THE SV
.G
OICE In this issue...
OF T EORGE
FA L L 2 0 1 0
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church
Western American Diocese
of the Serbian Orthodox Church
in North & South American
3025 Denver Street • San Diego, CA 92117
telephone: (619)276-5827
web: http://saintgeorgeinsd.com
Church Officers & Staff
PARISH PRIEST
V. Rev. Protopresbyter Bratislav Krsic
email: frbratso@sbcglobal.net
PARISH DEACON
Rev. Deacon Paul Germain
PRESIDENT
Nemanja Selezan
1st VICE PRESIDENT
Vladan Trifunovic
2nd VICE PRESIDENT & 3rd VICE PRESIDENT
Dobrila Unheim & Simona Trifunovic
TREASURER
Deacon Paul Germain
RECORDING SECRETARY
Vera Rakic
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Vera Giles, Dejan Jovanovic, Jack Milasinovic
STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY
Lydia Petric Rhoads, Chair
AUDITING BOARD
Miro Copic, President; Sean Wright, Zeljko Milasinovic
TUTORS/VESTRYMEN
Mico Lukic, Ladislav Tapavcevic, Pete Dopudja,
Jeffrey Wilgus, Alex Sekanovic, George Skaljac,
Vojkan Popovich, Miro Copic, Milan Miljkovic,
Dejan Jovanovic
S.S.S. ST. GEORGE CHOIR
Velimir Jovanovic, President
CIRCLE OF SERBIAN SISTERS (KOLO)
Sylvia Ivanovic, President
CHURCH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
Mira Jovanovic
MORAVA FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE
Maria (Draskovic) Milasinovic, Director
ADULT ORTHODOX FELLOWSHIP
Nemanja Selezan
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE
Marsha Jovanovic, Editor
(619)988-0650 • FAX (619)588-5767
email: marsha@marshaj.com
Father Bratso, Cover art
Wrapping it up. Yes, we are spiraling down to the end of the first decade of the
2000s. And what a decade it has been! In 2001, we all sat horrified as we watched
nearly 3,000 people perish before our eyes, followed by our own paranoia and
super patriotism as our president started two terrible avenging wars. Now nine
years later, we are still at war, and travel by air has forever been changed as the
government legally shakes down, xrays, and scans us, without exception, before
we even approach an airplane. In addition, the world has become a less hospitable
place. Temperatures are rising. The glaciers are melting. Summers have been
either too hot or too cold. We either have too much rain or not enough. Earth-
quakes and tsunami seem common place. But, we all should know very well by
now—this world is NOT our home, we are just passing through... That said, we
know you will be uplifted by the articles in this Fall 2010 issue. Father Bratso
inspires us to think about new beginnings and hope with perseverance, even as
we are reminded of how quickly life passes and we are called to meet Our Lord in
Heaven. We are reminded of the importance of attending church and teaching and
bringing our children to church. We are asked to become more Christlike by shar-
ing with our neighbors in need by helping serve meals to the homeless. Then there
is stewardship and our church restoration program, with examples of both young
and old giving to keep the Lord’s work going. And last, you will be encouraged
when you read the next chapter of Milanka Vlasovich’s life story of bravery and
tenacity. Look up everyone. It is Fall, and today is the day the Lord has made. Be
happy and rejoice in it. You know you can! —Marsha Jovanovic
Contents
Life in Christ with Perseverance and Hope 3
Protection of the Environment 4
Role of the Priest in the Parish and in a Secularized Society 5
Reflection from Prologue of Ohrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovic 7
Reflections on youth, true happiness, poverty and wealth 8
Five Very Good Reasons to Attend Church Weekly 9
The Saints 13
Some Orthodox Terms 13
Children In The Church 14
To Those with Children 16
Gods Extended Hand—Feeding the Homeless in San Diego 16
IOCC Responds to Historic Russian Heat Wave and Wildfires 17
Church Family News 18
Kolo Sisters 21
SNF Lodge #89 St. George 21
Milanka’s story, Part 3: From Europe to the US via South America 22
Stole Report for Jan. 1 – August 16, 2010 25
Notes From Lydia 26
Continuing Our Legacy 27
St. George Stewardship List 28
Fr. Bratso encourages you 30
Voice of St George Advertising Rates 30

Life in Christ with Perseverance
and Hope
With summer behind us, we can think
about new beginnings on many levels.
Those of us entrusted with raising our
children in an Orthodox way of life think
about a new school year, new Sunday
school educational opportunities, and
perhaps changing gears from vacation
mode back to work and “busy life.” In
other words, a new and fresh beginning
is presented to us in September of each
year.
Similarly, our Holy Orthodox Church
with her calendar offers us this very
same shift. The Ecclesiastical New Year
or the Beginning of the Indiction is an
awesome opportunity to begin our life,
as we should every day, by renewing our
hope in the promises of our Lord in our
salvation and eternal life with Him. The
beginning of the Church Year is cele-
brated on September 14th (September
1st on Julian calendar).
How many of us would like to have a
new beginning? Imagine the possibility
of erasing your sins and starting anew.
As we approach January 1st of each New
Year, we tend to think about making
changes to better our life and relation-
ships with God and others. It is all too
common to give up on resolute changes,
thinking that they in reality cannot hap-
pen. Is that really so?
Our Lord Jesus Christ entered the syna-
gogue on September 1st and read
prophet Isaiah’s words:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon
Me; because the Lord hath anointed
Me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound; to
proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord, and the day of vengeance of our
God; to comfort all that mourn.
(Isaiah 61:1-2)
These prophetic words were fulfilled
that day in Christ, Who is our salvation
and our hope. Each day He calls us to
begin anew. By our participation in the
sacramental life of the Church (i.e., con-
fession), we can erase our sins and con-
tinuously be renewed. The Apostle Paul
in his Epistle to the Romans links this
hope for the glory which shall be
revealed in us (Romans 8:18) to another
quality that should be characteristic of
our Christian lives—hope with persever-
ance. He states, “But if we hope for what
we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with
perseverance.” (Rom 8:25)
The message of hope with perseverance
is what Metropolitan Christopher of
blessed memory communicated to our
youth in the summer of 2007. I was
assisting with the Youth Conference of
the Serbian Orthodox Church in North
and South America held that year at New
Gracanica Monastery in Grayslake.
Among other activities that week was a
visit to St. Sava monastery and a recep-
tion by His Eminence Metropolitan
Christopher. As we arrived at the monas-
tery, the Metropolitan himself greeted us
with great joy. It was apparent that he
enjoyed the presence of the young peo-
ple of our church. In his inspiring talk, he
pointed out the many ministry opportu-
nities in our Church, the need for trusting
in God’s plan for our life and salvation,
and, ultimately, the necessity for hope
with perseverance.
The Serbian Orthodox Church in North
and South America persevered as with
God’s help she saw unity firmly planted
in her life. The new Constitution that
enshrines administrative unity and pro-
vides for the Church’s better organiza-
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 3
tion, and certainly the reorganization of
the dioceses in North America are just a
few highlights accomplished during the
Metropolitan’s presidency of the Episco-
pal Council and his Archpastoral leader-
ship of the Midwestern diocese.
He spoke eloquently and lovingly to the
youth, recognizing in them the future
leaders of our Serbian Orthodox Church.
His words were both inspiring and
encouraging. He went on to say that each
one us is entrusted with many gifts and
that it is up to us to recognize that and
utilize them in the proper way. Steward-
ship, a faithful management of our life
and possessions, is something that we are
called to exercise prayerfully and cheer-
fully.
Metropolitan Christopher’s earthly life
has ended. We pray that his new life, a
life in God’s everlasting Kingdom, has
begun. The future generation will look
upon his life and talk about the legacy
that he left —a strong emphasis on
Christian education, the rediscovery of
Christian Stewardship as a total commit-
ment to the good management of God’s
gifts, the reorganization of the dioceses
of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North
and South America, and an emphasis on
maintaining good order in the Church,
the frescoes in St. Sava monastery, and
the St. Nicholai of Zicha annual pilgrim-
age at St. Sava monastery, to name just a
few. In short, he lived a life in Christ with
perseverance and hope, and that life bore
much fruit for all of us.
So, what does the Beginning of the
Church Year offer to us? It offers a new
beginning with hope in transformation
into a new person whose sustenance and
life is Jesus Christ. It presents us with the
opportunity to claim the Church calendar
as a main rudder for our life where activ-
ities are centered on Feast Days rather
then holidays.
Finally, life centered on Christ is only
possible through perseverance, hope,
and trust in God’s providence, knowing
that apart from Him we can do nothing.
Protopresbyter Bratso Krsic
 gain. Let us all
Message for the Day of the consider as an
Protection of the Environment example what
may happen to
+B A R T H O L O ME W countries that are
suffering today
By the mercy of God
on account of the
Archbishop of Constantinople, New
Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch financial crisis
Grace and peace unto the Plenitude and poverty, such
of the Church From the Fashioner of as Greece, which
All Creation Our Lord and God and at the same time
Savior Jesus Christ have exceptional
natural riches:
Beloved Children in Lord, unique ecosys-
tems, rare fauna
Our ever-memorable predecessor, the and flora and nat-
late Patriarch Demetrios, who possessed ural resources,
a deep awareness of the gravity of the exquisite land-
environmental crisis, as well as of the scapes, abundant
responsibility of the Church to directly sunlight and
and effectively confront the crisis, issued wind. If ecosys-
the first official encyclical dealing with tems deteriorate
the protection of the natural environment and disappear,
more than two decades ago. Through this natural sources
encyclical, the Mother Church officially become depleted,
established the date of September 1st, - and landscapes
the beginning of the ecclesiastical year - suffer destruc-
as a day of prayer for the protection of tion, and climate
the environment, declaring it to the plen- change produces
itude of the Church throughout the unpredictable
length and breadth of the world. weather condi-
tions, on what basis will the financial Therefore, we call upon all of you,
At that time, our Church insightfully future of these countries and the planet as beloved brethren and children in the
emphasized the significance of the a whole depend? Lord, to take part in the titanic and righ-
eucharistic and ascetic ethos of our tradi- teous battle to alleviate the environmen-
tion, that manifests our most important We hold, therefore, that there is a dire tal crisis, and to prevent the even worse
and most crucial unique contribution need in our day for a combination of results that derive from its consequences.
toward the proper and universal struggle societal sanctions and political initia- Let us motivate ourselves to harmonize
for the protection of the natural environ- tives, such that there is a powerful our personal and collective life and atti-
ment as a Divine Creation and shared change in direction, to a path of viable tudes with the needs of nature’s ecosys-
inheritance. Today, in the midst of an and sustainable environmental develop- tems, so that every kind of fauna and
unprecedented financial crisis, humanity ment. flora in the world and in the universe
is facing many and diverse trials. But this may live and thrive and be preserved.
trial is related not only to our individual For our Orthodox Church, the protection
hardships; this trial affects every aspect of the environment, as a divine and very
of human society, especially our behav- good creation, embodies a great respon- September 1, 2010, Your beloved brother
ior and perception of the surrounding sibility for every human person, regard- in Christ and fervent supplicant before
world and the way we rank our values less of material or financial benefits. The God, +BARTHOLOMEW of
and priorities. direct correlation of the God-given duty Constantinople
and mandate, to work and preserve, with
It is important to note that the current every aspect of contemporary life consti-
grievous financial crisis may spark the tutes the only way to a harmonious co-
much-reported and absolutely essential existence with each and every element of
shift to environmentally viable develop- creation, and the entirety of the natural
ment; i.e., to a standard of economic and world in general.
social policy whose priority will be the
environment, and not unbridled financial

