Hierarchs of four Local Churches celebrate Liturgy in North Macedonia

Hierarchs of the Local Churches during the service at St. Joachim of Osogovo Monastery. Photo: liturgija.mk

Hierarchs of the Romanian, Serbian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches and the Ohrid Archbishopric came together to honor the memory of St. Joachim of Osogovo at the ancient monastery dedicated to him, the UOJ in Serbia reports.

The clergy celebrated an evening service in the Kumanovo-Osogovo Eparchy on the eve of the feast, August 28, 2026. Metropolitan Jacob of Dorostol of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church presided over the festive service.

The following day, August 29, the hierarchs celebrated the festive Divine Liturgy. The service was led by Metropolitan Visarion of Tulcea. Concelebrating with the Romanian hierarch were Bulgarian Metropolitan Jacob, Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo, a hierarch of the Serbian Patriarch, and hierarchs of the Ohrid Archbishopric.

The feast brought together representatives from many Orthodox countries. Fr. Nikolai Kodeli of the Albanian Orthodox Church also came to the monastery, along with officials from local and central authorities and thousands of pilgrims. Large numbers of faithful filled the monastery courtyard to venerate the holy relics of St. Joachim of Osogovo.

During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Nikolaj of Australia and New Zealand delivered a sermon, reminding the faithful of the spiritual significance of the saint’s ascetic struggle. After the service, Metropolitan Visarion addressed the congregation with words of greeting. In memory of their common prayer, the Romanian hierarch presented the monastery with a blessed cross made in Romania.

The celebration highlighted the strength of Orthodox conciliar unity, which binds brotherly peoples together regardless of state borders.

As previously reported by the UOJ, hierarchs of eight Local Churches concelebrated the Liturgy in Greece.

Read also