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Religious Observances

Celebrate New Gracanica Monastery Slava – Wednesday, Oct. 14

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New Gracanica Monastery, 35240 W Grant Ave. Third Lake IL 60046

New Gracanica Monastery, 35240 W Grant Ave. Third Lake IL 60046

New Gracanica Monastery will celebrate Slava – Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God – taking place Wednesday, October 14 at 35240 W. Grant Ave. Third Lake, IL, 60046.

Liturgy begins at 10:00 a.m. with His Grace Bishop Longin serving. A festive lunch will follow immediately afterward. All are welcome to attend.

Learn about the history of New Gracanica Monastery

Watch the classic documentary “Build Thyself A Church” available now on YouTube to learn about the beginnings of the New Gracanica Monastery and witness the construction of this magnificent church from the construction of the foundation through to celebration at the Consecration.

More than thirty years ago Bishop Iriney and the Serbian Orthodox Free Diocese of United States and Canada consecrated their new church monastery, New Gracanica.

As Bishop Iriney wrote, Build Thyself a Church has and will continue to impact future generations.

“Build Thyself A Church” was produced and directed by Mirko Popadic and written by Joe McGarry.

Click now to watch the documentary on YouTube

Memory of 192 loved ones recognized at memorial service

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Parishioners attending the Zadusnice Memorial Service brought forward 192 names of departed loved ones to be shared and recognized Saturday morning, Oct. 10 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, IN.

The purpose of the memorial service was to bring comfort to both the living and the dead. As is sung in the concluding song – Memory Eternal – it also helps us keep the memory of the loved one alive.

Zadusnice, also known as Saturday of Souls or All Souls’ Day, is a day commemorating the faithful departed, particularly but not exclusively one’s relatives. This special observance takes place on a Saturday, a traditional day for prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in the Tomb on Saturday.

For the Zadusnice observance, parishioners write down the names of their departed loved ones and share them with clergy prior to the start of the service. The Panikhida (memorial service) is then served on the Saturday morning for which Koliva (a dish made of boiled wheatberries and honey) is prepared and placed in front of the cross or icon with a lit candle, before which the Panikhida is served.

After the service, the priest blesses the koliva and it is then eaten as a memorial by all present.

Zadusnice Memorial Service takes place four times per year. If you were not able to attend this most recent service, we encourage you to save-the-date for November 7 to join us for the next Zadusnice Memorial Service .

We also encourage you to join us at any of our events at St. Sava by visiting our online calendar at https://www.saintsava.net/calendar/.

Join us for Zadusnice – Memorial Service – Saturday, Oct. 10

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Please join us for a special Zadusnice Memorial Service taking place Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Sava Church, Merrillville, IN.

We encourage anyone to attend. There is no need to bring anything special to this service other than your memories and prayers for your loved ones. However, we do encourage you to write down a list, if you wish, of departed family members and friends to bring with you to the service so that we may remember all of them.

The purpose of the memorial service is to bring comfort to both the living and the dead. As is sung in the concluding song – Memory Eternal – it also helps us keep the memory of the loved one alive.

Zadusnice, also known as Saturday of Souls or All Souls’ Day, is a day commemorating the faithful departed, particularly but not exclusively one’s relatives. This special observance takes place on a Saturday, a traditional day for prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in the Tomb on Saturday.

For the Zadusnice observance, there is normally a Panikhida (memorial service) served on the Saturday morning for which Koliva (a dish made of boiled wheatberries and honey) is prepared and placed in front of the cross or icon with a lit candle, before which the Panikhida is served.

After the service, the priest blesses the koliva and it is then eaten as a memorial by all present.

Zadusnice Memorial Service takes place four times per year. If you are not available this Saturday, we encourage you to save-the-date for November 7 to join us for the next Zadusnice Memorial Service .

We also encourage you to join us at any of our events at St. Sava by visiting our online calendar at https://www.saintsava.net/calendar/.

Memorial Service – ПАРАСТОС

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Dear Parishioners,

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Longin, Sunday, August 9, in our Saint Sava Church we will serve a Memorial service for the innocent victims in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the persecution and suffering of the Serbian people in the Republic of Serbian Krajina and Croatia in the military operation “Storm” on August 4, 1995.

The Memorial service will begin immediately after Holy Liturgy. Although time is short, I hope that the faithful from our parish will come to the Holy Liturgy and to this memorial Service and together and worthily commemorate this important event in our recent past.

Rev Marko Matic


Драги парохијани,

Cа благословом нашег надлежног Архијереја, Његовог Преосвештенства Г. Лонгина, поводом обележавања двадесетогодишњице од прогона и страдања српског народа на подручју Републике Српске Крајине и Републике Хрватске у војној операцији „Олуја“ 4. августа 1995. године, сутра у недељу 9. августа у нашем храму Св. Саве служиће се парастос невино пострадалим жртвама у овом егзодусу.

Парастос ће почети одмах после Свете Литургије. Иако је време кратко, надам се да ће верни народ из наше парохије моћи да дође на Свету Литургију и парастос и на тај начин да достојно обележи овај важан догађај из наше недавне прошлости.