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 4


The Role of the Priest in the
Parish and in a Secularized
Society
The service of the priest is compared to a
shepherd in the Holy Bible. In the story
of the good shepherd, our Lord Jesus
Christ teaches what is the nature of the
pastor’s service and what is the mission
of the flock which the pastor serves. The
shepherd who is concerned with and
takes care of his flock is extolled. A good
shepherd watches over his flock, he wor-
ries about finding grazing areas, he is not
as an employee, he is also worried about
the sheep from another flock, and he is
ready to give his life for his flock. The
shepherd’s life belongs totally to his
flock, he knows his sheep by name, and
they recognize him. Because of a close
relationship between the shepherd and
his flock, the shepherd doesn’t utilize
force to drive his flock in front of him
rather they follow him. When he releases
his sheep, he goes before them and the
sheep follow, because they recognize his
voice. (John 10:10-18)
To be able to carry out his mission, the
priest is called, as the shepherd is con-
cerned with his flock, to be concerned
with the spiritual needs of his parishio-
ners. He is called to be concerned with
bringing every soul to God, that should
be brought to God. That which brings
harmony in a parish is love which should
reign among the spiritual pastor and his
flock, as exemplified by the love and
sacrifice described in Christ’s story of
the good shepherd. Of that love as a uni-
fying tie, for harmony in a parish com-
munity, St. Paul the Apostle writes to the
Thessalonians:
We are bound to thank God always
for you, brethren, as it is fitting,
because your faith grows
exceedingly, and the love of every one
of you all abounds toward each.
(I Thessalonians 1:3)
With respect to the evangelical story, the
ideal role of the priest would consist of
love, sacrifice, caring and concern for
the salvation of all people, because it is
necessary according to the words of St.
Paul the Apostle, “who desires all men to
be saved and to come to the knowl-
edge of the truth.” (I Tim 2:4)
The secularization of the world
and life presents the greatest obsta-
cle to the priest’s service and work
for people’s salvation. The Holy
Gospel mentions in many places
selected from the holy apostles that
the world exists as two extremes.
In His forgiveness sermon, before
His crucifixion, the Savior prom-
ised His disciples that He will send
to help them “the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor
knows Him.” (John 14:17)
The spirit of God’s truth is con-
trary to the spirit of man’s truth.
The beginning of fleeing from God
and His truth began at the time of
the first ancestral sin. Because of
moral decline, God’s likeness in
mankind became obscured and the
conscience lost of his original and true life toward food and drink, entertain-
identity. Life again received fullness of ment, to consume goods, to stay in the
mind when through the Holy Incarna- race after life’s success ... In all this
tion, God became man so man could activity, man sets himself as the final
become godlike and take on his likeness. value and this is why he acts like the
Great Inquisitor from Dostoevski’s
The world in the form of contemporary Brothers Karamazov who forbids the
society is no longer opposed in some God-man to interfere in his affairs and
great and drastic way directly with God life.
as one higher existentialism or power.
The time of strict thought of atheistic Today’s man spends all his time balanc-
societies is past. Today’s society which ing his “horizontals” without any ascent
offers mankind its secularistic teachings of the spirit up the steps and ladders of a
under various names promising people higher life vertically toward God. For
fortunes (such as: humanism, material- that type of person, Fr. Justin Popovich
ism, technology, new world order) is says that the world and life he “observes
contrary to the God-man Christ who is from his complaints, his love of sin and
referred to as “the way, the truth, and the lowly perspective,” (from the Interpreta-
life.” (John 14:6) tion of John, p. 115). From the life of
today’s person, it is seen that he still lives
Within the mind of today’s man, it seems in the domain of the Old Testament, with
there is no room for God in the living its lost understanding, of the total aware-
Holy Trinity. Usually, people like to say, ness, of his two natures, soul and body.
there is but one God, meaning some Man behaves in his life as though his
common Supreme Being, but they don't body existed in parallel with his soul, but
mention one Lord Christ and one Holy often, toward the contemporary philoso-
Spirit. For Orthodox Christians, only phy of existentialism and without a soul.
Christ as being true God-man, is a true
measure of all things. However, earthly Continued on page 6
man has his vision of life. This meaning
of man’s life is in my view, “the exis-
tence of one zero.” Man mainly leads his
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 5
Continued from.page 5
Someone said that in whatever condition
the world is, it permeates one's whole life.
There is a lot of truth in this. Every person
from birth until death lives and is sur-
rounded by constant contact with people
about himself. He influences others and
they influence him. And an Orthodox
believer represents a part of society in
which he lives and stands in direct rela-
tionship with neighbors and people
around him. While for the Orthodox
Christian the vision of society represents
a community of faithful in Christ as one
body, the world has a community in
which worth is measured by the interest
of people. In relation to the faithful, secu-
lar society appears as an Old Testament
monster, Leviathan. In the 17th century,
Thomas Hobbs wrote a book about polit-
ical philosophy entitled Leviathan. In it, a
picture of society is portrayed that is
totally created on the foundation of ego-
tistical interest and struggle for domi-
nance, where every person is an enemy to
each other. A question can be asked, but
how can man enter into some fortunate
and enlightening future in the 21st cen-
tury driven by the reality of society from
Hobb’s time.
Orthodox faithful are always tempted to
succumb to the influence of the commu-
nity and society in which they live. Con-
fused with various influences of
materialism, to a man of faith it seems
that life is somehow divided by his prop-
erty and, in less of a degree, God’s prop-
erty. For example, one place serves as a
place for the life of the soul and the other
for the life of the body. Because of diver-
sified religions, quite often with Ortho-
dox people they are confused with the
intent and organization of the church
hierarchy, from which it first begins:
down from the faithful or up from the
bishops? The concept of freedom in the
Church is mixed up with the concept of
certain national or political freedoms. It is
very dangerous for the Orthodox youth
who succumb to the temptation of imitat-
ing the community in which it lives. One
could cry watching how in many ways
young people harm their bodies. In the
name of today's fashion, they rebel
against life or of the mentioned freedom,
they commit terrible acts on their bodies.
For the Orthodox faithful, the body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul the
Apostle wrote to the Corinthians:
Or do you not know that your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
you, whom you have from God and
you are not your own? For you were
bought at a price; therefore, glorify
God in your body and in your spirit,
which are God's. (I Cor 6:19-20)
Although quite often man’s life is
reflected in his soul which represents
God’s likeness in mankind, it is of great
importance for the Orthodox faith to
understand that he is called to live one
undivided life everywhere and in every
place. The faithful who are united in the
Holy Body of Christ represent the living
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 6
church wherever they may be: at home, at
work, in the Holy Temple, and in the
Church hall. St. Gregory Palamas says,
“Man is not represented by just the soul
or the body rather by both together, which
God created in His likeness.” (Partici-
pants in God's Nature, K.C., p.26)
What then is the role of the priest and
how can he as good shepherd protect his
flock from harm and negative influences
of community and society? In the first
place, the priest should not be afraid of
the place and society in which he lives.
He shouldn't say: I have a bad flock, so
what can I do to change something? What
farmer when he sows the field is afraid
that the birds will eat the seed or that each
seed won't sprout? Imagine how difficult
was the time before the apostles than is
our time! When before his death St. Sera-
phim of Sarov was asking forgiveness
from his friend Fr. Timon, he told him:
Sow on good earth, sow on sand, sow
on rocks, sow alongside the road, sow
among the bushes. Maybe it will
happen that the kernel will grow and
bear fruit.(St. Seraphim of Sarov, p.
65)
St. Paul the Apostle in addition recom-
mended how a priest can be successful in
parish when he said, “... I have become all
