Libertyville, Illinois, July 7, 2017
The schedule for the upcoming ceremonies surrounding the official glorification of St. Mardarije of Libertyville and All-America on July 14-16 is now available on the site of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as the site of St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, where his incorrupt relics lie.
The event is expected to be a pan-Orthodox event, “reflecting our unity in Faith and common witness in this country,” according to the Diocese of New Gracanica and Midwestern America. In addition to His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, other hierarchs and representatives of other Local Churches will also take part in the celebration, including His Grace Bishop Anthony of Toledo and the Midwest (Antiochian), His Eminence Archbishop Nikodim of Northern Donetsk and Starobel’skii (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate), His Eminence Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America (ROCOR) and Bishop Theodosy of Seattle (ROCOR), His Eminence Metropolitan Antonii of Vani and Baghdati, and His Eminence Metropolitan Sava of America (Georgian), His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas (Romanian), and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington and His Grace Bishop Paul of Chicago and the Midwest (OCA).
The weekend will begin with a symposium on “The Life and Times of St. Mardarije,” to be held at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago. Presentations include “Russia in Mardarije’s Time: From Reform to Abyss” by Srdja Trifkovic, PhD, “Reflection on the Newly Published Memoires of Bishop Mardarije” by Nicholas Groves, PhD, and “St. Mardarije's Russian Context: Reflections on Intellectual and Religious Developments in Late Imperial Society” by Nicholas Ganson, PhD, to be followed by Vespers, dinner, and the keynote address, “St. Mardarije: Wondrous is God in His Saints” by His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral.
“This Symposium will be a fitting start to the Glorification weekend because it will show the times and events that shaped the life of St. Mardarije, how he was in dialogue with them, but also how he responded to them and attained that true measure of purpose which is sainthood,” said His Grace Bishop Longin.
The weekend continues on Saturday at the New Gracanica Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Lake Villa, Illinois, with the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy, an oratorical festival, lunch, and the glorification Vigil for St. Mardarije at 5:00 PM.
Finally, on Sunday, the glorification Divine Liturgy will be celebrated by His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia at St. Sava Monastery, where worshipers will have the opportunity to venerate the incorrupt relics of St. Mardarije. The Liturgy will be followed by a banquet for hierarchs and honored quests and a picnic style lunch for all pilgrims, with the glorification program beginning at 2:30, and traditional Serbian festivities at 4:00.
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St. Mardarije labored tirelessly in America, and personally founded the St. Sava Monastery where he was buried after his repose on December 12, 1935. The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church added his name to the diptych of saints on the Church’s calendar at its May 29, 2015 meeting. His relics were discovered to be incorrupt on May 5, 2017.
