A great man is one who collects knowledge the way a bee collects honey and uses it to help people overcome the difficulties they endure - hunger, ignorance and disease!
- Nikola Tesla

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.
- Franklin Roosevelt

While their territory has been devastated and their homes despoiled, the spirit of the Serbian people has not been broken.
- Woodrow Wilson

Jubilee Celebration of the Western American Diocese: Freedom to Pursue the Faith

Alhambra, CA – On August 30 through September 1, 2013, the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America will hold its annual Diocesan Days gathering. This year Diocesan Days will mark several momentous anniversaries: 50 years of the founding of the Diocese, 150 years of the birth of Archimandrite Sebastian Dabovich, Holy Apostle to the Americas, and 1700 years of the Edict of Milan.

Events will include a Saturday morning symposium, which will focus on the freedom to pursue our faith since the time of Constantine 1700 years ago and how to better live a spiritual life. Symposium speakers will be Hieromonk Iakovos of Simonopetra, Mt. Athos, the V. Rev. Dr. John Erickson of St. Vladimir Seminary, and Dr. James Skedros of Holy Cross Seminary. An open question and answer session will follow their presentations.

.

"We look forward to welcoming our Diocesan community and all interested persons to our celebration," said Bishop Maxim. "This promises to be a time filled with fellowship and spiritual reflection. Diocesan Days event provides space for celebration, dialogue and reflection through common prayer and symposia, theological conversations, workshops, the American landscape exhibit, the wine and beer symposiums…"

"The programme is made up of a rich offering of events intended to maximize sharing among participants – to deepen their experience of faith and fellowship, to increase their knowledge of ecclesial truths and to provide space for entertainment."

Other highlights of Diocesan Days will be an exhibition of recently completed American landscapes in an abstract Byzantine style by Fr. Stamatis Skliris as well as music, folk dance, and artisanal beer and wine tastings. Also, Dr. Michael Pravica, University of Nevada, Los Vegas, will give a special presentation on the work of Nikola Tesla, son of a Serbian Orthodox priest and scientist extraordinaire.

All events will take place on the grounds of St. Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, 1621 W. Garvey, Alhambra, CA 91803.

For more information please visit http://www.westsrbdio.org/en/events/diocesan-days

About the Western American Diocese

Founded in 1963, the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America serves 32 parishes and 5 monasteries and sketes in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Mexico. Since 2006 the Diocese has been shepherded by His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop Maxim.

diocesan-days-2013-flyer-page-1

diocesan-days-2013-flyer-page-2


SA

 

People Directory

William Dorich

Main Areas: Quality Self Publishing

Best Sellers: The Nursing Home Crisis, Defeat Foreclosure, Sleep Seekers, Kosovo, A Brief History of Serbian Music and Jasenovac Then & Now: A Conspiracy of Silence

Career Focus: Publisher, Author, Editor

.
Read more ...

Publishing

Holy Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan

by Bishop Athanasius (Yevtich)

In 2013 Christian world celebrates 1700 years since the day when the Providence of God spoke through the holy Emperor Constantine and freedom was given to the Christian faith. Commemorating the 1700 years since the Edict of Milan of 313, Sebastian Press of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church published a book by Bishop Athanasius Yevtich, Holy Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan. The book has 72 pages and was translated by Popadija Aleksandra Petrovich. This excellent overview of the historical circumstances that lead to the conversion of the first Christian emperor and to the publication of a document that was called "Edict of Milan", was originally published in Serbian by the Brotherhood of St. Simeon the Myrrh-gusher, Vrnjci 2013. “The Edict of Milan” is calling on civil authorities everywhere to respect the right of believers to worship freely and to express their faith publicly.

The publication of this beautiful pocket-size, full-color, English-language book, has been compiled and designed by Bishop Athanasius Yevtich, a disciple of the great twentieth-century theologian Archimandrite Justin Popovich. Bishop Athanasius' thought combines adherence to the teachings of the Church Fathers with a vibrant faith, knowledge of history, and a profound experience of Christ in the Church.

In the conclusion of the book, the author states:"The era of St. Constantine and his mother St. Helena, marks the beginning of what history refers to as Roman, Christian Empire, which was named Byzantium only in recent times in the West. In fact, this was the conception of a Christian Europe. Christian Byzantine culture had a critical effect on Europe; Europe was its heir, and then consciously forgot it. Europe inherited many Byzantine treasures, but unfortunately, also robbed and plundered many others for its own treasuries and museums – not only during the Crusades, but during colonial rule in the Byzantine lands as well. We, the Orthodox Slavs, received a great heritage of the Orthodox Christian East from Byzantium. Primarily, Christ’s Gospel, His faith and His Church, and then, among other things, the Cyrillic alphabet, too."