His Holiness Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovic) was born in the village of Vidova, near town of Cacak, Serbia, on 28 August, 1930. His baptismal name is Miroslav. He finished elementary school in his village, and later on high school in Cacak. Thereupon he enrolled and completed Theological Seminary in Prizren, Kosovo and Metochia, and graduated at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade. Upon graduation, he did his army service for a year and a half. The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church appointed him a professor of the Prizren Theological Seminary, but before assuming this assignment he was tonsured by the late Serbian Patriarch Herman (German) and got the monastic name Irinej, at the Rakovica monastery near Belgrade in October 1959.
That same month, on the Feat of St. Paraskeva, October 27, 1959, at the Ruzica church within the Kalemegdan old town of Belgrade, he was ordained hieromonk. While he worked as a professor at the Prizren Seminary he spent a period of time at post-graduate studies in Athens. In 1969 he was appointed as Principal of the Monastic School in the Monastery of Ostrog, Montenegro, from where he returned back to Prizren and became Principal of the Prizren Seminary. From that office he was elected as Vicar Bishop of the then Patriarch of Serbia with the title of Bishop of Moravica in May, 1974. A year later, in 1975, he was elected as diocesan Bishop of Nis and enthroned in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Nis on 15 June, 1975. As Bishop he headed the Diocese of Nis for the next 35 years.
When the Theological Seminary was displaced from Prizren due to Albanian revolts in 1999, Patriarch Irinej as Bishop of Nis made it possible that a new, large building of the Seminary was built in Nis, where the Seminary could continue its life.
The Holy Assembly of Bishops elected Bishop Irinej as Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch on January 22, 2010, as successor of the previous Patriarch Pavle (Stojcevic). Consequently, he is the 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The act of enthronement of His Holiness Irinej, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, was performed on January 23, 2010, during the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy in Belgrade’s Cathedral church of Archangel Michael. The solemn Liturgy was officiated by the elected Serbian Patriarch Irinej with the concelebration of his brothers Bishops, priests and deacons, as well as representatives of the Russian and Greek Churches. Patriarch Irinej was formally enthroned to the ancient throne of the Serbian Patriarchs in the Patriarchate of Pec monastery on 3 October 2010, with participation of the representatives of all sister Orthodox Churches.
From the very beginning of His Patriarchal Ministry, though in very difficult time, His Holiness advocated peace and stability in the entire region.
On November 10 2010, he stated in an interview that "the Drina River [between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina] is not a border, but a bridge that connects us. Although, in a way, we are one even today, God willing, we will soon really be one." Patriarch Irinej elaborated that for now "it is enough that we are one as people, as the Orthodox Church, and that we are on the same path of St. Sava and Christ". He praised the Serbs of Banja Luka stating that "[they fight] to preserve the Serbian name. Although this is not at all an easy task, they are succeeding."
On December 15th 2011, His Holiness was decorated by His Royal Highness Prince Davit Bagration Mukhraneli Batonishvilli of Georgia with The Grand Collar of The Order of The Eagle of Georgia and The Semeless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
His Holiness Irinej has been considered, both abroad and at home, as a moderate traditionalist, open to global inter-religious dialogue. In an interview he indicated he would not oppose the first-ever visit by the Roman Catholic Pope to Serbia in 2013 as part of celebrations of the 1,700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, the law under which Roman emperor Constantine, who was born in Niš, ended the persecution of Christians. His Holiness said that "there is the wish of the Pope" for a meeting in Niš and that it would be a chance "not just for a meeting, but for a dialogue".
Regarding the accession of Serbia to the European Union, the Serbian Patriarch said that: "Serbia should not look with suspicion at the EU, if the EU respects the Serbian identity, culture and religion. We believe that we are an historical part of Europe, and we want to be in this family of peoples. In the accession we will accept everything that is not in contradiction with our cultural and historical identity.”
As the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church His Holiness represents the highest spiritual authority among the Serbian people in Serbia and abroad.
Serbian Patriarchate under His leadership has published an exceptional number of academic, liturgical, religious, as well as popular books for education and spiritual uplifting of the faithful. His Holiness is well known as a great preacher and uses every opportunity to preach the Word of God to all people. Most recently, the Diocese of Nis has published a collection of his sermons delivered in the Dioces of Nis, while he was Diocesan Bishop there.
