Lecture Held in English: “Christian Mission in the Germanic Lands in the Eighth Century”

As part of the NevskyTalks project, the Section for External Mission of the Missionary Department of the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci has continued, in 2026, organizing regular monthly lectures in English, primarily intended for foreign nationals living in Belgrade who have expressed an interest in Orthodox Christianity.

On Wednesday, 28 January 2026, at 6:30 p.m., a lecture in English entitled “Christian Mission in the Germanic Lands in the Eighth Century” was held on the premises of the Missionary Department, within the parish house of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Belgrade.

The lecture was delivered by theologian Miloš Romčević, an external associate of the Section for External Mission, while the moderator was David Đorđević, a philologist and permanent expert associate of the Missionary Department of the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci.

In his presentation, Miloš Romčević addressed the historical context of the spread of Christianity among the Germanic tribes in the eighth century, with particular reference to the missionary activity of Western saints of that period. Special attention was devoted to the role of Saint Boniface, as well as to the manner in which the Christian mission in the Germanic lands was intertwined with the political and social processes of the Frankish Empire. The lecturer also pointed to the complex relationship between missionary activity, local pagan traditions, and the gradual process of Christianization, emphasizing that the mission was not exclusively a religious endeavour, but also part of the cultural and civilizational process.

Those in attendance demonstrated a high level of interest in the topic, actively participating in the discussion and posing numerous questions, which further enriched the meeting and clearly confirmed the significance of such gatherings within the missionary work of the Church.

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Protopresbyter-Staurophorus Vajo Jović

Protopresbyter-Staurophorus Vajo Jović was born in 1956 in Ugljevik, Srpska.

Priest in Zagreb and Secretary of the Diocesan Board of the Metropolis of Zagreb and Ljubljana since 1979.
From Zagreb, he served the missionary parish in Maribor.
Parish priest at the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Belgrade since 1991.
Since 2000, Elder of the same church and Director of the Orthodox Missionary School until his retirement in 2023.

Forty-two years of priestly service are characterized by intensive missionary work.

Recipient of the Order of St. Sava, third degree.

Protopresbyter-Staurophor Radivoj Panić

Protopresbyter-Staurophor Radivoj Panić is the coordinator of the Parish Mission Department of the Missionary Department of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovci. He was born on April 1, 1961 in Novi Sad. He completed the seminary in Sremski Karlovci in 1981.

From 1986 to 1991, he was engaged as a librarian at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1992. He began his pastoral ministry as a parish priest in Kosova Polje, where he served from 1992 to 2001. After that, from 2001 to 2009, he was the parish priest at the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, and since 2009 he has served as the parish priest at the Church of St. Sava. He completed his theological studies in 2008, at a time when he was already serving as a parish priest.

He is particularly involved in organizing pilgrimages to Kosovo and Metohija, as well as in humanitarian work. He collaborates with the organization “Our Serbs” from Chicago, through which he actively participates in providing assistance to the Serbian people in Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija, as well as in supporting domestic organizations operating in these areas.

Father Radivoj Panić is considered one of the most respected priests of the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovac.