News and Events - March 2009
LENTEN VESPERS IN MERRILLVILLE, INDIANA
Merrillville, IN - Every year the Lenten Vespers are served in the Metropolitanate of Midwestern America on Sunday evenings. Each Sunday is hosted by a different church while the homilist is the neighboring priest who speaks on the Sunday's theme. On Sunday, March 22, 2009 the host was Fr. Aleksandar Novakovic and the parishioners of St. Elijah the Prophet Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Merrillville, Indiana.
Accompanied by Deacon Damjan Bozic, His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher of Midwestern America arrived before the beginning of the service and as the faithful were arriving His Eminence inspected the parish home and church property. V. Rev. Stavrophor Nedeljko Lunich, the Metropolitan's Deputy and Dean of the Chicago Deanery, officiated at Vespers. Con-celebrating were V. Rev. Stavrophor Dragoljub Pavichevich, Dean of the Milwaukee Deanery, V. Rev. Djuro Krosnjar from the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Protonamesnik Fr. Dobrivoje Milunovic of St. George in Schererville, Fr. Marko Matic from the neighboring St. Sava Church in Merrillville, Fr. Darko Spasojevic, dean of Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Chicago and Deacon Damjan Bozic. The St. Elijah church choir beautifully sang the responses. Leading the chanting at the chantor's stand was V. Rev. Milos Vesin from St. Archangel Michael Church in Lansing, together with Mrs. Bosiljka Vukobrat from Novi Sad and Mr. Damjan Radojcic, student at the St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville.
Fr. Darko Spasojevic delivered the homily following the service. Afterwards, Fr. Aleksandar Novakovic, dean of the cathedral, invited all the faithful to the church hall for the Lenten meal. Though the hall is large in size it was small in receiving all the faithful who came from nearly all the surrounding parishes.
Source: Midwestern Metropolitanate