Please kindly share the following with others: Urgent! Press Release October 7, 2006 On behalf of The Archbishop Jovan Fund USA Subject: The Catacomb Orthodox Archdiocese of Archbishop Jovan FYRO Macedonia A report of my most recent pilgrimage to this Archdiocese September 2006 From: Very Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes, President of the Archbishop Jovan Fund USA Boise, Idaho USA Greetings in Christ our Lord: Board Members of the Archbishop Jovan Fund USA, Respected Father Victor, Father Damascene, Father Paisius, & All Christ-loving Souls, Evlogeite! May our Gracious Lord God always bless you! I am sending my pastoral love to all, and assurance of prayer. It's 60 long days now since the arrest of Archbishop Jovan as of October 7, 2006. As you know I was in the Republic of Macedonia recently for two and half days, and I had not only a previous telephone interview (one week before I left the area of Boise) with the local Channel 5 T.V. in Skopje, but also a live interview upon my arrival. In addition I had another interview with another local T.V. station in regards to the imprisonment of Archbishop Jovan. These live interviews had an impact because what I indicated during the two live TV interviews was further discussed in the local Parliament, as well as announcements from the local Macedonian Orthodox Church that I was in the area and this is what was announced at several local parishes under the jurisdiction of the MOC: "A Greek Orthodox Monk from America has arrived recently in our country to appeal for the release of Archbishop Jovan, pay not attention to him." Apparently many did pay attention to me because no one can take the love of God from us! No one! My interviews did have an impact because just very recently Archbishop Jovan was moved to a safer area of the prison. A step forward we pray! And that step would be next to release Archbishop Jovan, as well as allow his beloved Archdiocese to exist as a free religion, and finally return back his passport, including his cross, his panagia, his robes and Holy Bible. While I was in the area of Skopje the Gracious and Good Father David and Father Borjan where most kind to me in which I was able to visit all the local monasteries for both monks and nuns. I also had met with both Bishop Gabriel and Bishop Joachim, who where both very kind to me and offered thanks on behalf of Archbishop Jovan. Then I was able to visit with the mother of Archbishop Jovan who truly has a serious concern for the health of her son the Archbishop, her expressions told me everything. Their is no doubt whatsoever that the monks and nuns at their local monasteries are truly having a difficult time as far as food is concerned, and the basic needs of life. These monasteries are homes which in every situation the living conditions are deplorable and in spite of this factor the faithful still keep arriving for Liturgical services. Every faithful member I met under the Archdiocese of Archbishop Jovan where indeed pious and Christ-loving. What truly saddened me was that some of the monasteries really lack the basis needs of life and that their food supplies where low. It took me several days after I left the area to find composure for myself. Then again Bishop Joachim himself has about eighty people attending Liturgical services in his small second floor apartment, and this goes for all of the other places for worship in the local monasteries, as those attending services are from wall to wall. At the same time however I am sad to tell you a new wave of persecution has also begin against Archbishop Jovan Archdiocese being that these pious individuals attend these Liturgical services whether it be on a week day or a week end, the neighbors are now complaining of the amount of people arriving for these services in the apartments and local home monasteries, as well as for the chanting of the services which might be to loud for their ears. Pressure is now being put on these neighbors to make complaints to the local authorities from those within the diocese of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. This matter goes for all the local house and apartment monasteries currently under the Archdiocese of Archbishop Jovan. In the meantime those who are doing these Liturgical services now have to do them almost as silent as possible to avoid further harassments from the neighbors. All of this sounds like the days of the catacombs. Therefore beloved in Christ all Liturgical services are done almost in a low key to avoid any further complaints. Can we imagine? Then again this past Holy Pascha services had to be done outside being the lack of space within these monastery homes and this happened at the home of Archbishop Jovan in 2006. The amount of faithful attending these services was abundant and was done in an area filled with mud amidst the grounds of a recent destroyed consecrated Orthodox Church. Doing the course of my stay in Skopje, I am ever pleased to tell you that I had been able to speak to the Venerable Archbishop Jovan by telephone who called me from prison, and he kept indicating to me: thank you Father, thank you Father, thank you Father! The Archbishop could hardly say anything else because his time was limited being he called me from prison, and others where in line to use the phone. I was very happy to had been able to speak with him. The last thing the Archbishop said to me: May our Lord God bless you all! Sadly enough I was not able to visit in person Archbishop Jovan at prison because if I pressured the matter that would not allow the Archbishop's mother or sister from visiting him. I must tell you that I was very moved and impressed with both Father David and Father Borjan as they where so kind to me and truly love the Holy Orthodox Church, and are constantly in prayer as well as with deep concern to release their beloved Archbishop, and to the current conditions of the monastic communities. The two diocesan bishops, monks, and nuns under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Jovan are extremely pious and prayerful, as well as kind and outreaching to visitors. One truly felt a great Christian peace in their faces and in their hearts. I was ever pleased that I made this pilgrimage. What is truly remarkable was that these bishops, priest, monks and nuns lost everything which well included their beloved monasteries which have been destroyed, and in some cases the monasteries they had to leave with the pressure of the local Macedonian Orthodox Church that these monasteries are not currently functioning piously as in the past. The Archdiocese of the Venerable Archbishop Jovan can be considered as the Catacomb Archdiocese, as we can truly see that even their loving prayers that are being currently whispered are still being heard by our God, the Mother of God and all the saints. Never have I in all my thirty years as a priest (I just celebrated my 30th anniversary as a priest earlier this week) witnessed such love of God under these current conditions of this loving Archdiocese, never have I seen that earthly things are not important to either the bishops, priest, monks, or the nuns -all that concerns them is their spiritual heights of prayer and love for God, and that well includes the faithful entrusted to them on a daily basis. We as pious and Orthodox Christians must not remain silent to what is taken place within the Archdiocese of Archbishop Jovan or his imprisonment. The more we forget this Archdiocese and the Archbishop the more they continue to suffer and be deprived of the basic means of life itself. It would be a horror if anything happens to Archbishop Jovan especially due to his current health problems, as I must be truly honest at this hour; many of us would then have to hang our heads in silence. So let us wake up and begin to roar like a lion for the freedom of the Archdiocese of Archbishop Jovan to exist as a free religion, and let us even roar louder for the release of Archbishop Jovan today! At the same hour let us humbly and I say this most humbly pray for Archbishop Jovan and his beloved Archdiocese with me in tears. Please look deep into your hearts and consider what we can do in not only offering our prayers, but also our support for the Archbishop Jovan Fund USA. Note please the attached about this fund and share it with other Christ-loving friends. Learn to begin to understand the situation at hand and the truths that are before us, as no Archbishop, and no priest are going to lie to you, or misdirect you down the wrong path, as after all the pastoral purpose is to lead all the Kingdom of God -Paradise. Please humbly consider how you can help by supporting the Archbishop Jovan Fund -open the attached. After my pilgrimage to Skopje I rushed to the border of Kosovo-Metohija to meet Bishop Teodosije, and Hieromonk Andrej on behalf of the Decani Monastery Relief Fund. I am home now praying, please pray with me, and thank you! May our Gracious-God always bless you! Peace to your soul! Humbly in Christ our Lord, +Very Reverend Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes President of The Archbishop Jovan Fund USA Who always prays for you!
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