Appearing as a guest on the programme Under the Lens, broadcast on Saturday, 29 November 2025, on Radio Beseda of the Diocese of Bačka, Catechist Branislav Ilić, editor of the Kinonia portal of the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci, spoke about the life and ministry of the late Bishop Jeronim (Močević) of Jegar, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of his blessed repose.
“One of the saints of God from our own people once wrote that our earthly life resembles a journey during which we encounter many people, and that each of these encounters leaves an imprint on our soul. One such encounter that left a profound impression on my heart was my meeting with the late Bishop Jeronim of Jegar. Odysseas Elytis writes: ‘Man is but a single gleam; if you have seen him, you have truly seen him,’ and we who were able to behold the gleam of Bishop Jeronim’s personality have been enriched and blessed,” said Catechist Branislav Ilić, recalling his first meeting with the late hierarch and adding: “I remember our first encounter in the courtyard of the Holy Archangels Monastery in Kovilj; I remember Bishop Jeronim’s outstretched arms and an even bigger heart with which, in his characteristic spontaneity, he embraced every human being. Every meeting with him—sadly, there were only a few—began and ended with our conversations about the divine services, the liturgical order, and the beauty of worship. I have never met a man who knew the typikon and its historical development better. The name of Jeronim of Kovilj will forever be inscribed in gold in the history of the Holy Archangels Monastery, for it was through his merit that the typikon and liturgical beauty were established in the form by which the monastery in Kovilj became unique.”
In the course of the discussion, the regular weekly commentator of Radio Beseda’s news programme also spoke about the great contribution Bishop Jeronim made to the mission of our holy Church. According to Catechist Branislav, “Bishop Jeronim was a missionary in word and deed. The centre of his missionary activity was his constant emphasis on communion with the Lord, which is realised through our participation in the sacred liturgical services. His sermons, delivered from the ambons of our churches, were inspired by ecclesiastical poetry and often included testimonies about hymnographers who, to the glory of God and in honour of the saints, composed the prayerful hymns that have been proclaimed and sung for centuries in our churches. By his monastic ethos he taught us to walk the narrow path that leads to life, and by his life—which was an uninterrupted service and worship—he directed us always to walk according to the rhythm of the liturgy, for sacred worship is the best catechesis.”
Source: Kinonia Portal