things to all men, that I might by all
means save some.” (I Cor 9:22) The same
apostle gave advice to his most dear stu-
dent and coworker Timothy with these
words, “Preach the word! Be ready in
season and out of season. Convince,
rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering
and teaching.” (II Tim 4:2) Just as the
shepherd opens the gate for the flock to
enter, the priest needs to work on the
heart of man, so it will open and allow
Christ to enter. The Holy Gospel teaches
that a good flock is a flock that has a good
shepherd who isn't a mercenary. The
fruits of one's work are not realized over-
night. What is necessary is a lot of
patience and work, sometimes as long as
20 years, so that a great harvest is realized
in a parish. The parish, as a part of today’s
society and a concrete reality, presents a
challenge to every priest. In our Ameri-
can society, there are two important fac-
tors of crucial significance for organizing
a parish community. The first factor is
parish community, which is expressed in
the material condition and progress of
our parish. Prestige in our secular society
is expressed by material well-being,
which is expensive and large: a large car,
a large house, a large parking lot, a large
church building, and a large church hall.
If in a large church and hall, there is a
large faith, then there is nothing wrong
with any of this. Our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself also had rich friends. Of course,
it is easier for a priest to achieve the first
factor, even though there are many diffi-
culties, but in that we have all more or
less contributed for the good. Paralleling
building up the material well-being of
the church, the priest is faced with a great
many problems in building and elevating
the spiritual side of life, that is the “liv-
ing” Church. In this instance, the good
example of the life and work of St. Sava
can be of help to the Serbian priest, as
can our other great spiritual architects,
while erecting our churches and monas-
teries, at the same time were successful
to build within them our greatest centers
of Orthodox spirituality and living faith.
In the story of the Good shepherd, the
Holy Gospel points out that love is the
main strength of the true shepherd. That
is the driving force behind every spiritual
shepherd. Based on experiences of
priestly service the best manner is if he
approaches people in a friendly manner.
A child is easily led by the hand when
trust is established. A man who becomes
our friend is easier brought to Christ.
Zaccheus felt great joy when the Lord
said, “I must stay in your home today.”
(Luk. 19:5) St. Augustine, who lived a
very sinful life until 32 years of age,
became a Christian only after he was
influenced by his friend Pontitias. Christ
approached his first apostles as a friend,
when He helped them to catch fish from
Lake Galilee.
The priest’s role additionally not only
brings him to lively preaching during
worship services God’s word in the Holy
Temple, but also on every occasion and
gathering of people. A priest must minis-
ter to his flock in many ways: as a
teacher, an educator, a family counselor.
The task of the pastoral work is actually
not a knowledge to be acquired, but a life
Reflection from the Prologue of Ohrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovic
St. Dionysius the Areopagite writes of the immeasurable joy, the outer and
inner radiance, and the indescribable fragrance that he sensed in the pres-
ence of the Holy Theotokos when he visited her in Jerusalem. In his zeal,
he says that if he had not known the One True God, he would have recog-
nized her, the Holy Virgin Mary, as God.
The Holy Virgin made such a powerful and unique impression on men dur-
ing her earthly life-and she received an incomparably greater power and
glory after her physical death when, by the will of God, she was exalted
above the heavenly hosts. Her power comes from her ceaseless prayer for
the faithful, for all those who turn to her for help.
When St. John of Novgorod and his people prayed to her for help against a
hostile army, he understood that she was simultaneously praying to the
Lord with tears in their behalf, and Novgorod was miraculously saved.
As she was compassionate toward her crucified Son, so the Holy Most-pure
One is also compassionate toward all those in need, to, where, after the
priest prayed over him before the icon of the Holy Theotokos, he received
his sight. The first monk at Pochaev saw a fiery pillar extending from earth
to heaven, and in that flaming pillar he saw the Holy Theotokos. She was
standing on a rock. On the spot where she stood, a spring of healing water
sprang forth: even today, it heals many of the sick.
to be lived according to God’s will. Once Someone once said in a discussion that
when a person becomes a participant and Orthodoxy should protect itself from the
member, other Holy Body of Christ and community of godless people with
begins a liturgical life, he will be selected destructive souls as did the Amish group
from the world by the Holy Spirit to who by their way of life isolated them-
enter the heavenly kingdom. Of that selves from every civilization. Ortho-
community with the God-man Christ, doxy’s nature is not to run away from the
who is the one true measure in the world world, rather a way of life, constant and
for everyone and all, St. John Chrysos- without fear to wrestle with the world.
tom says, “For as the bread consisting of Archbishop Anthony Bloom said:
many grains is made one... so are we
Neither the desert father nor ascetics,
conjoined both with each other and with
separated themselves from the world
Christ” (Homily 24, verse 17, p.140)
with the thought of running away
from it, in order for man to find a
Being a part of contemporary and secular better place of peace and tranquillity,
society, a parish is a challenge to every rather it is just a better strategy
priest. The priest must be aware of the among many others in worldly
danger to succumb to the influence of the battles. (God and Man A. Bloom,
community. It may happen, instead the p.73)
priest to lead people in his parish, that
they might lead him. The stoics teach In closing, let us remember Christ's
that one can achieve happiness if one words to His disciples, “In the world you
flows with the river, or in other words, by will have tribulation, but be of good
identifying one’s will with the “world cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John
will.” Orthodoxy does not follow the will 16:33)
of the world. God’s will must be always
above man’s will. Priest must be like the
salt, said Christ. “You are like salt for all June 18, 1997, day of St. Petar of Koris,
mankind. But if salt loses its saltiness, San Gabriel, CA
there is no way to make it salty again.”
(Mat.5:13)
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 7
 C E L E B R AT I O N * D E D I C AT I O N * P RO G R E S S * V I S I O N
Reflections on youth, true happiness,
and poverty and wealth
Youth, the time of life that follows child-
hood, is a time of vitality and freshness;
a time when one feels invincible before
this fallen world. No one can deny the
tendency of a young person to dive into
the world to “experience” what it has to
offer. Those of us who have gone
through this tumultuous period only
wish we knew then what we know now.
Consequently, older people typically
advise young people to slow down and
not rush ahead and want everything
immediately.
The Church recognizes these dynamics
of life and patiently points out the neces-
sity to have a close relationship with God
through the sacramental life of the
Church. The lives of saints, our Faith
heroes, are great role models for those
who seek true love and authentic happi-
ness.
In addition to youthful exuberance, the
notion of acceptance or rejection is also
often on the minds of young people. It
perhaps comes from their insecurity
because of their inexperience and lack of
knowledge. But we know true knowl-
edge comes from God, and our security
is in God. How reassuring it is to
know that our loving Lord, His
saints, and our loving Church
family are always there waiting
for any of us to start a new God-
desired relationship. All we have
to do is to seek our sustenance in
Jesus Christ, live profoundly in
Him, and of course, be patient
with the youthful tendency to
demand immediate gratification
(editor: many older people have
this same problem!).
Summer camps of the Serbian
Orthodox Church throughout
North and South America offer
our young people the opportu-
nity for growth in their relation-
ships with Christ and fellowship
with His Church members
(clergy, youth workers, peers, et al.).
This year the Standing Committee for
Christian Education of the Serbian
Orthodox Church in North and South
America chose the theme Through the
eye of a needle: poverty and wealth in
the Orthodox Church.
The comments that camp goers provided
on this theme and overall camp ministry
are encouragement for further develop-
ment of this very important ministry to
the children of our Church.
The following are some of their com-
ments:
Poverty and wealth has to do with the
amount of live and support I have in
