CHURCH'S PATRON SAINT'S DAY CELEBRATED, METROPOLITAN OFFICIATED, LARGE NUMBER OF WORSHIPPERS ATTENDED

SARAJEVO, AUGUST 19 /SRNA/ - The Church of the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord in the Pofalići neighbourhood of Sarajevo celebrated its patron saint's day /Slava/, with a large number of worshippers attending the Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, officiated by His Eminence Hrizostom, Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia.

Wishing the clergy and worshippers a happy patron saint's day, Metropolitan Hrizostom said that all people, beginning with ordinary sinful people, should be transformed into the people of God.

"Man is an icon of God and of great value," Metropolitan Hrizostom said in his sermon.

Following the liturgy, the traditional breaking of the Slava bread and the blessing of the grapes took place, followed by a solemn procession around the church.

This year's patron of the Slava was Ljubomir Mrda and his family, while next year's patron will be Jovan Katić, the current mayor of Istočno Novo Sarajevo.

The celebration was attended today by numerous public and political figures from Istočno Sarajevo and Republika Srpska.

The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is also popularly regarded as the day when both the mountains and the waters are transformed.

This church was significantly damaged during the last war in BiH, which led to its restoration in stages. In the post-war period, however, it was frequently targeted by vandals, most of whom were never identified.

The Church of the Holy Transfiguration in Pofalići was consecrated in 1940 by the then Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo.

The church is notable for its architecture, as the original design was intended for the construction of a Serbian Orthodox church in Split. It is considered one of the most beautiful Orthodox churches in the Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia.