An encounter of orthodox youth from the Balkan countries of which there were five representatives from Albania
They came from different cultures and took part in the worship of God, together. It was apparent they were united in each Divine Liturgy.
A group of the our orthodox youth participated in the activities organized by the Balkan Orthodox Youth Association (BOYA) that took place in Serbia on 7th through 11th of November. The theme was “Youth and the liturgical life of the Church”.
The activities were entitled “The days of St. Dimitrios”, in honor of his name’s day (according to the Julian calendar). The atmosphere was spiritual and the youth of the Balkans found themselves on common ground, – which is the Church of Christ, having a rich tradition with countless faithful throughout the world.
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The first day in Beograd was exceptional. They came from various Balkan countries like Serbia, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria, and gathered at the Orthodox Youth Center of Beograd and had a nice time getting to know each other. They visited some of the most interesting sites in the city. In the afternoon, they departed for the city of Novi-Sadi (part of the Sremi Diocese) where the first session took place. One could easily see in this diocese, a rich Christian life and a consolidation of several churches and monasteries which were found at almost every kilometer.
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The next day, was the feast day of St. Dimitrios and the faithful of the community in Sremka celebrated the day with the Bishop of their Diocese, His Grace Vasili. Early in the morning, hundreds of faithful gathered at St. Dimitrios Church for the Divine Liturgy. Many dignitaries from the surroundings were there, as well as representatives of BOYA who were seated in a place of honor. They listened to the Divine Liturgy celebrated in their mother tongue.
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The clergyman who represented our Church was Fr. Emanuel Lusha who read some prayers in Albanian, as did the co-celebrants from the various churches represented. After the Divine Liturgy there was a festive procession with people filling the streets beginning at the church and processed to a large municipal building.
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Another festive ceremony was organized inside the building. An inter-cultural meeting took place here with joyful greetings and musical entertainment. At the end of the day, there were visits to the major museums of Sremka and the multi-century basilicas impressing everyone with their combination of medieval and modern elements.
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Friday was a busy day with many meetings and speeches made by each of the representatives of the Balkan Orthodox Youth Organizations. There was an excellent lecture by Father Jovan, of the Theological Seminary in Serbia, entitled “The Youth and Liturgical Life” in which he emphasized that “…the Liturgy is an image of the future in the Kingdom of Heaven. Each liturgy is dedicated to God and we become part of His life through our transformation.”
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Other speeches followed by representatives of the Orthodox youth of Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. Father Emanuel spoke of the development of our church in the last fifteen years and the contribution of the youth during this process. All the participants warmly greeted the Albanian representatives and marveled at the work done by Archbishop Anastasios and the orthodox youth. His Beatitude considers our young Albanian Orthodox to be critical for the current development of the Albanian Orthodox Church, as well as for the future.
A representative of the Romanian youth who was interviewed by the Albanian radio station “Resurrection” said, “The orthodox youth group from Albania represented itself in a remarkable way, giving a bright, concise and complete presentation”. Many Albanian chants and folk songs were heard during the week throughout the Sremi Diocese.
On Saturday, the youth visited several monasteries such as, Krusedol, Jazak and Hopovo. In Krusedol, the youth venerated the relics of St. Angelina who was Arian’s daughter and sister of our national hero Gjergj Kastrioti’s wife. In a special meeting with the Albanian orthodox youth, his Grace Vasili emphasized that St. Angelina, of Albanian origins, is deeply venerated in Serbia. In the Hopovo monastery, the youth had the blessing to venerate the relics of St. Theodor Tironi. They also met the monks and everyone had lunch together. In the afternoon the youth paid a special visit to the Episcopal Palace “Sremski Karlovci” where vespers were said together. Afterwards, they visited “Vasilje Sremac” Seminary.
On Sunday, the last day of the seminar, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Ruma. All the members of BOYA worshiped God in their mother tongue. In his sermon, His Grace Vasili, conveyed the message that the unity of orthodox Christians in the Balkans and beyond is a gift of the Holy Spirit. He gave thanks to the youth of BOYA who delivered the message of love for one another within the Church of Christ.
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By Isidor Koti
Translated by Juliana Pici
Edited by Melanie Linderman
