Crown Point, Indiana, August 4, 2023
Sts Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral
The primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric recently paid a one-month pastoral visit to the MOC’s Diocese of America and Canada.
During his trip, he visited Serbian Orthodox monasteries and also the oldest Macedonian Orthodox Church in North America, where he consecrated the church’s beautiful new iconography.
The day after the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, July 13 (known as Pavlovden in the MOC), Abp. Stefan and His Eminence Metropolitan Metodij of America and Canada and several other clerics visited New Gračanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois, near Chicago, reports m-p-c.org.
Sts Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral
The Macedonian Orthodox delegation was warmly received by His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gračanica and Midwestern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Abbot Sergije and the brotherhood, and the children who were attending the Church camp at the time.
Abp. Stefan, Met. Metodij and the clerics then visited the nearby St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, home to the relics of St. Mardarije, the first bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of America and founder of the monastery.
The monastery is also home to a theological school and a cemetery, best known as the original resting place of St. Nikolai (Velimirović).
The MOC delegation was then received at Bp. Longin’s residence in Libertyville.
Sts Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral
And on July 16, Abp. Stefan visited the Sts. Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Church in Crown Point, Indiana, the oldest MOC church in North America, to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
The church’s recently finished iconography was consecrated by Abp. Stefan, in the presence of Met. Metodij, numerous clergy, and a multitude of pious Orthodox Christians.
Gligor Stefanov
The iconography was painted by the hand of Macedonian artist and iconographer Gligor Stefanov. View Stefanov’s complete album of the iconography here.
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