His Holiness Patriarch Irinej’s Inter-Orthodox and ecumenical activities:
Awards and honors
Archbishop Demetrios of America (born Demetrios Trakatellis; Greek: Δημήτριος Τρακατέλλης) is the current archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Archbishop Demetrios is the son of the late Georgia and Christos Trakatellis and was born in Thessaloniki, Greece on February 1, 1928. Upon graduation from high school in 1946, he pursued continuous research in the field of Biblical Studies, enrolling at the University of Athens School of Theology. In 1950, he graduated from the University of Athens School of Theology with distinction.
The Archbishop was ordained a deacon in 1960 and a priest in 1964. Prior to moving to the United States in 1965, Demetrios spent time as a monastic. He was elected titular Bishop of Vresthena in 1967, as an auxiliary bishop to the Archbishop of Athens with the primary responsibility for the theological education of the clergy.
From 1965 to 1971, on scholarship from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Archbishop Demetrios studied New Testament and Christian Origins and was awarded a Ph.D. "with distinction," in 1972. Later in 1977, he earned a Th.D. in Theology from the University of Athens.
In 1968, he was elected Metropolitan of Attika and Megaris, but refused the post for reasons related to the canonical order of the Church and to the political conditions in Greece at that time.
From 1983 to 1993, he served as the Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. Serving as a faculty member for more than a decade, Demetrios taught many of America's Orthodox clergy. He also taught at Harvard Divinity School as a Visiting Professor of New Testament during the academic years of 1984–85 and 1988–89.
After several years in the United States, he returned to Greece in 1993 to pursue full-time scholarly writing and research. At the same time, he assumed responsibilities at the Archdiocese of Athens.
On September 18, 1999, Archbishop Demetrios was enthroned at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The cathedral on New York City's Upper East Side serves as the national cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Archbishop.
Writings
A prolific writer, he is the author of six major books:
He is also the author of hundreds of articles and essays published in various periodicals.
Academy and Holy Synod
In November 2002, the Archbishop was unanimously elected by the prestigious Academy of Athens as an abroad-residing member in the Discipline of Theology in the areas of Ethics and Political Sciences. He was officially inducted into the Academy on November 14, 2003.
As Archbishop of America and Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Demetrios was elected on February 19, 2004, as a member of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This election was part of a modification in the Synod to include six hierarchs from eparchies of the Ecumenical Throne outside of Turkey. The Archbishop attended his first meeting of the Synod which met in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 9–11, 2004.
Archbishop Demetrios delivered invocations at the Democratic National Convention on August 27, 2008 and the Republican National Convention on September 4, 2008. He also delivered the benediction at the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon on January 21, 2013.
George Victor Voinovich (born July 15, 1936) was a United States Senator from the state of Ohio from 1999 to 2011. Voinovich, a member of the Republican Party, previously served as the 65th Governor of Ohio from 1991 to 1998 and as the 54th Mayor of Cleveland from 1980 to 1989.
George Voinovich spent more than 46 years in public service – first as assistant attorney general of Ohio in 1963, and finally as the senior United States Senator representing Ohio. He is the 15th person to serve as both governor of Ohio and U.S. senator and one of only two people to be mayor of Cleveland, governor of Ohio and United States Senator; the other was Frank Lausche, who like Voinovich was Slovenian. George Voinovich has been elected to more public offices than any other Ohioan. He is the only person to have served as both chairman of the National Governors Association and president of the National League of Cities.
In his 2004 re-election to the U.S. Senate, Voinovich garnered more than 3.4 million votes, nearly 64 percent. No other candidate in Ohio’s recorded history has received as many votes as Senator Voinovich did in 2004. Also in 2004, Senator Voinovich won all 88 of Ohio’s counties, a feat accomplished only once before – more than 100 years before.
Emir Nemanja Kusturica (born 24 November 1954 in Sarajevo) is a Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician. He has been recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films, as well as his projects in town-building. He has twice won the Palme d'Or at Cannes (for "When Father Was Away on Business" and "Underground"), as well as being named Commander of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Since the mid-2000s, Kusturica's primary residence has been in Drvengrad, a town built for his film "Life Is a Miracle", in the Mokra Gora region of Serbia. He had portions of the historic village reconstructed for the film. He is a member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republika Srpska since 9 November 2011.
Kallistos Ware (born Timothy Ware on 11 September 1934) is an English bishop within the Eastern Orthodox Church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and one of the best-known contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologians. From 1982 he has held the Titular Bishopric of Diokleia. In 2007 the bishopric was made a titular metropolitan bishopric.
From 1966 to 2001, Ware was Spalding Lecturer of Eastern Orthodox Studies at the University of Oxford. He has authored numerous books and articles pertaining to the Orthodox Christian faith.
Born Timothy Ware in Bath, Somerset, England, he was educated at Westminster School in London (to which he had won a King's Scholarship) and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he took a double first in classics as well as reading theology. On 14 April 1958, at the age of 24, he embraced the Orthodox Christian faith (having been raised Anglican), travelling subsequently throughout Greece and spending a great deal of time at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Patmos. He also frequented other major centres of Orthodoxy such as Jerusalem and Mount Athos. While still a layman, he spent six months in Canada at a monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. In the 1964 edition of his book 'The Orthodox Church', Ware is described as "working in Montreal with the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile". In 1966 he was ordained to the priesthood within the Ecumenical Patriarchate and was tonsured as a monk, receiving the name "Kállistos"
In 1966 Ware became a Spalding Lecturer at the University of Oxford in Eastern Orthodox studies, a position he held for 35 years until his retirement. In 1970 he was appointed to a fellowship at Pembroke College, Oxford, and in 1982 he was consecrated to the episcopacy as an auxiliary bishop with the title "Bishop of Diokleia", appointed to serve as the assistant to the bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. Despite his consecration, Ware remained in Oxford and carried on his duties both as the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox community and also as a lecturer at the university.
Since his retirement in 2001, Ware has continued to publish and to give lectures on Orthodox Christianity. He was previously the chairman of the board of directors of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge. He is the chairman of the group Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona and of the Friends of Mount Athos.
On 30 March 2007 the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the Diocese of Diokleia to a metropolitan diocese and thus Ware became a titular metropolitan even though he has never had pastoral care of any diocese and is nominally an assistant bishop in the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.
Ware is perhaps best known as the author of the book 'The Orthodox Church', published when he was a layman in 1963 and subsequently revised several times. In 1979 he produced a companion volume, 'The Orthodox Way'. But his most substantial publications have emerged from his translation work. Together with G. E. H. Palmer and Philip Sherrard he has undertaken to translate the 'Philokalia' (four volumes of five published to date, but no progress has been made with the fifth volume for almost 20 years now); and with Mother Mary he produced the 'Lenten Triodion' and 'Festal Menaion'.
Alex Machaskee is the retired Publisher, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Plain Dealer, Ohio’s largest newspaper. In that capacity, he was responsible for the overall policy, operation and direction of the newspaper.
Mr. Machaskee joined The Plain Dealer in 1960. Before being named Publisher in 1990, he had served five years as Vice President and General Manager. Previously, he served as Director of Labor Relations and Personnel, Assistant to the Publisher and Promotion Director. In June, 2006 Mr. Machaskee retired from The Plain Dealer.
Born in Warren, Ohio, Mr. Machaskee worked as a sports reporter and general assignment reporter for the Warren Tribune before joining The Plain Dealer. He is a graduate of Cleveland State Univer sity with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Mr. Machaskee was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Cleveland State University in 1995, from the University of Akron in 1998 and from Heidelberg College in 2006.
Mr. Machaskee has been presented with numerous awards throughout his career because of his commitment and leadership in the Greater Cleveland community. He was honored by the Urban League of Cleveland with the Whitney M. Young Humanitarian Award, by the World Trade Center Cleveland with the International Executive of the Year Award, by Inside Business magazine with the Nonprofit Board Executive of the Year Award, by the International Services Center with the Golden Door Award and by the Associated Press with a special recognition Award for exemplary service in print journalism. He was inducted into the Northeast Ohio Business Hall of Fame in 2001 and inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame by the Press Club of Cleveland in 2006. In 2010 Mr. Machaskee was inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame and the Cleveland State University Nance College of Business Hall of Fame.
In 1999, Mr. Machaskee was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition Organization, one of the highest national awards in America.
Mr. Machaskee is on the executive committee of the Musical Arts Association of the Cleveland Orchestra and is the immediate past Chairman of International Orthodox Christian Charities. He is an Emeritus Board Member of the Cleveland Museum of Art and past Chairman and current Board Member of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs. He is a member of the Cleveland Committee on Foreign Relations. Mr. Machaskee is a Board Member of Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County, University Circle Inc., St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, Orthodox Christian Network and the Advisory Board of the Cleveland Opera. He is a Trustee of the Serbian Unity Congress. Mr. Machaskee is a member of the Cleveland Foreign Consular Corps as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Serbia. He is a member of The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller. Mr. Machaskee was the Chairman of the Board of United Way Services for 2002–2003. He also served as Chairman of the 2000–2001 United Way Campaign. In March of 2004, he was named Lifetime Director of United Way Services.
As Chairman of International Orthodox Christian Charities, Mr. Machaskee has traveled to Greece, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Tbilisi, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Amman, Ethiopia and Cameroon to oversee the organization’s humanitarian efforts.
Currently, Mr. Machaskee is President of Alex Machaskee and Associates, LLC at Key Tower, 127 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, 1-216-344-2013. AM&A specializes in Media/Public Relations, Strategic Planning, International Relations, Marketing and Event Promotion.
Mr. Machaskee is interested in the performing arts and is an accomplished musician. He and his wife, Carol, live in Beachwood, Ohio.
His Grace Bishop Longin was born on September 29, 1955 as Momir Krco in the town of Kruscanje Olovo. His parents were Stanoje and Andja Jovanovic. He attended grade school in Olovske Luke from 1962 to 1970. He entered Three Hierarchs Seminary in Monastery Krka in 1970 and graduated in 1975.
During this time he was tonsured a monk and received the small schema as a fifth year student. The tonsuring was done by Bishop Stefan of Dalmatia on the eve of the school Slava of the Holy Three Hierarchs on February 11, 1975. At the Divine Liturgy on February 12th he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Stefan. On February 13th, he was ordained a priest.
He entered the Moscow Theological Academy in 1975 where he graduated in 1979. From October 1980 to April 1981, he served in the Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla as secretary of the Executive Board. He was also administrator of two parishes. On the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops he was appointed as lecturer of the Holy Three Hierarchs Seminary in 1983 for two years.
At the Sabor of May 1985 he was elected Vicar Bishop of Morava to the Patriarch. He was consecrated on October 20, 1985. His Holiness served the Divine Liturgy along with Metropolitan Vladimir of Rostov and Novo Cerkay (now Metropolitan of Kiev) who had been Dean of the Moscow Theological Academy while Bishop Longin was a student. Also serving were Bishop Nikolaj of Dalmatia, who had been Dean at the Seminary in Krka Monastery where the young Bishop had begun his theological education; and Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla.
Present at the services were the following bishops of the Serbian Church: Metropolitan Vladislav of Dabro-Bosna, Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb and Ljubljbana, Bishop Chrysostom of Branicevo, Bishop Pavle of Ras and Prizren, Bishop Stefan of Zica and Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka. As guests present were the Archimandrite Platon, professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Canon Dr. Colin Hikling, professor of Holy Scriptures at the London University, where the new bishop had done post graduate studies. In May of 1986 he was elected Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, where he spent six and a half years. Besides serving the great territory of Australia he also built churches and was involved in work with the youth. Bishop Longin was known especially as a fighter for unity of the Serbian Church.
At the Sabor in 1992 at the request of His Holiness and brother hierarchs, Bishop Longin accepted the duty of being bishop of Dalmatia. He was not able to enter his residence in Sibenik, but had to reside in Monastery Krka, where he lectured at the seminary. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, he journeyed to Canada and Australia where he collected donations for the suffering Serbian people. After the tragic occurences in August of 1995, Bishop Longin and the entire seminary from Monastery Krka stayed at Divcibare near Valjevo. At the same time he helped Bishop Lavrentije of Saba-Valjevo in diocesan matters. Along with Bishop Nikanor of Gornji Karlovac, he worked with refugees, visited the camps and delivered help which had been sent mainly by the Serbs in the Diaspora.
With the decision of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, he was appointed on July 31, 1997 as auxiliary in the administration of the Diocese of America and Canada - New Gracanica Metropolitanate. On May 23, 1998, he was appointed as Administrator of the Diocese of America and Canada -New Gracanica Metropolitanate, while on May 5, 1999, he was elected at the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Sabor, as Bishop of the Diocese of America and Canada, New Gracanica Metropolitanate. This fulfilled the request of the Diocesan Council and the Ecclesiastical Court as well as the desire of the clergy and delegates of the Seventh Church National Sabor held on April 23 - 24, 1999.
He was enthroned in New Gracanica on October 14, 1999 on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle and the Holy Synod, by His Eminence Metropoitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands.
Additional Affiliation:
Program Director, Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC)
Co-Director, Berkeley Nuclear Research Center (BNRC)
Teaching and Research:
Professor Vujic teaches undergraduate courses in introduction to nuclear engineering, introduction to nuclear reactor theory, and radiation protection and control, as well as graduate courses in nuclear reactor theory, and numerical methods in reactor design and analysis. Her research interests include development of advanced numerical methods for the neutronic analysis of nuclear reactors, radiation shielding, and medical applications of radiation; neutron and photon transport theory; reactor core design and analysis; optimization techniques for vector and parallel computing systems. Recently, she and Prof. Prussin developed a new Bionuclear and Radiological Physics option within the Engineering Science/ Bioengineering Program.
Areas of Interest:
Numerical methods in reactor physics, neutron and photon transport, reactor core design and analysis, shielding and radiation protection, biomedical application of radiation, optimization techniques for vector and parallel computers.
Forefront 1994 Research Highlights: Neutron Particles Under Scrutiny. This article by Nancy Bronstein in Forefront 1994 gives an overview of Prof. Vujic's work on the development of GTRAN2, a state-of-the-art reactor core modelling code.
Pro New Nuke: In April, Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, standing before members of the U.S. Congress, stated that "nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse-gas-emitting power source that can effectively replace fossil fuels and satisfy global demand." In last month's issue of Technology Review, 1960s icon Stewart Brand, creator of the Whole Earth Catalog, wrote that "the only technology ready to fill the gap and stop the carbon dioxide loading of the atmosphere is nuclear power." Many environmentalists are none-too-thrilled at these public comments from their allies, current or former. On the other hand, UC Berkeley professor Jasmina Vujic is thrilled. According to her research, Moore and Brand are absolutely right.
His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljevic) was elected Bishop of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South American at the regular assembly of the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, Serbia in 2006. Bishop Maxim is professor of Patristics at the Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade, and was teaching Christian Anthropology and Sociology at the University of East Sarajevo and Patrology at the St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, Illinois.
His Grace Bishop Maxim graduated from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Belgrade, in 1993. He completed his Masters of Theology at the University of Athens in 1996, and then three years later, in 1999, at the same university, he defended his doctorate in the field of Dogmatics and Patristics. He worked for one year on his post-doctorate in Paris and the Sorbonne in 2003-04, in the field of Byzantine History and Hagiography.
During this time, he also delved in the theory and practical application of painting at the French Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. Bishop Maxim speaks Greek, French, Russian and English. He was the editor of “Theology” – Journal of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Belgrade. He also leads the Diocesan iconographical school inspired by Byzantine and Serbian medieval fresco painting and by Fr. Stamatis Skliris.
Bishop Maxim’s scholarly books, studies, and articles include essays on Holy Fathers and Saints; he has also written on the hagiographical and iconographical themes.
Born: Jagodina, Serbia. Education: Graduated from University of Belgrade, Electrical Engineering. Emigrated to USA in 1984. Provides consulting and software development services in the area of embedded systems, systems software, and communications. President of the Serbian Unity Congress 2002-2005, former President of the local Serbian church Board in Saratoga for many years and provides web and Internet support for SUC. President, founder and creator of the Serbian Blago Fund. Married with three children, and resides in Los Altos, California.
On 25 May 2016 the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected by acclamation Bishop Irinej of Australia and New Zealand to the Throne of Bishops of Eastern America.
He was born in 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, to his father Djuro and mother Milica (nee Svilar). His elementary and secondary education was completed in Cleveland, Ohio. After attending the Cleveland Institute of Art from 1973-1975, he attended St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania from 1975-1979, where he graduated with a Licentiate in Theology with the academic distinction maxima cum laude. In 1980 he enrolled in St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York and graduated in 1982 with a Master of Divinity degree with Honorable Mention for his master’s thesis Bishop Nicholai Velimirovich: A 1921 Mission to America. Following which, he entertained studies at the Athens Centre in 2000 and 2003 receiving levels I and II certificates in contemporary Greek language.
He spent most of his career in the field of education, lecturing at Loyola University in Chicago, and at the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade. For many years he was the co-editor of The Path of Orthodoxy, the official publication of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada.
