O Heavenly King, the Comforter the Spirit of Truth, come and abide in us and save us from every impurity and save our souls O Good One!”

On Sunday, June 12, 2022, the Feast of Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Holy Trinity Day, was gloriously celebrated at the See of our Diocese, the Monastery of the Protection of the Theotokos in Third Lake, Illinois. Festal Matins were served by Hieromonk Makarije and Presbyter Milos Zivkovic, with responses by the Dean of Students of the Theological Faculty Dragan Arsic (MA, PhD Can.). With the blessings of our Diocesan Bishop, His Grace Bishop Longin, who was at Holy Trinity Parish in St. Louis, Missouri for their Church Slava, the retired Bishop of Slavonia, His Grace Bishop Sava, presided at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and at the Festal Vespers. Archimandrite Toma (Kazich) preached on the importance of this Great Feast, reminding all that the descent of the Holy Spirit and the miracle of the Apostles speaking in tongues and preaching of the Risen Christ to the multitudes gathered in Jerusalem marks the “birthday” of the Church, and is celebrated as a day of spiritual renewal, which is why our church buildings are decorated with greenery, a symbol of new life. While the priests read the special kneeling prayers in Vespers, the faithful prayed and made wreaths from fresh green grass, which was graciously cut and delivered by Jovo Stokovic. In further keeping with Fr. Toma’s sermon, the Monastery Church was beautifully decorated with green branches and fresh flowers by members the Bishop’s Diocesan Choir, which responded to the Liturgy and Vespers.

Troparion, Tone 8:  Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit: through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net. O Lover of Man, Glory to Thee.