UOC pilgrims from Poltava speak about their visit to Serbia and Montenegro

Pilgrims from Poltava have visited the shrines of Serbia and Montenegro. Photo: Facebook page of the Poltava Eparchy of the UOC

Pilgrims from the Poltava Eparchy of the UOC said how they were received by the believers of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Serbia and Montenegro.

The trip to the shrines of the Balkan Peninsula took place from July 31 to August 14, 2021, reports the eparchy’s press service.

In Serbia, UOC believers visited the monasteries of the Fruška Gora Reserve, the Cathedral of St. Sava of Serbia and the Rakovica Monastery in Belgrade, the monasteries of Tresije, Žiča and Studenica. In Montenegro, pilgrims venerated the shrines of the Djurdjevi Stupovi Monastery, where they were personally received by Father Superior Daniel, prayed at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Podgorica, visited Cetinje, Podmaine, the ancient city of Kotor, as well as the monasteries of Savina and Ostrog.

“In almost every monastery, Poltava residents were asked which Church they are from and who their Primate is. They asked us because they know what a difficult situation Ukrainian Orthodoxy is going through now. And when they heard the answer from the pilgrims that they are under the omophorion of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, they were warmly received everywhere and openly declared their support.

In particular, at the Liturgy in the Holy Trinity Monastery near the town of Pljevlja, the hegumen commemorated His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry and then explained that he had done this as a sign of respect for the pilgrims and to support the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the Poltava pilgrims said. 

As reported, the Serbian Patriarch congratulated His Beatitude Onuphry on the anniversary of his enthronement, noting his archpastoral sacrifice.

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