His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher of Midwestern America ordained him a deacon on 15 January 1994 at the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois. He was tonsured a monk on 18 January 1995 at the St Sava Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois, receiving the monastic name Irinej after St Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons. Thereafter, he was ordained a hieromonk on 27 January 1995 at the St Sava Cathedral in Parma, Ohio, USA. He was elevated to the dignity of Archimandrite on 18 June 2006 by His Grace Bishop Justin of Timok (presently of Zhicha, a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops at the request of Patriarch Pavle.
The Very Reverend Archimandrite Irinej up until his election as Bishop of Australia and New Zealand was the Consultant to the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on International and Interchurch Affairs and Coordinator of the newly created Kosovo and Metohija Office of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate in Belgrade. Among his numerous recognitions, especially for his exemplary work in improving ties between the Serbian state and the Serbs of the Diaspora, and for his work in advancing relations between Church and State, in 2005, he was awarded the Order of Vuk Karadzich III Degree by President Svetozar Marovic of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, and is a 2007 recipient of the International Heraldic Order of the Fleur de Lys; 2008 Major Feldman Award of the Serbian Bar Association for merit; 2009 Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ; 2009 Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ; 2011 Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ; 2011 Senator of the Grand Badge in the Order of Saint Queen Tamar; 2012 The Medal of Merit of the Royal House of Georgia by HRH Prince Davit Bagrationi Mukhran Batonishvili; 2013 Knight Commander of The Imperial Order of St Anne of the Imperial House of Russia; and 2013 The Imperial Medal “Jubilee of the All National Effort”, honouring the 400th Anniversary of the Imperial House of Romanov, 1613-2013 by HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.
Among his many appointments, it is important to emphasize that Bishop Irinej represents the Serbian Orthodox Church to the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee; is a member of the Jasenovac Committee and the Permanent Missions Board of the Holy Synod of Bishops; the Advisory Council of the Njegos Endowment for Serbian Studies at Columbia University; as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University; and the Editorial Board of the Tesla Memorial Society; and the Communications Committee of the Board of Directors of St Vladimir’s Seminary; a member of the Serbian-American Center in Belgrade; and an honorary Board Member for ZOE for Life! He is the Episcopal Patron for the Milosh Obilich Society of Serbian Chivalry and the Centre for the Study of Orthodox Monarchism, both in Belgrade, Serbia; and Tennessee Ambassador of Good Will.
Previously, Bishop Irinej was the Editor-in-Charge of the Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church; Executive Director of the Office of External Affairs of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada, located in Washington, DC; co-chaired the Orthodox Advisory Committee of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in Metropolitan Washington; was a member of National Council of the Churches of Christ Environmental Justice Task Force (NCCC Eco-Justice); and served on the Board of Directors of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC); the Executive Council of The United States Conference of Religions for Peace (USCRP), the Conference of European Churches (CEC-KEK), the Serbian Unity Congress, the Mayor's Advisory Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs in Chicago, and the Chicago Human Rights Commission.
On the basis of the decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of 26 May 2006, the Reverend Hieromonk Irinej (Dobrijevic), Consultant to the Holy Synod of Bishops, was elected as Bishop of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. He was consecrated on 15 July 2006 in the Holy Archangel Michael Cathedral in Belgrade at the hands of His Eminence Archbishop Amfilohije of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro, together with 16 other bishops. He was enthroned on 21 October 2006 in the St Sava Pro-Cathedral in Elanora Heights, New South Wales by His Grace Chrysostom of Bihac-Petrovac, a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops, as Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, with its see in Sydney. The following day, 22 October 2006, His Grace was presented as the Bishop-Administrator for the Diocese for Australia and New Zealand New Gracanica Metropolitanate at the St Sava Monastery in Wallaroo, New South Wales.
Through his endeavors in drafting a new common constitution for the unification of his two dioceses, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on 23 May 2011 approved the proposed Constitution of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church effecting the unification of the former Diocese of Australia and New Zealand and the Diocese for Australia and New Zealand New Gracanica Metropolitanate. The same were elevated to the dignity of a singular, unified Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand. Hence, His Grace was titled Bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Bishop Irinej holds the distinction of having thus far served the Church in Australia and New Zealand as its longest reigning hierarch. He also served as Chairman of the National Heads of Churches of Australia.
