The Parish Mission Section of the Missionary Department of the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci is continuing its mentoring work with the priests with up to three years of service. On Monday, June 17, 2024, at 7 p.m. in the crypt of the Church of Saint Apostle and Evangelist Mark at Tašmajdan, Protopresbyter-Stavrophorous Vajo Jović, the coordinator of the aforementioned Section, gave a lecture on the topic “Preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism and Baptismal Practice. “
At the outset, on behalf of the entire brotherhood of the Church of Saint Mark, Presbyter Vladimir Pekić, this church’s clergyman, and a member of the Expert Council of the Missionary Department, welcomed the participants. This was followed by a short address by Presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotić, the Head of the Missionary Department, who was also the event moderator. Protopresbyter-Stavrophorous Vajo Jović then gave an introductory lecture on the topic, supported by his decades-long parish service experience.
In his lecture, Protopresbyter Vajo acquainted his young colleagues with the baptismal practices of our local Church and pointed out the essential elements of the Sacrament of Baptism. Firstly, he pointed out the importance of pre-baptismal catechistic education, which is unfortunately frequently missing, and highlighted the potential problems which can arise if the catechumens are not taught the basic tenets of the faith. Father Vajo put special emphasis on the decades-long tradition of the St. Alexander Nevsky Church, which has seen 5,000 people undergo formal catechistic instruction, each one recorded by name. The speaker also emphasised the need for a thorough catechization of the entire Serbian people, which would contribute to a better understanding of the faith, and would also help overcome numerous challenges, which stem from an insufficient familiarity with the sacramental life.
Presbyter Vajo Jović also explained the importance of properly performing the Holy Sacrement of Baptism. Drawing on his own experience, he outlined the right way of administering it ( what to adhere to, what to watch out for, what to avoid and what to guard against). He also shared instances of improper administration of this Sacrament, including the “scrimping” on the baptismal water, among other things, and urged young priests to refrain from them.
Presbyter Oliver Subotić then took over from the speaker, emphasising the importance of persisting in the proper administration of the Holy Sacrament of Baptism for young priests, in the way it has been established and prescribed. This includes reading out all the required prayers and conducting this Holy Mystery in the way prescribed by the Holy Church Tradition. He encouraged his younger colleagues to faithfully adhere to this approach, regardless of the pressure and a lack of understanding from their environment, since each priest will be answerable to God for his service, which is why they should strive to serve the faithful and be pleasing to God, rather than men.
A lively discussion ensued, in which most of the young attendant priests participated, who were asking concrete questions and searching for answers to their doubts. The exchange of views between the speaker, the moderator, and the attendant priests was very inspirational, and it contributed to a better understanding of the topic. Some of the important aspects of the topic were also highlighted. A separate discussion followed, on the subject of the actual obstacles facing the young priests, who wish to conduct this Holy Mystery as closely as possible to the actual typikon. They also discussed how to proceed in extraordinary circumstances, or when a baptism takes place in a church not their own, or how much time is needed approximately to conduct this Holy Mystery adequately. The practice of communal Baptisms was also discussed.
Presbyter Aleksandar Mitrović, the head of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Grocka, was among the older priests who came to support their younger colleagues, and to exchange their personal experiences with them. He shared his personal experiences, and the practice he adopted as a young priest, modelling himself on the eminent bishops of our Church, emphasising the fact that this Holy Mystery should be conducted with maximum thoroughness and awareness of its ecclesiastical context, which also includes the appropriate external form of the rite, from start to finish. A young priest from the Archdiocese of Valjevo was also present, with the blessing of his bishop.
The zeal and enthusiasm which the young priests exhibited during the lecture were very encouraging to see. The general consensus was that this particular topic deserves far greater attention and analysis, as evidenced by the fact that the discussion continued long after the lecture had finished.
The mentoring work with young priests is set to continue in September.