my life. Those who keep others away
from Christ and His Church are poor,
while those who practice their faith
and are kind and loving are wealthy.
At camp this year I learned that
wealth isn’t about money, rather it is
about what you do with it. The role
that faith plays in my life is the center
and the guideline that I live by. The
only way to gain eternal life is to
follow our Lord each day of our lives.
Sometimes we think that we are good,
moral persons, but God always wants
2010 Campers in Jackson
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 8
us to try harder and to seek
perfection in order to gain eternal
life.
Poverty and wealth are one of those
topics that we need to talk about
more, but what’s even more important
is to practice what our Orthodox
Church teaches us, that is, to share
what God has entrusted us with. It is
important not to judge others if they
don’t share their gifts, rather say a
prayer for them so that they realize
what God gave them and that it
belongs to Him after all. Especially
during these times people seem to be
preoccupied with worries about their
wealth and money, but we should
realize that the most important thing
is our relationship with God.
I learned this year that being rich and
having money does not bring you
happiness, it actually prevents you
from being open to God. That’s why I
practice my Faith, go to church and
participate in events as much as I
can. I understand that as many
wealthy people there are in the world,
there are even poorer and less
fortunate. The ones that are more
fortunate could probably help even
more to reduce poverty.
Father Bratso Krsic
Five Very Good Reasons to Attend
Church Weekly
It is not easy to accept reality; especially
if the facts, attitudes, and so many silent
negatives to our desires, happen around
us. We all need an open door in some-
one’s life, in order to observe the situa-
tions and understand what we call “lack
of participation.”
Often we become slaves of habitual pat-
terns, comfortable easy conditions,
scheduled obligations, necessary duties
or impossible circumstances that keep us
away from private social involvement
that serves God and our fellow men,
women, and children.
Let us face some details. Let us come
closer to certain real examples. Let us be
truthful, evaluating the present, in order
to assist the future, because the past is
only a bridge that takes us for a walk into
history.
Church Attendance. Those two words
must concern all Christians - especially
those who come to worship frequently.
How can we remain aloof to the terrible
statistic that 80-90 percent of all the
souls who are baptized in the Orthodox
Church do not worship on Sunday morn-
ing! The sociologists estimate an aver-
age of four persons in each household. If
a parish has 200 homes registered, then it
has 800-1000 souls to feed spiritually.
How many of these souls attend Liturgy
on Sunday morning, and how often? The
numbers become smaller, percentage-
wise, as the number of households
increases. A house of worship with a
seating capacity of 500 is not filled every
Sunday of the year. Furthermore, one
wonders how many are not parish mem-
bers and are considered “unchurched” by
their own volition… Is it because of
habit? Is it because the wish to relax,
sleep, golf, read the paper, go boating,
work? Is it because they truly feel they
do not need God or man to stay happy
and healthy?
All the above have been real situation
that turn into second natures and strictly
Vidovdan Fellowship 2010
speaking, press so many to say: “Hey,
that’s my business! Leave me alone! I'm
very happy the way I live! I don’t have to
go to Church to be a good Christian! I
don’t want to be a hypocrite!”
Obviously, priests want people to go to
Church. If they do, more money will
come in, the better business the parish
will have, the higher salaries will be
give, etc.
Some, who attend once in awhile, listen-
ing to the above rationale, begin to
slowly join their forces. The easy way is
the best way out. In all the above
debates, one may easily get lost. For it is
repeatedly written that people get lost
without God. People become lonely
without others to share, to serve, to smile
together, to work together, to build
together to even… suffer together!
Who then can debate the benefits of the
energy created when we get together
with God in Church?
Here are some answers that our together-
ness declares every Sunday morning in
Church:
1. It is great to love life. Accept life a pre-
cious gift and strive to make the most of it.
Do not forget the Lord under any circum-
stances.
2. It is great to serve life. The most impor-
tant thing in life is not what people can do
for you, but what you can do for people.
Lose yourself in a cause bigger than your-
self. Serve God and humanity to the best
of your ability.
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 9
3. It is great to be alive to the best in life. To
be alive only to material possessions and
goals is to live in the shallows. Launch out
into the deep of each human soul in
Church where the treasures are! Enter
God’s palace.
4. It is great to stand for something. Men of
principle are the principal men. Character
is the bedrock of true greatness. Do not
allow the winds to bend you. Stand and be
counted!
5. It is great to seek excellence. Aspire to
excel in your chosen work. Adopt the
creed of the make of the immortal Stradi-
varius violins: “Perfection consists not of
doing extraordinary things, but in doing
ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
Church is the most extraordinary place on
earth.
Come to Church next Sunday! We need
you! Christ's powerful silence says:
Everyone counts!
Fr. Demetrios Kavadas (Reprinted from
Orthodox Observer, July 1994)
From the Holy Fathers
The best inheritance you
can leave your sons, the
richest dowries you can
prepare for your
daughters, is a truly
Christian upbringing.
—Bishop Irenaius
The Nativity of the Most-holy her young womanhood she returned скрушености својој мољаху се Богу с
Theotokos, September 21 again to Nazareth, and shortly thereafter плачем, да обрадује старост њихову
heard the Annunciation of the Holy даровањем једнога чеда, као што је
This feast day is our parish Kolo
Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth некад обрадовао старца Аврама и
Slava
of the Son of God, the Savior of the старицу Сару даровавши им сина
The Holy Virgin Mary was born of aged world, from her most-pure virgin body. Исака. И Бог свемогући и свевидећи
parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father обрадова их радошћу, која је
was of the lineage of David, and her Рождество Пресвете Богородице, превазилазила далеко сва њихова
mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus, 21. септембар очекивања и све најлепше снове.
she was of royal birth by her father, and
of priestly birth by her mother. In this, Света Дева Марија роди се од старих Јер им дарова не само ћерку но и
she foreshadowed Him Who would be родитеља својих, Јоакима и Ане. Отац Богомајку; озари их не само радошћу
born of her as King and временом него и
High Priest. Her parents вечном. Даде им Бог
were quite old and had no само једну ћерку,
children. Because of this која им доцније
they were ashamed роди само једног
before men and humble унука, – али какву
before God. In their ћерку и каквог
humility they prayed to унука! Благодатна
God with tears, to bring Марија,
them joy in their old age благословена међу
by giving them a child, as женама, храм Духа
He had once given joy to Светога. олтар Бога
the aged Abraham and Живога, трапеза
his wife Sarah by giving хлеба небеснога,
them Isaac. The кивот светиње
Almighty and All-seeing Божје, дрво
God rewarded them with најслађега плода,
a joy that surpassed all слава рода људског,
their expectations and all похвала рода
their most beautiful женског, источник
dreams. девства и чистоте –
то беше Богом
For He gave them not just дарована ћерка
a daughter, but the Јоакима и Ане.
Mother of God. He illu- Рођена у Назарету, а
mined them not only with после 3 године
temporal joy, but with одведена у храм
eternal joy as well. God Јерусалимски,
gave them just one одакле се вратила
daughter, and she would опет у Назарет, да
later give them just one ускоро чује
grandson-but what a благовест св.
daughter and what a архангела Гаврила о
Grandson! Mary, Full of рођењу Сина
grace, Blessed among Божјег, Спаситеља
women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, јој беше из племена Давидова, а матер света, из њенога пречистога и
the Altar of the Living God, the Table of од рода Аронова. И тако она беше по девичанскога тела.
the Heavenly Bread, the Ark of God's оцу од рода царска, а по мајци од рода
Holiness, the Tree of the Sweetest Fruit, архијерејска, и тиме већ
the Glory of the race of man, the Praise предображаваше Онога, који ће се из
of womanhood, the Fount of virginity ње родити, као Цара и
and purity-this was the daughter given Првосвештеника. Њени родитељи
by God to Joachim and Anna. She was беху већ остарели, а немаху деце. И
born in Nazareth, and at the age of three, зато беху постидни пред људима и
was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In скрушени пред Богом. И у