Having taken into consideration his significant diplomatic accomplishments, amongst all else, it was determined by the members of the Holy Assembly of Bishops that he be entrusted with the eminent Diocese of Eastern America with its See in New York City. The rebuilding of the St Sava Pro-Cathedral in Manhattan, recently destroyed in fire, will be the most formidable historic task awaiting the new Bishop as he assumed the Throne of the Bishops of Eastern America on 01 October 2016 at the hands of His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gracanica-Midwestern America in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity in Pittsburgh.
Dejan Bodiroga (born March 2, 1973) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. Listed at 2.05 m (6 ft 8 3⁄4 in) and 110 kg (243 lbs.), he mainly played the small forward position.[1][2] His versatility however, would often allow him to assume a point forward role, as well as both guard positions. A Euroleague icon of the early part of the 2000s, Bodiroga proved himself to be a symbol of excellence by lifting consecutive Euroleague trophies with Panathinaikos and FC Barcelona, winning the Euroleague Final Four MVP both times. Among many other awards, Bodiroga was named to the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors and the Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team.
Bodiroga led Yugoslavia to two FIBA World Cup titles in 1998 and 2002, earning MVP honors in the former. In addition, he won three FIBA EuroBasket gold medals (1995, 1997, 2001) and a bronze (1999), as well as an Summer Olympic Games silver medal in 1996.
He was the first of three children of Radivoje and Radojka Peric. He was baptized as Prvoslav. He finished primary school in Curug, and the “Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj” Grammar school in Novi Sad. He was ordained a monk according to the rite of small schime by his spiritual father, then hieromonk Dr. Irinej (Bulovic), at Decani Monastery in 1985.
He graduated from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade in 1986, when the then Bishop of Raska-Prizren Diocese, future Serbian Patriarch Pavle of blessed memory, ordained him a hierodeacon at the monastery of Holy Trinity in Musutiste, Kosovo and Mectochia.
He attended postgraduate studies in Athens from 1986 until 1990. That year, upon the blessing of Bishop Dr. Irinej of Backa, he joined the monastery of Holy Archangels in Kovilj, near Novi Sad, where he was ordained as hieromonk and became its abbot.
Many young monks and novices came to the monastery following him. These were the years when the Kovilj Monastery became a spiritual center for many young people: intellectuals, artists, popular actors and rock musicians, especially from Novi Sad and Belgrade. Since then abbot Porfirije has particularly dealt with drug-addicted patients. For this purpose he formed (in 2005) a therapeutic community called “The Land of the Living”, which is recognized as the most successful project for therapy of drug-addiction; under the leadership of Bishop Porfirije, it has more than hundred residents in camps throughout Serbia at the time being.
During the ordinary meeting of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the SOC in Belgrade on 14 May 1999 he was elected as Bishop of Jegar, Vicar of the Bishop of Backa.
He defended his PhD thesis Possibility of knowability of God in St. Paul’s understanding according to the interpretation of Saint John Chrysostom at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Athens in 2004.
He became a lecturer at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology - Department of Pastoral Psychology - succeeding famous psychiatrist, academician Dr. Vladeta Jerotic.
Bishop Porfirije has not been just president of the Steering Board for a decade, but a real spiritus movens of the Humanitarian Fund “Privrednik”, which has provided scholarships for a great number of gifted, but poor pupils and students, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation.
The Assembly of the Republic elected him as representative of all Churches and religious communities, to be a member of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency, and in 2008 the RBA elected him its president.
About his identity and the fundamental values on which he bases his mission the Metropolitan said: "I am a Serb, but I am above all a Christian, and that is a universal value, and that is why I will preach and bear witness to Christ. I love my people, but I also love all other nations, every man, every icon of God."
The Holy Assembly of Bishops entrusted him to establish military chaplaincy in the Serbian Armed Forces (2010 - 2011).
His expert theological works Bishop Porfirije published in magazines both in Serbia and abroad. He participated in quite a number of scientific conferences and symposia throughout the world.
He speaks Greek, English, German and Russian.
He was enthroned on the throne of the Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana on July 13, 2014 in the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Zagreb. The solemn Hierarchal Liturgy was served by Serbian Patriarch Irinej, accompanied by a large number of archbishops of the Serbian Church and other sisters Churches, as well as priests and monks, and pious people.
The Holy Assembly of Bishops elected His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, PhD, as the new Serbian Patriarch, in its convocation in Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade on 18 February 2021. Immediately after the election a thanksgiving service was officiated and Many years was chanted to the Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.
