His Holiness Patriarch Pavel of Serbia

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX MISSION
OF THE DECANI MONASTERY RELIEF FUND:

+ Reverend Presbyter Demetrios Serfes
President
+ Hieromonk Sava
Vice President
Veljko Sikirica
Secretary Treasurer

Abiding with the love of our Lord God Jesus Christ, and through the prayers of St. Sava of Serbia, the Decani Monastery Relief Fund was founded in October 1998, and is a non profit and tax deductible charitable organization, created to assist in humanitarian aide to all the needy people in Kosovo, as well as to assist all of the Serbian Orthodox Monasteries throughout Kosovo, and giving loving assistance to all citizens.  The Decani Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Kosovo provides this assistance in reaching out to help all loving souls in need.

The Eastern Orthodox Mission of the Decani Monastery Relief Fund appeals for loving donations.  These donations are then sent to the Decani Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Kosovo, which then provides this assistance to all refugees and needed citizens of all religious backgrounds.  The Abbot of the monastery Hieromonk Theodosius and Hieromonk Sava, and the monks, who as well go throughout the regions of Kosovo to give this assistance, as well as provide further assistance to those within the walls of the monastery.  Food is provided, water, wood, shelter, and further medical attention.  Anyone who needs these provisions or help is provided no matter what religious background, and who appeal for further help.

The Decani Monastery Relief Fund has no expenses in dealing with this fund in America, either by the current President or the Treasurer Secretary.  All donations received are assured that Hieromonk Sava of the Decani Monastery receives these funds, and directed to him, and letters to this effect are accounted.  Every month names a posted on the internet those who give a God loving donation for the fund and names are sent to the Decani Monastery for prayer. For further information about the Decani Monastery in Kosovo visit: http://www.decani.yunet.com
For previous reports on the Decani Monastery Relief Fund please access: http://www.fr-d-serfes.org/missionary/

The Decani Monastery Relief Fund is with the blessings of His Grace Bishop Artemije in Kosovo.  Also with the blessings of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, His Holiness Patriarch Pavel the Archbishop of Pec, the Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovac and Serbian Patriarch,  and His Eminence, Metropolitan Isaiah the Presiding Hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Denver.

Respectively & Humbly Submitted
And With The Love Of Christ Our Lord,
+ Reverend Presbyter Demetrios Serfes, President
And Veljko Sikirica, Secretary Treasurer
3 August 1999

P.S. Important: please kindly note a change of address to send your donations is now posted below to Veljko Sikirica the Secretary and Treasurer.

THE DECANI MONASTERY RELIEF FUND REPORT AUGUST 1999

Most Beloved Friends In Christ Our Lord;

Glory Be To God For All Things!  We are humbly presenting to you and up to date report on the God loving donations sent to the Decani Monastery Relief Fund as of the end of July 1999.

While preparing this humble report to you a kind letter was received from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, and was addressed by His Eminence, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia the Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  Metropolitan Meliton addressed this letter to myself on behalf of Patriarch Bartholomew, at which time a report was sent to him. The following letter was received:

Dear Father Demetrios Serfes,

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has directed me to reply to your letter of June 16, 1999.

Through the incessant supplication of devout people of faith and the maternal intercession of "Invincible General," the Theotokos, before her Son and our God, the war in Yugoslavia has come to an end.  The bitter consequences of this malicious action have only begun to surface, however.  For this reason, we commend your efforts to support those still suffering through the building up a greater awareness of their needs by your web site, through the call to continued prayer, and through the raising of funds to help finance the rebuilding projects as necessary.

We pray that God-pleasing efforts such as yours will be a model for others to emulate.  We hope that God will give you the strength and courage to continue fighting the good and virtuous fight that seeks to mend rather than damage and that seeks to save rather than destroy.

Conveying to you the paternal prayers and patriarchal blessings of His All Holiness, I remain

Sincerely yours,

+ Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia
Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Phanar, July 1, 1999

Truly the members of the Decani Monastery Relief Fund and all those who have supported this fund where indeed truly pleased to hear from His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, and the Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. The blessings of Patriarch Bartholomew gives us all the desperate need to continue onward in supporting this fund in which all the people in Kosovo still need our loving help.

In the meantime the Decani Monastery Relief Fund is also currently assisting in the emergency help needed for a three year old heart patient in Kosovo named: Balsa Vukicevic.  Plans are being made to fly young Balsa and his family to London, England for the operation. If you would like to help in this regards please access to this site for further information:

The pain and the misery in Kosovo as many of us know continues by the hour. Our loving Christian concern and help is needed to help all citizens who are crying out for assistance still to this very hour.  The Decani Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Kosovo can only do so much and so we with great love turn to you to please help support this fund. We look indeed to all men of good will in disregarding the ethnicity or religion.  This fund is interested in the Christian manner of caring for all suffering souls at this time.

Our hearts truly rejoice in the Lord our God for the recent kind donations sent to help this fund, and your precious donation is deeply appreciated, by those who perhaps cannot thank you in person, but do so in loving prayers.

I now humbly submit to you an up dated report in donations kindly received as of the end of the month of July 1999:

206    Marko Kerkez
207    Dusanka & Konstantin Nikolic
208    Debra & Bradley Elliott
209    Roger Bitar
210    Byron O. Burch
211    Alicia   & Allen Boyce
212    Stephanie & Novak Niketic
213    David Zethmayr
214    Millicent & Geroge Graham
215    St. Marty's Greek Orthodox Church, Minneapolis MN
216    George & Stella Jatras
217    St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, Lynwood, WA
218    David Zethmayr
219    Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
220    Anonymous
221    Robert & Luise Johnson
222    Dimitry & Ludmilla Bobroff
223    Church of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr

Total for July:        $6,418.00

Previous Balance before July:     $21,334.20

In Addition Anonymous Donation for Balsa:  $10,000.00

Grand Total:            $37,752.20

Once again we send humbly our deepest gratitude in the name of the families and refugees in Kosovo who currently have benetited from your loving donations.

We give you earnest thanks and we give thanks to our Lord God for your great kindess and donations!

God Love And Bless Each Of You!

With The Love Of Christ Our True God,

Humbly submitted on 3 August 1999, by:
+ Reverend Presbyter Demetrios Serfes
President of the Decani Monastery Relief Fund in America
+ Hieromonk Sava
Vice President of the Decani Monastery Relief in Kosovo
Veljko Sikirica
Secretary Treasurer in America
Raymon David
Internet Assistant in America

If you would like to make a humble donation for the Decani Monastery Relief Fund, please kindly send it to the following address (note a change of address):

Decani Monastery Relief Fund
C/O Veljko Sikirica
4 West Hill Street
Baltimore MD  21230

If you would like to make a loving donation for the Open Heart Surgery For Balsa Vukicevic please send your donation to the Decani Monastery Relief Fund, and make payable your donation to the Decani Monastery Relief Fund.

To contact Father Demetrios Serfes, please email fr-d-serfes@rmci.net
To contact Veljko Sikirica, please email veljkos@iadb.org