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 10

The Exaltation of the Honorable Cross, As he entered the city Emperor Heraclius по имену Јуда, једини знаде место где
September 27 carried the Cross on his back, but suddenly се Крст нахођаше, па присиљен од
was unable to take another step. Patriarch царице изјави, да је Крст закопан под
Two events in connection with the Honor-
Zacharias saw an angel preventing the храмом Венериним, кога подиже на
able Cross of Christ are commemorated on
emperor from bearing the Cross on the Голготи цар Адријан. Царица нареди,
this day: first, the finding of the Honorable
same path that the Lord had walked bare- те порушише тај идолски храм, па
Cross on Golgotha and second, the return
foot and humiliated. The patriarch commu- копајући у дубину нађоше три крста.
of the Honorable Cross from Persia to Jeru-
nicated this vision to the emperor. The Док царица беше у недоумици, како да
salem. Visiting the Holy Land, the holy
emperor removed his raiment and, in распозна Крст Христов, пролажаше
Empress Helena decided to find the Honor-
ragged attire and barefoot, took up the
able Cross of Christ. An old Jewish man мимо тога места пратња са мртвацем.
Cross, carried it to Golgotha, and placed it
named Judah was the only one who knew Тада патријарх Макарије рече, да
in the Church of the Resurrection, to the
where the Cross was located, and, con- мећу на мртваца редом један по један
joy and consolation of the whole Christian
strained by the empress, he revealed that крст. Када метнуше први и други крст,
world.
the Cross was buried мртвац лежаше
under the temple of непромењено. А када
Venus that Emperor ставише на њ трећи крст,
Hadrian had built on мртвац оживе.
Golgotha. The empress
ordered that this idola- По томе познаше, да је то
trous temple be razed
часни и животворни Крст
and, having dug deep
Христов. Метнуше га по
below it, found three
том и на једну болесну
crosses.
жену, и жена оздрави. Тада
While the empress pon- патријарх уздиже крст, да
dered on how to recog- га сав народ види, а народ
nize which of these was са сузама певаше: Господе
the Cross of Christ, a помилуј! Царица Јелена
funeral procession
направи ковчег од сребра и
passed by. Patriarch
положи у њ часни Крст.
Macarius told them to
Доцније цар Хозрој
place the crosses, one by
one, on the dead man.
освојивши Јерусалим,
When they placed the одведе многи народ у
first and second cross on ропство и однесе Крст
the dead man, the dead Господњи у Персију. У
man lay unchanged. Персији Крст је лежао 14
When they placed the година. 628. год. цар грчки
third cross on him, the Ираклије победи Хозроја и
dead man came back to са славом поврати Крст у
life. By this they knew Јерусалим. Ушавши у град
that this was the Pre- цар Ираклије ношаше Крст
cious and Life-giving на својим леђима. Но на
Cross of Christ. They једанпут стаде цар и не
then placed the Cross on могаше ни корака крочити.
a sick woman, and she Патријарх Захарија виде
became well. The patri- ангела, који спречаваше
arch elevated the Cross цару да у раскошном
for all the people to see, and the people Крстовдан, царском оделу иде под Крстом и то по
sang with tears: “Lord, have mercy!” 27. септембра оном путу по коме је Господ, бос и
Empress Helena had a silver case made and понижен, ходио. То виђење објави
set the Honorable Cross in it. Later, the Овога дана празнују се два догађаја у патријарх цару. Тада се цар свуче, па у
Persian Emperor Chozroes conquered
вези са часним Крстом Христовим: бедној одећи и босоног узе Крст,
Jerusalem, enslaved many people, and took
прво проналазак часног Крста на изнесе га на Голготу, и положи у храм
the Lord's Cross to Persia. The Cross
Голготи, и друго повратак часног Васкрсења, на радост и утеху целог
remained in Persia for fourteen years. In
the year 628 the Greek Emperor Heraclius
Крста из Персије опет у Јерусалим. хришћанског света.
defeated Chozroes and, with much cere- Обилазећи Свету Земљу св. царица
mony, returned the Cross to Jerusalem. Јелена намисли да потражи часни
Крст Христов. Неки старац Јеврејин,

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 11

The Venerable Parasceva [Petka],
October 27
This glorious saint of Serbian descent
was born in the town of Epivat between
Selymbria and Constantinople. St. Par-
asceva’s parents were wealthy, devout
Christians. They also had a son, Euthym-
ius, who was tonsured a monk during his
parents’ lifetime, and later he became the
famous Bishop of Madytos. The virgin
Parasceva always yearned for the ascetic
life for the sake of
Christ. After her par-
ents’ repose, she left
her home and went first
to Constantinople, then
to the wilderness of Jor-
dan, where she lived
the ascetic life until old
age.
Who can express all the
labors, sufferings and
demonic temptations
that St. Parasceva
endured in the course of
her many years? In her
old age, an angel of
God once appeared to
her and said: “Leave
the wilderness and
return to your home-
land; it is necessary that
you render your body to
the earth there, and
your soul to the habita-
tion of the Lord.” St.
Parasceva obeyed, and
returned to Epivat.
There she lived for two
years in ceaseless fast-
ing and prayer, then gave up her soul to
God and took up her abode in Paradise.
St. Parasceva entered into rest in the
eleventh century.
Over the course of time her relics were
translated to Constantinople, to Trnovo,
again to Constantinople, and then to Bel-
grade. Her relics now repose in Roma-
nia, in the town of Iasi. In Belgrade, the
well of St. Petka miraculously heals the
sick who draw near with faith in God and
love for this saint.
Преп. Петка — Параскева,
27. октобар
Ова славна светитељка беше српскога
порекла, рођена у граду Епивату
(Пиват, по турски Бојадос, између
Силимврије и Цариграда. Родитељи
св. Петке беху имућни и побожни
хришћани, и осим Петке имађаху и
једнога сина, Јевтимија, који се за
живота родитеља замонаши, и
доцније поста знаменити епископ
Мадитски. По смрти родитеља девица
Петка, вазда жељна живота
подвижничког Христа ради, напусти
дом родитељски и оде најпре у
Цариград, а потом у пустињу
Јорданску, где се подвизавала до
старости своје.
Ко би могао исказати све трудове, и
патње, и искушења демонска, која
претрпе св. Петка у току многих
година? Под старост јави јој се једном
ангел Божји и рече јој: „остави
пустињу, и врати се у твоје отечество:
потребно је да тамо предаш своје тело
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 12
земљи, а душом да се преселиш
Господу". Св. Петка послуша глас с
неба, остави омиљену јој пустињу, и
врати се у Епиват. Ту она, проживе
још две године, опет у непрестаном
посту и молитви, и онда предаде дух
свој Богу и пресели се у рајска
насеља. Упокојила се у XI столећу.
Мошти њене чудотворне у току
времена беху преношене: у Цариград,
у Трново, па опет у Цариград, па у
Београд. Сада се налазе у Румунији, у
граду Јашу. У београдском граду
налази се вода (агиазма) св. Петке,
која чудотворно лечи све оне
болеснике, који с вером у Бога и
љубави према овој светитељки к њој
притичу.
Information about the Saints from the
Prologue of Ohrid, St. Nikolai
Velimirovich
Serbian Slava
On the day of a family’s Slava, the
home becomes "a church in minia-
ture, and the family becomes the
congregation, reminding us that
the Church is a family magnified".
Usually, all members of the family
gather at the home of the eldest
living member of the family to
commemorate the patron Saint, to
glorify God, and to pray for all
members of the family, both the
living and the reposed. This is per-
haps the most beautiful aspect of
the Slava: it celebrates the unity of
Christ's Church both on earth and
in heaven. The Slava is a sort of
spiritual family reunion. Those
who are not present in fact are
present in spirit; not only living
family members who are unable to
be present, but also the forefa-
thers of the family who have fallen
asleep in Christ, faithful to His
Holy Church. The grave does not
separate Orthodox Christians one
from another.
Taken from the Hermitage of the
Holy Cross website

