Book Promotion in Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada

Source: RTS

In recent weeks, the book Srbi na Kosovu i Metohiji u 20. i 21. veku (Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija in the 20th and 21st Centuries) by academic Dragoslav Cetkovic, published by the Obelezje and Karic Brothers Foundation publishing houses, has been promoted within the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada. This major work is a biographical lexicon containing more than 700 biographies of Serbs of various professions who have contributed greatly to the development of the Serbian southern province. It is a continuation of the lexicon Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija in the 19th and 20th Centuries from 2018.

The editor-in-chief of the Obelezje Publishing House, Nikola Radanovic, visited Canada for the first time, where he presented the book to the Serbian community in Ontario and Quebec, as well as at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Ottawa. At the invitation and blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan of Canada Mitrofan, Radanovic also visited the churches of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada in Ottawa and Montreal, as well as in Milton, where he attended Diocesan Day, which was solemnly celebrated at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery. The liturgical gathering was led by Metropolitan of Canada Mitrofan, and a large number of faithful from all parts of Canada once again confirmed the unity of the Serbian people in the diaspora.

The first copy of this important edition was presented to the priest Fr. Aleksandar Gujanicic at Saint Stefan Church in Ottawa, on the feast day of Pentecost. On that occasion, a traditional event was held in the church's courtyard to select the best wine from Serbian winegrowers from this part of Canada. Radanovic then visited the Serbian Parish Hall, where the current exhibition Zavicaj (Homeland) testified to the strong connection of the Serbian community with its roots and homeland.

During his stay in Ottawa, Radanovic also visited the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Canada.

"When you find yourself in such a distant country, after the liturgy, in the embassy of the country you belong to, it feels like you are at home. This was also contributed to by the hospitality of Ambassador Stefan Tomasevic, who introduced me to the achievements and increasingly intensive cooperation between Serbia and Canada in numerous fields," Radanovic emphasized.

New projects connecting the two countries were discussed, and special attention was paid to the discussion of new biographies of prominent Serbs that will be included in the new edition of the book of the same name. The ceremonial presentation of the book was held at the Embassy, ​​and Radanovic expressed his gratitude for recognizing the importance of this work and the topic. The entire visit was also made special by the meeting with the Member of Parliament Ned Kuruc, of Serbian descent, who presented Radanovic with a special award on behalf of the Parliament of Canada and the citizens of Hamilton, for his exceptional dedication to journalism, writing and informing the Serbian diaspora. This special award was presented at the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa.

During his stay in Quebec, Nikola Radanovic also visited the Holy Trinity Church in Montreal, where he met with priest Fr. Vladimir Vranic. As he points out, that meeting left a strong spiritual and personal impression.

"In the Holy Trinity Church, I felt a sincere sense of belonging and the warmth that accompanies the Serbian community far from their homeland. I am grateful to Fr. Vladimir Vranic for his support of my project and for the time he set aside to talk about Kosovo and Metohija, the spiritual life of the Serbian community in Montreal, and the history of the church itself, which is located in one of the most beautiful parts of the city. I promised that I would make an effort to donate more titles from Belgrade to this church so that we can jointly enrich and refine the church library, for the benefit of future generations who will seek their spiritual and national roots in it," said Radanovic.

During the meeting with Bishop Mitrofan, the need to preserve books and historical materials about Kosovo and Metohija for future generations was discussed. The importance of this capital work, published with the blessing of His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, was particularly emphasized. The Bishop supported efforts to make such works available to the widest possible circle of readers and for them to remain a lasting testimony to the historical memory of the Serbian people.

The visit to Canada ended with numerous meetings with representatives of the Serbian community, clergy, cultural workers, academics, and prominent individuals, with the conviction that cooperation with our people in the diaspora will continue through new projects.