By Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes
April 2002
Holy Great Lent
Boise, Idaho
USA
|
Beloved Friends In Christ Our Lord,
A blessed Great Lent!
Peace to your souls!
Glory to God for all things! We give you humble thanks for your kind loving support in sending your thoughtful donations to the Decani Monastery Relief Fund, we humbly give thanks and offer Glory to our God, as well as assure each of you our loving prayers. May also St. Sava pray for you.
Many of you have indeed helped the Decani Fund, and lifted up your hands in prayer with us, and we thank God that you have not forgotten the much suffering souls in Kosovo and Metohija, you have now reached the summit of heaven, and you have also lifted not your hearts in vain, nor your gracious prayers.
The situation in the region of Kosovo and Metohija continues to be a matter of our great concern especially among the Serbian Orthodox Christians, and constantly we are receiving reports about the destruction of the Serbian Orthodox Churches, and cemeteries, please click
here to view
information and photos at the provided by the Decani Monastery. Just this past week we have learned about one dozen gravestones were destroyed in the village of Vica, municipality of Stpce, unknown persons, the local Orthodox priest Father Zivojin Kojic told Beta. The words found on these gravestones where "UCK" on them, the Albanian language for the officially disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). This information had been provided to us by the Decani Monastery and sent by Hieromonk (Father) Sava, who lives at the monastery.
We are now constantly hearing reports about Serb homes being set fire, and in particular a report has reached us in Orahovac that on April 7th, a home owned by a Serb man, Predgrag Matic, was under protection by the peace-keeping forces went unnoticed. The matter of burning this home was to make sure that all Serbs leave the area and in particular in the region of Orhaovac, as this has become the situation as of late throughout the regions of Kosovo and Metohija, every Serb is at risk for his or her life, and as well as for their property.
Peace and good will among all men in these regions does not exist as of this day, and many people, men, women, and children, who are especially of the Serbian Orthodox Christian faith. We have many people who are simply freezing in the middle of night when the temperatures drop below freezing, and then again we have many people who simply do not have enough of food, and when they seek assistance for food they are told to return back to their homes, or their tents, or their caves.
The Decani Monastery Relief fund continues to do anything and everything they can to assist the great needs of these much suffering and struggling souls, at every opportunity the fathers of the Decani Monastery reach out to make sure that many people do get assistance, whether it be men, women, or children, and no matter who they may be, or religious background, every soul and every person is assisted. What a great Christian act of love and concern for others who truly still need our help and assistance. Let us please consider when the fathers of the Decani Monastery leave to go about in helping those who need help, the fathers at the monastery pray they will return safe and unharmed, as if our Lord God, and the Mother of God seems to protect them all by His grace.
For further insight of the present situation in the regions of Kosovo and Metohija, in which the Decani monastery and the monks live after three years after the end of the war,
read a interview from Archimandrite Teodosije. Also read an interview by Father Sava.
We have as of February 2002, set up a Children's Relief Campaign, and we ask you please access to this information here and remember the precious children who are overjoyed in knowing someone cares about them, and hears their prayers, and tears. Let us please do not forget the children in Kosovo and Metohija. What a blessed hour it is when the children see the pious monk Father Sava coming to them with other monks in offering assistance to them with either with food or school supplies. Then a little while later comes Archimandrite Teodosije and some more monks with more supplies and food to comfort the children, and they sit with them and pray with them as well.
Please we ask you do not forget that communication that the Decani Monastery uses and this is a matter of great importance to keep in touch with the monastery, and so we ask you to please support the Satellite Internet Fund, as this is the only internet service available within the region of the monastery.
Let us not forget please the elderly, as no assistance is ever provided by no one but you, and the Decani Monastery has made sure that the elderly of these said regions do get help and assistance, as often we will find Archimandrite Teodosije at their door steps with food and provisions, indeed what a blessed hour when the elderly see this pious monk.
Now we would like to humbly submit for your consideration the Decani Monastery Relief Fund Report for January-March 2002 from our Secretary-Treasurer Veljko Sikirica:
At gravesite of St. Justin Popovic in Celiije (Cheliye)
Monastery, Serbia. (Far left to right) Veljko Sikirica, next His Grace
Bishop Areteimije of Kosovo and Metohija, next Decani Monastery Abbott
Teodosije, and next to the Abbott is Vanja Sikirica, December 16, 2002
Humbly submitted on April 8, 2002 by
Veljko Sikirica
Your honorable donation has helped a great deal to those who still need our Christ-loving assistance on behalf of the Decani Monastery, who in return will reach out to help so many people in the regions of Kosovo and Metohija. Your affectionate donation is shown to our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, and our Lord taught us to offer this in all simplicity and innocence (St. Matthew 5:23, 24).
God love and bless you, and may you behold a Glorious and Holy Pascha!
Your Venerable Brothers In Christ Our Lord,
++Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes
GLORY BE TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS!
Decani Monastery Relief Contributions for January 2002 - March 2002
Contributor
Name
Children's Relief Campaign:
508
Mirko Sikirica the newly departed in the Lord, IDB Families Bahamas
509
Serbian kolo group, KUD "ASKA"
Children's Relief Campaign: Sub-total $205.00
Grandmothers from Djakovica:
510
Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Skete
511
Barry & Christine Stavrou
Grandmothers from Djakovica: Sub-total $130.00
Fire-wood Fund
512
Curtis Magnuson
513
Edward & Carol Tkach Gabl
Fire-wood Fund: Sub-total $150.00
Satellite Internet Fund For the Decani Monastery
514
St. Nektarios Orthodox Church
Satellite Internet Fund For the Decani Monastery: Sub-total $400.00
General Needs
515
Bennie & Kimbarly Pandorf
516
Michael & Mary Orlando
517
George and Chrisanthy Bambalis
518
Mark Charonis
519
Steve Kelsch
520
Daniel & Katherine Larison
521
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church/Blagoje Siljegovic
522
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church
523
Steven Mojsovksi
524
H. Garen
525
David Binder
526
Bruce & Christie McLeester
527
Stanislava Zivic in memory Damjan Boskovic student
528
John Kaptetan
529
John & Tera Dimitry Kapetan
530
Paul Ecimovic in memory of Damjan Boskovic student
531
Protodeacon Alexis Bona & Armando Bona
532
Dorothy E. McCue
533
Arnest Jordanoglou
534
John & Aaron Wall
535
Carol & Richard Eatough
536
Ted & Helen Padadeas
537
Connie L. Russo
538
St. John of Kronstadt Orthodox Mission
539
Diane Rusakis
540
St. Luke Orthodox Church
541
Timothy Owen Mills
542
SS. Constantine & Helen Orthodox Church
543
Alexander & Lisa Lind
544
Vera Cuic
545
Eddie & Nancy Manthos
546
All Saints of America Antiochian Orthodox Mission
547
Nicholas P. Nitis
General Needs Sub-total $5, 368.00
Total for January, February and March 2002
$6,253.00
Previous balance up to December 31, 2001
$99,099.38
Grand Total as of March 31, 2002 :
$105,352.38
Secretary-Treasure
Decani Monastery Relief Fund
If you would also like to have a tax deductible report
for your donation, please click here.
c/o Veljko Sikirica
4 West Hill Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
USA
President of the Decani Monastery Relief Fund,
++Archimandrite Teodosije & Hieromonk (Father) Sava
Vice President,
Veljko Sikirica
Secretary Treasurer
Pray Unto God For Us!
Content written/compiled by Father Demetrios Serfes.
(c)2002 Father Demetrios Serfes