The Saints
The doctrine of the Church comes alive
in the lives of the true believers, the
saints. The saints are those who literally
share the holiness of God. “Be holy, for I
your God am holy.” (Lev 11:44; 1 Pet
1:16) The lives of the saints bear witness
to the authenticity and truth of the Chris-
tian gospel, the sure gift of God’s holi-
ness to men.
In the Church there are different classifi-
cations of saints. In addition to the holy
fathers who are quite specifically glori-
fied for their teaching, there are a num-
ber of classifications of the various types
of holy people according to the particular
aspects of their holiness.
Thus, there are the apostles who are sent
to proclaim the Christian faith, the evan-
gelists who specifically announce and
even write down the gospels, the proph-
ets who are directly inspired to speak
God’s word to men. There are the confes-
sors who suffer for the faith and the mar-
tyrs who die for it. There are the so-
called holy ones, the saints from among
the monks and nuns; and the righteous
are those from among the lay people.
In addition, the church service books
have a special title for saints from among
the ordained clergy and another special
title for the holy rulers and statesmen.
Also there is the strange classification of
the fools for Christ’s sake. These are they
who through their total disregard for the
things that people consider so necessary
— clothes, food, money, houses, secu-
rity, public reputation, etc. — have been
able to witness without compromise to
the Christian Gospel of the Kingdom of
Heaven. They take their name from the
sentence Of the Apostle Paul: “We are
fools for Christ’s sake.” (1 Cor 4:10;
3:18)
There are volumes on the lives of the
saints in the Orthodox tradition. They
may be used very fruitfully for the dis-
covery of the meaning of the Christian
faith and life. In these lives, the Christian
vision of God, man, and the world stands
out very clearly. Because these volumes
were written in times quite different
from our own, it is necessary to read
them carefully to distinguish the essen-
tial points from the artificial and some-
times even fanciful embellishments that
are often contained in them. In the Mid-
dle Ages, for instance, it was customary
to pattern the lives of saints after literary
works of previous times and even to
dress up the lives of the lesser known
saints after the manner of earlier saints of
the same type. It also was the custom to
add many elements, particularly super-
natural and miraculous events of the
most extraordinary sort, to confirm the
true holiness of the saint, to gain strength
for his spiritual goodness and truth, and
to foster imitation of his virtues in the
lives of the hearers and readers. In many
cases, the miraculous is added to stress
the ethical righteousness and innocence
of the saint in the face of his detractors.
Generally speaking, it does not take
much effort to distinguish the sound ker-
nel of truth in the lives of the saints from
the additions made in the spirit of piety
and enthusiasm of the later periods; and
the effort should be made to see the
essential truth that the lives contain.
Also, the fact that elements of a miracu-
lous nature were added to the lives of
saints during medieval times for the pur-
poses of edification, entertainment, and
even amusement should not lead to the
conclusion that all things miraculous in
the lives of the saints are invented for lit-
erary or moralizing purposes. Again, a
careful reading of the lives of the saints
will almost always reveal what is authen-
tic and true in the realm of the miracu-
lous. Also, the point has been rightly
made that men can learn almost as much
about the real meaning of Christianity
from the legends of the saints produced
within the tradition of the Church as
from the authentic lives themselves.
Taken from The Orthodox Faith, Volume
I, Doctrine, Fr. Thomas Hopko
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 13
Some Orthodox Terms
Alms. Works of mercy or mone-
tary gifts given to help the poor.
Throughout the Scriptures,
God’s people are called to help
those less fortunate than them-
selves. (see Matt. 25:31-46)
Alpha and Omega. The letters
that begin and end the Greek
alphabet and symbolize the
beginning and the end. The
Alpha and the Omega is also
used as a title of Christ. (Rev.
1:8)
Creation (Gr. ktisis). Every-
thing made by God. The term
creation is applied to the cos-
mos in general and to mankind
in particular. Our regeneration
in Christ and the resurrection of
the dead are both often called
the “new creation.” Creation has
no existence apart from God,
but is nevertheless distinct from
God. (That which is not created,
such as divine grace, the divine
energies, belongs to God the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.)
Creed. A statement of belief.
Creeds in their earlier forms
were used by the apostles, and
many are recorded in the New
Testament. (Eph. 5:14; 1 Tim.
3:16; 2 Tim. 2:11-13) The creed
used throughout the Church
was adopted at the Council of
Nicea in A.D. 325 and
expanded at the Council of
Constantinople in A.D. 381. The
Nicene Creed is used at bap-
tisms, the Divine Liturgy, and in
personal daily prayers.

Children In The Church
Every Christian mother considers it one
of her primary obligations to teach her
child prayer as soon as his consciousness
begins to awaken—prayer that is simple
and easy for him to understand. His soul
must be accustomed to the warm and fer-
vent experience of prayer at home, by his
cradle, for his neighbors, his family. The
child’s evening prayer calms and softens
his soul, he experiences the sweetness of
prayer with his little heart and catches
the first scent of sacred feelings.
It is harder for a child to take in the atmo-
sphere that prevails in church. At first he
just observes. He sees people concentrat-
ing and rites he does not as yet under-
stand and hears incomprehensible
words. However, the very solemnity and
festivity of the church have an uplifting
effect on him. When a two-year-old child
wants to take part in church, to sing,
speak or make prostrations—in this we
can see his uplifted state of soul, with
which he is involuntarily infected. We
see this from simple observation.
But there is also something higher than
our sense perceptions. Christ is invisibly
present in church, and He sees the child,
blesses him, and receives him into the
atmosphere of the grace of the Holy
Spirit. Grace envelopes him as a warm
wind wafts over a blade of grass in a
field, helping it to grow up slowly and
gradually, to put down roots and
develop. And so the mother hastens to
bring her child to Christ, to His grace,
regardless even of whether he has any
understanding at all of this contact with
the gift of grace. This especially con-
cerns the Eucharist, the very closest
union with Christ. The mother brings her
infant to this mystery while he is still a
baby lying in her arms. Is the mother
right?
“Suffer the little children to come unto
Me, for of such is the Kingdom of God.”
Can you really say with certainty that
there and then in the fields of Palestine
these children had already understood
Christ’s teaching, had been sitting at the
Teacher’s feet and listening to His
preaching? Do not say this, for the Evan-
gelist himself remarks that they brought
unto Him also infants, that He would
touch them: but when His disciples saw
it, they rebuked them. In bringing their
little ones, the mothers’ purpose was
simply that His hands should touch the
children, and not that He should teach
them divine knowledge.
Allowing children to have contact with
spiritual grace is one of the first, basic
concerns of a Christian who thinks about
his children, and the task of Christian
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 14
St. George Church
School for Children
Every Sunday
after Holy Communion
11:45 am to 12:30 pm
society, which is concerned about its
youth. There is the door to a correct
Orthodox Christian up bringing. Enlight-
enment, compunction, and joy, as they
awaken in the infant’s growing con-
sciousness, are an external indicator of
the act that the little Christian is feeling
warmth from the divine source in him-
self. And even if he does not feel it, the
invisible action of God’s grace does not
stop; only we do not see it, just as we do
not see the effect of the sun on our own
health instantly and at once. In Russian
literature, we have such apt examples of
the disposition of children’s souls during
preparation for confession and commu-
nion, after confession, and after commu-
nion of the Holy Mysteries.
Nevertheless, how often it is forgotten
that herein lies the key to organizing reli-
gious education. How often, on seeing
the inadequacy of religious education,
we pick up the programs and re-work
them, lay the blame on the textbooks and
the teachers—and forget about the
importance of the c h u r c h and the
influence of the services; certainly we do
not always ask ourselves the question:
“But did the children go to church?”
As the child grows up, he should enter
more deeply into the life of the Church.
The child’s mind, the youth’s mind must
be enlightened by the church services,
learn from them, become immersed in
them; the church should give him knowl-
edge of God.
This matter is more complex. The task of
religious education will be fulfilled only
when we teach our children to love
church.

When we, the adults, organize church
services, make arrangements for them,
shorten or lengthen the order of service
and so on, we are accommodating our-
selves to our own concepts and needs, or
simply convenience, understood in adult
terms. But in so far as the concepts,
needs and spiritual strivings of children
are not taken into account, the surround-
ings are often not conducive towards
making children love church. This is
nevertheless one of the most important
means of religious education; let the
children come to love the church, so that
they may always attend church with a
pleasant feeling and receive spiritual
nourishment from it. And since parents
often cannot help here, if only because
not infrequently they are irreligious
themselves, we are often compelled,
when we think about our Orthodox chil-
dren, to place this work into the hands of
the Church.
Just as we are not afraid of destroying a
devotion to learning and books, or love
for our national literature and history by
making our children come running to
class at the sound of a bell and sit at
desks, and by immersing them in an
atmosphere of strict discipline and com-
pulsion; so also, one might think, we
would have no reason to be afraid of
using a certain amount of compulsion in
the matter of attending church,
whether it be part of school
regime or an expression of self-
discipline on the part of youth
organizations—both those that
are connected with school and
those that are not. But certainly, if
this remains just compulsion, and
to such an extent that it creates a
psychological repulsion in young
people—this will show that the
aim has not been attained, that the
method has proved to be inade-
quate and the compulsion in vain.
Let the child brought by your will
express a desire to remain there
through his own will. Then you
will have justified your action.
And again we say: it is not only
natural, psychological effects that
take place in children’s souls in
church, but the action of grace.
Our whole concern should be that the
soul of the baby, child, or youth should
not be closed to holy impressions, but
should be freely opened; and then it will
no longer need effort, force or any other
form of self-compulsion; it will be nour-
ished free1y and easily and joyfully.
There is one thing that must not be for-
gotten: human nature requires at least a
minimal degree of active participation.
In church this can take the form either of
reading, or of singing, or of decorating
and cleaning the church, or of some other
activity, even if it is only indirectly con-
nected with the services.
The indisputable importance of the
church and of communal church services
for the religious upbringing of children
constitutes one of the arguments in favor
of the Orthodox understanding of the
mystery of Baptism: that is to say, an
argument in favor of baptizing children
at a very young age, as we do in the
Orthodox Church. Baptism is the door
through which one enters the Church of
Christ. One who is not baptized—which
means he is not a member of Christ’s
family—has no right to participate in the
life of this family, in its spiritual gather-
ings and in its table—the Lord’s table.
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 15
Thus our children would be deprived of
the right to be with us in church, to
receive the blessing in the name of the
Holy Trinity, to communicate the body
and Blood of Christ. And however we
may influence them in our family at
home, how ever much we might teach
them the Gospel, we would be depriving
them of the direct action of heavenly
grace, and at best we would arouse a
thirst for faith in them—but we would
still be keeping them far from the heav-
enly light and warmth, which comes
down, regardless of our human efforts, in
the Mysteries, in all the services, in holy
prayers. How grossly mistaken are those
religions which recognize only adult
baptisms.
The holy maidens Faith, Hope, and
Love, and the holy young bride Perpetua,
who became martyrs, are witnesses to
the fact that adolescence is an age pre-
pared even for the highest active partici-
pation in Christ’s Church. The baby in
his mother’s arms in church who cried
out, “Ambrose for bishop!” and by his
exclamation determined the choice of
the renowned Ambrose of Milan for the
episcopal cathedra—this baby is a
defender of children’s rights to an active
participation in Christ’s Church.
And so let us take some trouble over our
children: first let us give them the chance
to take more part in church—and in a
wider and more elevated form than just
giving the censer to the priest; and sec-
ondly, let us adapt ourselves somewhat
to our children when praying together
with them.
Let the children be conscious that they
are members of Christ’s family!
Let the children come to love church!
Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky
http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/
bltn800/artcl3.html

