METROPOLITAN ATANASIJE HELD MEMORIAL SERVICE MARKING 81 YEARS SINCE CAMP INMATES’ BREAKOUT

JASENOVAC, APRIL 22 /SRNA/ – His Eminence Metropolitan Atanasije of Mileševa served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy today at the Jasenovac Monastery marking 81 years since the breakout of the last Jasenovac camp inmates.

The liturgy was concelebrated by Bishops Jovan of Pakrac and Slavonia, Kirilo of Buenos Aires and South and Central America, and Aleksej of Hvostno, vicar of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.

It was emphasized during the prayer gathering that this place symbolizes shared suffering, while Kozara, visible across the Sava River, symbolizes victory.

Bishop Jovan thanked the faithful who came from across the region to pray for the Jasenovac martyrs and to lay wreaths.

He reminded that the Jasenovac Monastery was completed and consecrated two years ago and that its further development is now underway.

"God willing, in a few years when we complete it, we will be able to say what a people has built in memory of its victims", Bishop Jovan said.

He called on the faithful to contribute as much as they can so that it may be recorded in history that the monastery was built by the people.

"I want every hand here to leave something", Bishop Jovan said.

After the liturgy, clergy and believers consecrated wheat and slava cake in front of the monument dedicated to the Jasenovac martyrs.

The service was attended by the envoy of the Russian ambassador, acting director of the Secretariat for Religions Dragan Davidović, representatives of the Jewish community from Novi Sad, the Embassy of Serbia, SDSS MP in the Croatian Parliament Milorad Pupovac, as well as believers from Montenegro and Greece.