Kotor, Montenegro, January 27, 2026
Photo: mitropolija.com
The Serbian Orthodox Church formally glorified Hieromarty Mihailo (Barbić), a parish priest murdered by communist authorities in Montenegro in the 1940s, during a Divine Liturgy celebrated on January 24 in Kotor.
The service was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral, with several hierarchs concelebrating including the Serbian Metropolitans Atanasije of Mileševa, Metodije of Budimlja-Nikšić, Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina, and Bishops Kirilo of Buenos Aires and South-Central America, Jovan of Pakrac-Slavonia, and Paisije of Diokleia, with Bishop David of Dremvit of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric, reports the Metropolis of Montenegro.
The act of canonization was read during the Little Entrance. St. Mihailo had been canonized along with several other martyrs during the Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in May 2025.
In his homily, Met. Joanikije emphasized that the newly glorified hieromartyr lived his brief earthly life “in great labor for the glory of God” and walked a thorny path following Christ. From childhood St. Mihailo had desired to become a priest, following the example of his uncle, Archpriest Sava Barbić of Dubrovnik, who was also a martyr from World War I.
The young priest served parishes in Morinje and Krtole, worked as a religious education teacher and military chaplain, and was instrumental in beginning the restoration of Prevlaka Monastery.
Photo: mitropolija.com
According to the Metropolitan’s account, St. Mihailo was slandered “in the most shameful way possible” by those who saw influential clergy as obstacles when they were seizing power. “If Fr. Mihailo had truly been guilty of something, they would have proven it, they would have judged him and they would have announced what he had done,” Met. Joanikije said. “However, there was neither trial nor sentence, only torture in the notorious Kotor prison.”
Church tradition holds that St. Mihailo was strangled and thrown into a septic pit. “Everything was done after his martyr’s death to erase his memory, so that his name would not be mentioned,” the Metropolitan stated.
He noted that the false accusations were eventually exposed, with one local resident, Vasko Kostić, being among the first to testify to the truth.
Bp. Kirilo reminded the faithful of the words of St. Justin Popović that “the life of the saints is the continued life of Christ through time.” He emphasized that martyrs “most closely cooperate with Christ, because they witness unto death to the truth of His teaching and His economy of salvation.”
The bishop noted that St. Mihailo joins other saints from the Bay of Kotor region, including St. Sebastian Dabović, who “spread the glory of the Bay to the furthest corners of the world, even to Los Angeles and Japan in his preaching.”
“Through the feat of the sons of God, all creation is sanctified,” Bp. Kirilo said. “The Church rejoices at this good news... Every canonization is new good news, new joyful news.”
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