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Annual Meeting of the Central Council
Held in Chicago
The Central Church Council of the
Serbian Orthodox Church in North and
South America held its annual meeting
on Friday, December 11, 2015 at Holy
Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral
in Chicago and continued the following day
with the Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy
at St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, on
the feast of St. Mardarije of Libertyville
and America and Canada. This was the first
Divine Liturgy in which the first Bishop
of America and Canada, Mardarije, was
commemorated after being added to the list
of Saints at the regular meeting of the Holy
Assembly of Bishops held in May.
Participating in the meeting of the
Central Council were all the hierarchs of
the Serbian Orthodox Church in North
and South America, led by His Eminence
Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro
and the Coastlands, His Grace Bishop
Longin of New Gracanica and Midwestern
America, His Grace Bishop Mitrophan of
Eastern America and His Grace Bishop
Maxim of Western America. Representing
the Canadian Diocese were V. Rev.
Stavrophor Vasilije Tomic, the Episcopal
Deputy for the diocesan administrator His
Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej and Fr.
Jovan Marjanac, parish priest in Sudbury,
Canada.
The Episcopal Council held their
meeting on the previous day, December
10, in which all hierarchs took part with
the exception of the administrator for the
Diocese of Canada, His Holiness Patriarch
Irinej.
The president of the Episcopal Council
His Grace Bishop Longin opened the
meeting with a prayer and with the blessing
of His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilohije
the meeting began at 10:30AM. His Grace
welcomed all the hierarchs, clergy and
lay members of the council. He expressed
his joy at seeing representatives from the
Diocese of Canada led by the Episcopal
Deputy V. Rev. Stavrophor Vasilije Tomic.
He spoke of the significance of our church
unity, which is expressed in this manner,
through our meeting together, whether that
is at the highest church level or participation
at joint Slava and other celebrations. He
praised Metropolitan Amphilohije for his
selfless sacrifice that besides his obligations
in his own Metropolitanate he dedicates his
time and effort to establish the new Diocese
of Buenos Aires and South America.
His Grace then gave the floor to V.
Rev. Nikola Ceko to lead the meeting. With
the acceptance of the agenda minutes from
the last meeting were read and accepted.
The treasurer Brian Gerich reported that
everything was in order. All dioceses
fulfilled their financial obligations.
His Eminence Metropolitan
Amphilohije explained the situation in
the Diocese of Buenos Aires and South
America. Much has already been done to
stabilize church life in a number of parishes.
Because of the vastness of the region it is
difficult to establish cohesion among our
parishes, as they are scattered in different
countries of South America. His Eminence
has been assisting and supporting the clergy
through his metropolitinate. He asked, if it is
at all possible to assist this young Diocese,
and God will grant that it be stabilized.
He announced that he and members of
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• The Path of Orthodoxy Winter 2016