The Serbian Orthodox Community in America had the joy of the participation of His Beatitude Irinej, Patriarch of Serbia, in the religious and cultural manifestations, organized between 04 and 06 September 2015, on the occasion of the local canonization of two Serbian saints.
The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, during its regular session of 14-29 May 2015, decided to add to the Diptych of Saints two Serbian personalities who preached the word of the Gospel of Christ on American land, during the 20th century, namely Archimandrite Sebastian Dabovic, the first orthodox priest born in the US, called the Serbian Apostle of America, and Hierarch Mardarije Uskokovic, Serbian Orthodox Bishop of America and Canada.
The official canonization of the two saints took place during the Divine Liturgy officiated on Saturday, 05 September 2015, by the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in St Steven Cathedral in Alhambra, California.
As informed by the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese in Western America, many Serbian hierarchs participated to these events, as well as delegates of other Orthodox sister Churches, such as His Eminence Demetrios, Archbishop of America (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople), His Grace John, Bishop of Naro-Fominsk (Russian Orthodox Church), and His Grace Sava, Georgian Orthodox Church in America.
Patriarch Irinej is currently carrying out an irenical visit to the Serbian Orthodox Dioceses of the United States of America and of Canada, between 03 and 24 September 2015.
The life of St. Mardarije of Libertyville (1889-1935)
Born in village of Kornet, Ljesani County, in Montenegro, on November 2, 1889, to pious parents Petar and Jela Uskokovic, he was baptized in his village church dedicated to St. George and received his baptismal name Ivan. His mother was from the well-known Bozovic family. Both of his parents were well respected in their community holding the office of leadership and particularly his father was a captain of their clan.
Considering his parents’ status, young Ivan was sent to further his education, first in Rijeka Crnojevic, Cetinje, and then in Belgrade, Serbia. While in Belgrade, young Ivan advanced his childhood desire to serve God and the Church, and so from there he headed to monastery Studenica where after a short period of novice life he gets tonsured to monasticism having received the name Mardarije.
With the decision of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, now young hierodeacon Mardarije is sent to Russia where he spent twelve years (1905-1917) furthering his theological education and growing in wisdom. From there, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church sent him to the United States of America to organize the Serbian Orthodox Church.
On December 1, 1923, now archimandrite Mardarije is appointed as administrator of the Serbian American-Canadian diocese with the see in Chicago and that same year he purchased around ten acres of land in Libertyville, Illinois, where later St. Sava monastery was built. He was elected by the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church as the first bishop for the newly established diocese in America on December 7, 1925, and his consecration took place on Palm Sunday, the Feast of the Entrance of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, on April 25, 1926.
From then on His Grace Bishop Mardarije, the first bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, labored tirelessly in building churches, St. Sava monastery in Libertyville, sowing Christian love, spread peace, preached and witnessed the Gospel of Christ throughout his diocese. In spite of inescapable wordly trends, he lived spontaneity of truth and a provision of grace, just because Life has dawned from the Tomb, and is dawning still. Having labored as bishop for a little over nine years he died peacefully on December 12, 1935, hospitalized in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while writing his last Nativity Encyclical to his beloved flock. His earthly remains were laid to rest at St. Sava monastery in Libertyville.
The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church during its regular session held from May 14-29, 2015 brought forth a decision that his name be added to the Diptych of saints of the Holy Orthodox Church.
The life of St. Sebastian of Jackson (1863-1940)
This apostle of North America was the first American born Orthodox priest. His parents, Ilija and Jelena Dabovic, were the first recorded immigrants on the West Coast. They lived in San Francisco, operated a small shop, and were blessed with seven children. St. Sebastian was their fourth child who at baptism received name John. He was born on June 21, 1863. His ministry in the Church started at early age. After he finished high school he served his parish as a reader and teacher. Before he was sent to Russia, he spent time in Sitka, Alaska, assisted with parish ministries at St. Archangel Michael Cathedral. After three years of study at the St. Petersburg and Kiev Theological Academies, John was tonsured a monk and received monastic name Sebastian in 1887.
That same year he was ordained a hierodeacon. He served as deacon at the San Francisco Cathedral until Bishop Nicholas ordained him a priest on August 16, 1892. As newly ordained Hieromonk Fr. Sebastian tirelessly preached the Gospel, served Divine Liturgies, counseled and established many parishes throughout the country.
During his life he conveyed the light of liturgical certainty and calm to a world that was spiritually hungry and suffering. Archbishop Tikhon asked Fr. Sebastian to lead a Serbian mission in the North American diocese, elevated him to archimandrite on August 15, 1905, and sent him to Chicago, Illinois, where this holy man served as parish priest. In 1910, he asked for release from the parish so that he could return to missionary work. Having spent three years at the newly opened St. Platon Seminary in Tenafly, New Jersey, he went back to Serbia to serve as a chaplain in the Serbian army in the Balkan Wars and WW I.
After his brief visit to the Unites States of America in 1915 and 1917, the rest of his life he spent in Serbia where he peacefully reposed in monastery Zicha on November 30, 1940, having his earthly remains laid to rest there until they were exhumed and translated to Jackson, California, on September 1, 2007, at St. Sava Church, the oldest and one of many Serbian Orthodox Churches in America that he founded in 1894.
Fr Sebastian built up souls, organized the Church, erected houses of prayer, and was devoted to charitable work. In addition to establishing many churches, St. Sebastian also wrote many articles and sermons. His last spoken words and wish were: The Heavenly Kingdom without end! Meaning: the kingdom of the virtues whence the miracle of eternal surprises bursts forth.
The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church during its regular session held from May 14-29, 2015 inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit decided that his name be added to the Diptych of saints of the Holy Orthodox Church.
Troparion of Sts. Mardarije and Sebastian, tone 4:
O God of our Fathers,
Always act with kindness towards us;
Take not Your mercy from us,
But through the prayers of Saints Mardarije and Sebastian
Guide our lives in peace.
Kontakion to St. Mardarije of Libertyville, Tone 8:
Tireless preacher of Christ the Lord,
Leader on the path of St. Sava for your people in diaspora,
Labor-loving practitioner and teacher of repentance,
Holy Mardarije of Libertyville and America,
Together with all the Enlighteners of the American lands,
Entreat the only Lover of Mankind,
To grant all Orthodox Christians peace and unity!
Kontakion to St. Sebastian of Jackson, Tone 8:
Apostle and Enlightener of America,
Born in San Francisco,
First born in America to become a priest,
Fiery preacher of Christ’s word among the peoples of America,
You traveled throughout the country preaching the Truth and love,
Confirming many souls in the Orthodox Faith,
And erecting many churches to the glory of God,
Poor in body but rich in the Spirit,
O Father Sebastian of Jackson and Apostle of All America,
Pray the Lord Whom you served with your whole heart,
To grant us your last spoken wish:
The Kingdom of Heaven without end!
Source: http://westsrbdio.org/
Aurelian – Nicolae Iftimiu
