Białystok, Poland, September 24, 2026
Photo: spc.rs
His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro of the Serbian Orthodox Church led a joint celebration with hierarchs of the Polish Orthodox Church at the feast of the Translation of the Relics of the Holy Martyr and Infant Gabriel, held at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Białystok this week.
Metropolitan Joanikije presided over an All-Night Vigil on September 21. Concelebrating with him were His Eminence Archbishop Jacob of Białystok and Gdańsk, His Eminence Archbishop Gregory of Bielsk, and clergy and monastics of the diocese, along with clergy from Montenegro, reports the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Before the Vigil, the relics of St. Gabriel, which normally rest at the Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Zwierki near Białystok, were ceremonially received at the cathedral.
The next day, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the cathedral, with Metropolitan Joanikije presiding alongside Their Eminences Archbishop Abel of Lublin and Chełm, Archbishop Jacob, and Archbishop Gregory, and Theire Graces Bishop Athanasius of Łódź and Poznań, Bishop Andrew of Supraśl, and Bishop Warsonofy of Siemiatycze.
Photo: spc.rs
Following the Liturgy and a procession with the relics, Archbishop Jacob and Metropolitan Joanikije addressed those gathered and exchanged gifts, with Archbishop Jacob presenting Metropolitan Joanikije an icon of St. Gabriel containing a relic of the saint.
In his address, Metropolitan Joanikije said the infant martyr Gabriel, through his suffering, embodied Christ’s sacrifice and Crucifixion, becoming a partaker in Christ’s suffering even in his earliest childhood.
He spoke of the joy of serving together, saying the deepest spiritual unity among Christians comes through shared faith, prayer and participation in the holy mysteries, and that Christ is the one who unites all Christians despite their different nations and languages.
“It’s always been extremely important for us to witness to the unity of God’s Church, especially today, when the whole world is in great crises, and these crises and discord among nations sometimes touch the very body of God’s Church,” he said.
Photo: spc.rs
Metropolitan Joanikije also expressed joy over the fraternal ties between the Serbian and Polish Orthodox Churches, recalling that Orthodox Poles make pilgrimages to shrines in Montenegro, especially the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog. He said he’d seen firsthand the fraternal love among the Polish Church’s hierarchs and a living church community that “lives a full life, thrives, blossoms and bears its spiritual fruits.”
Thanking Archbishop Jacob for his hospitality, Metropolitan Joanikije said the days spent in shared prayer had been a source of spiritual rest and strength, and presented a gift to the archbishop and the cathedral in memory of their shared service and prayer.
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