On May 24, 2025, the feast day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlighteners of the Slavs, and the patronal feast of the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade-Karlovci was ceremoniously commemorated. This festive and prayerful gathering was especially honoured by the attendance of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, whose presence imbued the event with particular spiritual grace.
With the blessing of His Holiness, His Grace Bishop Petar of Toplica blessed the festal offerings and delivered a concise and inspired homily. In his address, Bishop Petar emphasized that the Church’s mission proceeds from the very nature of the Church itself. Recalling the Equal-to-the-Apostles and God-pleasing saints, the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, who won the Slavic peoples for Christ by fulfilling His command to become “fishers of men,” the Bishop underscored that we, too, following their example, must walk the path of the Gospel, mindful that they intercede for us before the throne of God.
Following the homily, at the invitation of the Patriarch, the Head of the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade-Karlovci, Presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotić, addressed those gathered. In his remarks, he presented the Department’s activities to date and highlighted the significance of the continuous support which His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije has extended to this ecclesial body from its inception—an institution unique within the entirety of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He also announced upcoming initiatives and expressed heartfelt gratitude to all collaborators for their diligent efforts, naming each individually and noting the specific contributions that have made the Department a fully operational and fruitful missionary entity. He further thanked the clergy of the Belgrade parishes for their exemplary cooperation, as well as the administration of Hram Television, which regularly follows the Department’s work and enriches its programming with lectures, panels, and public discussions organized by the Department.
The celebration continued in a spontaneous and informal dialogue, as members of the Missionary Department exchanged views with Patriarch Porfirije on various missionary topics and received insightful suggestions from him. In addition to the clergy of the Archdiocese, the event was attended by professors from the Belgrade Theological Seminary of Saint Sava and representatives of church media. Among the clergy from other dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church was Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Rade Radan from the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, who shared his missionary experiences from the Fifth Continent in conversation with the Patriarch and those present. The event was also attended by several foreign nationals from Australia, the United States, Russia, and Mexico, who are also regular attendees of the English-language lectures organized within the NevskyTalks project.