To Those with Children
We’re happy to welcome you and your children to St. George
church! Here are some guidelines to encourage you and to set
you at ease:
• Relax! The Lord put the “wiggle” in children, and Jesus
showed us that He was both comfortable and pleased to be in
the presence of children.
• We do have a nursery available. Please ask an usher/tutor if
you need assistance finding the appropriate area for your
child (children’s chapel in the narthex). Or, if you prefer,
your child is welcome to remain with you during the service.
• We don’t mind traffic in and out of our worship if you need
to come and go in order to tend to your children.
• You might like to sit up front where your child can see
more—you may also want to sit near the doors where you
can reach the bathrooms more easily.
• We love to see parents with an arm around their child, quietly
explaining anything the child might not understand**.
• Please, bring your child forward at Communion time! If your
child is baptized, she or he is welcome to receive. If they are
very small, please encourage them to stand to receive.
• There are books and children’s bulletins available at the
entrance (children’s chapel) for children to enjoy during
worship.
• We’re glad you’re here! Please let us know if there’s
anything else we can do to help you feel more at home here.
• Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop
them; for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God
belongs.” (Luke 18.16)
**If you as the parent, grandparent or friend of a child are asked a
question which you aren’t able to answer, please feel free to inquire
of the priest by seeking him out after the service and asking or make
an appointment with him. Sometimes the priest may help right then
and there; he’s happy to speak with any child about any subject.
(Sometimes parents and other adults learn lots from these small
conversations, too!)
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 16
Gods Extended Hand—Feeding the Homeless in San Diego
Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mat 22:39)
What does it mean to love one’s neighbor as we love ourselves?
You can find an answer by visiting the shelter at God’s
Extended Hand off 16th Street in downtown San Diego. You
will see gathered there every Wednesday our Orthodox brothers
and sisters serving meals to the homeless with love and joy.
This isn’t an annual Lenten sacrifice or an occasional obliga-
tion, but a committed effort on a regular basis to provide for
those who need help right here in our community.
According to FOCUS (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians
United to Serve), a SCOBA-sanctioned charitable organization,
there are 49 million Americans who lack adequate food. In
2009, the NY Times reported that hunger in the US was at a 14-
year high. We sometimes overlook the tragedy that is happening
in our own back yard. When you visit the shelter, you see more
young families who are unable to support themselves and are
instead living on the streets. Homelessness is no longer a con-
sequence of the drug addicted or mentally unstable. Hunger and
homelessness truly is affecting regular families and people with
many different backgrounds.
God’s Extended Hand is one of the oldest shelters in San Diego,
having begun its ministry in 1924. In 2008, they served more
than 84,000 meals and sheltered hundreds of homeless. A typi-
cal evening meal can include 90 to 140 people. Because they are
so experienced with helping the homeless and the hungry, the
atmosphere is filled with love, understanding, and God’s grace.
For some time, they have been able to provide breakfast and
dinner every day except Wednesday. That all changed when
FOCUS and a local team of faithful Orthodox decided to put a
plan together to fill that gap and offer support every Wednesday
night.
On July 14, 2010, the first dinner was served by our local Pan-
Orthodox faithful. Churches represented were St. Anthony
Antiochian Orthodox parish, St. Gregory of Nyssa Greek
Orthodox parish, St. Helen and Constantine Greek Orthodox
parish, St. John of Damascus OCA, St. George Serbian Ortho-
dox parish, and St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox parish. There
were more than 28 people, including the national directors of
FOCUS, Fr. Justin Matthews and Bryan Dahms. A special guest
was also present, Theodora Polamalu with her son Paisius.
Troy Polamalu and his family are faithful Orthodox amidst
Troy’s busy schedule as a two-time Super Bowl Champion with
the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are also board members for
FOCUS North America.
Every Wednesday a different Orthodox parish sponsors the din-
ner meal. The activities start with a cooking crew at 2:00 PM
who begins preparing the food in a small kitchen. Around 4:30
PM more help arrives to hand out tickets to the patrons and
monitor the front door. At 6:00 PM there is a 30-minute devo-
tional usually led by one of our Orthodox priests or anyone who
can provide a message of hope and inspiration according to
God’s Word. At 6:30 PM, we begin serving the meals and con-
clude with cleaning up all of the trays and dishes by 8:00 PM.
With teamwork and diligent care, all who participate go away
with a feeling they participated in God’s work.

If you are interested in participating, please let Fr. Bratso or me

know.
Every day you provide your bodies with good to keep them
from failing. In the same way your good works should be the
daily nourishment of your hearts. Your bodies are fed with food
and your spirits with good works. (St. Gregory the Great)

May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ see this good work
that is taking place at God’s Extended Hand. May He grant
peace to those who are hungry and food to nourish their bodies.
May He bless this ministry and bring us closer together. Amen.

Deacon Paul Germain

IOCC Responds to Historic Russian Heat Wave and

Wildfires
Experiencing the worst heat wave in Russia since record-
keeping began more than 130 years ago, the Russian people
have been suffering from uninterrupted high temperatures
for the past 50 days and deteriorating air quality as a result
of more then 500 active fires burning nationwide. News
agencies have reported that more than 50 people have died
so far from the fires and an estimated 5,000 others have died
as a result of the heat and poor air quality in Western Russia.
International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), in con- Four years in the making, the mosaic adorning both sides of God's
sultation with the Orthodox Church in America, is working Extended Hand is now completed. Come see and admire what God can
with its partners in the Russian Orthodox Church to formu- do with little broken pieces of pottery and the willing heart and hands
late an appropriate IOCC response to this latest humanitar- of artist Jermey Wright with others.
ian crisis.
Constantine M. Triantafilou, IOCC Executive Director,
expressed his concern at the situation, stating, “We pray for
those who have died. Our thoughts and prayers go out to
those mourning the loss of loved ones. We are also steadfast
in our prayers for all who have been affected by the wild-
fires.”
In addition to the immediate concern for the loss of life, it is
estimated that approximately one third of Russia’s wheat
crop has burned. One of the world’s largest exporters of
wheat, Russia has suspended its wheat exports.
You can help the victims of disasters around the world, like
the Russian Heat Wave and Wildfires, by making a financial
gift to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund
by visiting www.iocc.org.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 17

