of remembrance but is also a day to inspire continued vigilance in the Christian life. The forces of evil that would bring death, destruction and suffering to Christians are not relegated to centuries in the past. Christians need to be clear about the life in Christ and the direction to take in daily life. Learning from the saints and martyrs and their experiences in facing adversity is greatly instructional for current and future living. Individuals choose the way to invest the time of life given for each day. Parishioners of St. George Church chose a significant portion of time on June 27, 2010 in addition to liturgical remembrances on June 28 in remembrance of the martyrs of Kosovo, past and present.

1 Kosovo Revisited Editor Hadzi Dragan Antic. Published by the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A and Canada. Beograd, 1989.

2 Very Reverend Stavrofor Dr. Mateja Matejic. Hilandar ManuscriptRaska Skola, 1998 3

3 Moma Kapor "Kosovo Peony" St. Nicholas Parish Reporter. Year XXXI No.63 Monroeville, Pa. Easter 2000.

Father Rodney Torbic "The Witness of the Martyrs of Kosovo Endures." Kosovo Remembered. Carmichaels, Pennsylvania.

Back to St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Carmichaels - Home Page