On the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary of St. Sava Monastery and the Renovation of the St. Mardarije Spiritual & Cultural Center
Q: Your Eminence, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Sava Monastery this year. Why is this such a significant moment in the life of our Church and people?
Metropolitan Longin:
St. Sava Monastery is not just a physical place—it is a sacred wellspring of spiritual life, a beacon of Orthodoxy, and a living witness to the devotion and sacrifice of our forefathers who came to this land with little but brought with them unwavering faith. For 100 years, this monastery has served as a spiritual refuge, a place of prayer, education, healing, and identity. It was here that St. Mardarije labored, prayed, and was eventually buried. This anniversary is not only a time to look back in gratitude but also to look forward with renewed responsibility.
Q: The renovation of the St. Sava Monastery Konak began yesterday, on the feast of the Finding of the Relics of St. Mardarije. Could you speak about the significance of this timing?
Metropolitan Longin:
It is deeply symbolic. We began the renovation of the Konak—the building that housed so many memories and labors of St. Mardarije—on the very day that the Church commemorates the finding of his holy relics. This is not a coincidence; it is providence. It reminds us that his presence is still with us, guiding us, encouraging us to build and preserve what he began. The Konak will become the St. Mardarije Spiritual and Cultural Center, serving future generations with the same fervor with which St. Mardarije served his.
Q: Your Eminence, which hierarchs are you expecting to attend this year’s celebration?
Metropolitan Longin:
We are blessed to welcome His Grace Bishop Maxim and His Grace Bishop Irinej. I am truly glad they will be with us. Their presence brings great joy and strengthens our unity. It means a lot not only to me personally, but also to our clergy and faithful, as we celebrate this historic occasion together.
Q: Why should this pilgrimage—this annual St. Mardarije Day Procession—become one of the central events in the life of our Diocese?
Metropolitan Longin:
Because it connects us to our roots. Pilgrimage is not a mere tradition—it is a living movement of the soul toward holiness. Every year, when we gather in procession from New Gracanica to St. Sava Monastery, we are walking in the footsteps of St. Mardarije. It is an act of remembrance, of unity, and of commitment. This pilgrimage has the potential to become the spiritual heartbeat of our Diocese—a day when clergy, faithful, youth, and elders come together, pray together, and renew their faith together.
Q: What would you say to the faithful who are considering how they can help?
Metropolitan Longin:
I humbly appeal to all of our faithful, near and far: now is the time to give. Just as our ancestors built the Monastery brick by brick, so too must we now restore and renew it. The renovation of the Konak into the St. Mardarije Spiritual and Cultural Center is a sacred task. We need your prayers, your presence—and your contributions. Every gift, large or small, is a building block for the future of our Church in America. Let us show our gratitude for the past by investing in the future.
Q: Any final thoughts you would like to share?
Metropolitan Longin:
I thank God for granting us this moment. Let us walk together, pray together, and build together—so that in another hundred years, those who come after us will look back and say: they were faithful. May the prayers of St. Mardarije guide and strengthen us all.
To support the renovation of the St. Mardarije Spiritual and Cultural Center:
💻 Donate online at: https://stsavamonastery.org
📧 Email: stsavarenovation@gmail.com
📫 Mail donations to:
St. Sava Monastery Renovation Project
P. O. Box 519
Libertyville, IL 60048
Let us build together—for the glory of God and the salvation of our people.
📸 Interview conducted by Miroslav Sretenović