 I Love to Live
Today, dear Lord, I’m 80, and
there’s much I haven’t done.
I hope, dear Lord, you’ll let me live
until I’m 81.
But, then, if I haven’t finished all I
want to do,
Would you please let me stay
awhile, until I’m 82?
Golden Wedding Anniversary. On September 4, 1960, at St. Sava Serbian Ortho- So many places I want to go, so very
dox Church in Gary, Indiana, Radojka “Seka” Djujic and Alex Kinach were joined much to see,
in marriage by the Very Rev. Velimir Petakovich. Their wedding was the first cer-
emony performed by Father Velimir. Alex and Seka have lived in San Diego Do you think that You could man-
County since 1968 and have attended St. George since they relocated here. Con- age to make it 83?
gratulations and may God grant you many more years together! Mnogaja ljeta Seki
i Aleksandru!
The world is changing very fast,
there is so much in store,
Congratulations to Vojkan and Maja 80 is the new 60. “I Love to Live” is sub- I’d like it very much to live until I’m
Topalovic on the birth of their second mitted by one of our long-time St George 84.
son, Milan, on Aug. 3, 2010! Stewards, Nada Pantovich, and is dedi-
cated to our many parishoners who are in And if by then I’m still alive, I’d like
Congratulations to Marko and Dijana their 8th decade: to stay till 85!
Jovanovic on the birth of their first child,
Luka. Congratulations to grandparents, More planes will be up in the air, so
Veljo and Mira Jovanovic. I’d really like to stick
And see what happens to the world
when I’m 86.
I know, dear Lord, it’s much to ask
(and it must be nice in heaven),
But, I’d really like to stay until I’m
87.
I know by then I won’t be fast, and
sometimes will be late,
But, it would be so pleasant to be
around at 88.
I will have seen so many things, and
had a wonderful time,
So, I’m sure that I’ll be willing to
leave at the age of 89... Maybe.
Just one more thing I’d like to say,
dear Lord,
I thank you kindly,
Service with smiles—Vera Rakic, Dobrila Undheim, Lydia Rhoads, Tina Marin, But if it’s okay with you, I’d love to
& Kiki Trifunovic live past 90.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 18

Branko Vasic family and Mica Lukic visit Golubici for Hramovna Slava
Branko Vasic with his wife Ruja and children, Vaso and Vesna, visited their birthplace
Golubici in Krajina this summer. Their travel took them to other areas in Dalmacija and
Serbia also.
Many of our parishioners who are from Golubici and other Krajina regions continue to
support the renovation of St. Stephen church in Golubici, which celebrates its feast day
—hramovna slava—on August 15 of each year when we according to our Orthodox cal-
endar celebrate the transfer of relics of the Archdeacon Stephen.
Branko and his family were blessed to be there for the feast day together with Mico
Lukic who also is from Golubici. The pictures below show the Vasic family in side the
church and the Liturgy served by His Grace Bishop Fotije of Dalmacija and the clergy
from his diocese outside. May our Lord through the prayers of St. Stephen bless them
all grant them every good gift from above.

Ariana Pantovic, granddaughter of

Snezna and Dole Pantovic, has won a
modeling contract with Modeling Pro-
duction Management to model in Mall
Fashion Shows in the Greater San Diego
area.
Ariana is very active in the youth pro-
gram at St. George where she participates
in Sunday School, Junior Choir, the
Morava Folklore group, and the Sveti
Sava Children's program in January. This
year she recited her “deklamacija” in
Serbian.
Her brother Sammy also participates in
many St George programs. He is an ener-
getic, enthusiastic helper as well as being
a dedicated alter boy.
Both brother and sister attend the Magnet
School for selective students in Vista
Unified School District. Ariana enjoys
reading, and Sammy is the mathemeti-
cian.
The entire Pantovic family is rooting for
their success—Tetka Dusica and Techa
Rasha Stanic, Tata Dusko and Mama
Mary, and Strina Linda and Stric Rajko
and all of the cousins give their support
to Ariana and Sammy in all they do.

Nada Pantovich

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 19

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 20

Kolo Sisters
Dearest fellow
parishioners of
St George:
I hope all of
you had a won-
derful summer
and that God
has continued
to bless each
and everyone
of you as well
as all those dear
to your hearts. It is hard to believe how
far into the year we are, and, with school
starting up again, and with us getting
back to our routines, we can reflect on the
blessings that God has bestowed upon us.
Now that our Church kitchen is nearly
completed, and the restrooms soon to fol-
low, we can once again enjoy our facili-
ties and have the ability to plan more
events. I thank everyone who has worked
on this project and who continues to work
on it. We are all benefiting from this, and
the new generation will have many, many
years of enjoyment.
September is Kolos month to prepare
lunches, so please come and join us in the
preparation and enjoyment. We are also
preparing for our Kolo Slava, The Nativ-
ity of the Most-holy Theotokos, Septem-
ber 21. We also hope you will join us as
we celebrate this very special event.
As in past issues of The Voice, I have
tried to share some of my own thoughts,
and what comes to my mind right now is,
what is my purpose at this stage of my
life? I have seemed to slipped into a dif-
ferent role. When I was “merely” a par-
ent, it seemed that I was focused on
making sure everything ran smoothly in
the household, juggling, multitasking,
trying to keep
all in order. Now
as a grandpar-
ent, I desire to
spend quality
time with my
family, my par-
ents, and espe-
cially the
grandchildren.
Because our
children are so
busy trying to
provide for their
families, it is
now my role to
fill in the gap,
helping out
when needed. It
Chen Huang of Bejing, China, helping Syvia Ivanovic at a Labor Day get-
is such an together at the Ivanovic home, which is near San Diego State University.
honor to have Because Sylvia suffered a back injury some time ago, this assistance is much
reached this appreciated. “Harry,” as he is called in the States, is studying hotel
stage in life. management and tourism at SDSU and lives with Sylvia & Mirko.
I 'm finding ways to celebrate the
moment. I'm now a better listener. I 've
learned the difference between concern SNF Lodge #89 St. George—Join
and worry— Let go, let God. God wants to keep this tradition alive in our
us to trust Him totally in all matters, and parish
it takes practice.
On Sunday, August 22, 2010, St. George
Now that our children have moved out of parishioners held their regular quarterly
the house, Mirko and I have opened the stewardship meeting. In addition to pas-
doors of our home to foreign exchange toral and financial reports the stewards
students. We currently have three—one had the opportunity to hear a presentation
from Korea and two from China. And from the Second Vice President of Ser-
what beautiful people they are. The bian National Federation, Mr. John Lov-
amount of respect they have for others is rensky.
incredible. We are truly blessed by hav-
ing them join our family, and I thank God Mr. Lovrensky, who drove from his Los
that He has entrusted us to care for these Angeles residence that morning, spoke
wonderful students. powerfully on the necessity to keep the
local SNF lodges active as they provide
Your sister in Christ, many benefits to members and communi-
ties. Among those are insurance and
investment services, preservation of Ser-
Sylvia Ivanovic, Kolo President bian culture, heritage, tradition and his-
tory and promotion of various culturally
edifying events and sports activities.
St. George lodge #89 is now accepting
new members. To find out how to
become a member please contact Mrs.
Nada Pantovich at 858-451-3812.
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 21
Milanka’s story, Part 3: From
Europe to the United States via
South America
In Part 1 of Milanka’s story,
published in the Voice (Spring 2009),
Milanka Prica (Vlasovich) was 14
years old in 1941 when she and her
family and countless other Serbs in
Lika, Croatia, were terrorized and
tens of thousands murdered as ethnic
hatred possessed their former
Croatian and Moslem friends and
neighbors under Ustashe rule in the
Axis-occupied Croatia. During these
evil times, God miraculously
protected the remains of the Prica
family using the Italian occupying
forces.
In Part 2, published in the Voice
(Summer 2010), the Prica family,
along with 400 other Serbs, leave
Korenica in a convoy to escape the
encroaching Partisan forces and the
relentlessly threatening Ustashe.
After reaching the Adriatic coast,
their protector, the Italian Colonel
who had lived in Milanka’s uncle’s
residence in Korenica, persuaded the
Prica’s to accept asylum in Italy.
They stayed in Italy until the end of
the war and afterward, when they
decided not to return to the now
Communist Yugoslavia. For two
years they worked menial jobs and
floated among Italy’s displaced
person camps, struggling to survive.
During this time, Milanka’s sister,
Bogdanka, miraculously made
contact with a well-established
Serbian-American family living in
Chicago who shared the Prica
surname. Even though they were not
Bagnoli refugee camp in Italy
related, Milan and Soka Prica sent
Bogdanka money in the mail, which
she used for fees and bribes. With no
immediate hope of going to the
United States because after the War
the US did not accept refugees unless
they had family already residing in
the States, Milanka, Bogdanka, and
Savo, the surviving youngest brother,
decide to leave Europe.
Shopping for a country
Milanka and her brother and sister really
wanted to move to the United States. But
they had no blood relatives to sponsor
them. Milan and Soka Prica became like
relatives to them, constantly helping
them; but they were not blood relatives,
so there was no way around the require-
ment. Consequently, they began to look
at alternatives. In the post-war economic
boom, various delegates from around the
world came to the refugee camps to
entice refugees to come their countries to
work. Among these countries was Peru.
While it wasn’t the United States, at least
it was in the western hemisphere, far
from bloody Europe. So after two years
in Italy, the three Prica’s decided to leave
Europe for Peru along with another 600
displaced persons, mostly Serbs. The
Peruvian delegate promised them a good
life in Peru with plenty of opportunities
and guaranteed jobs. So filled with hope,
the refugees were herded onto a decrepit
old ship for the first leg of their journey
to the new world.
Next stop Germany
The old ship grate-
fully only took the
prospective immi-
grants to Peru as
far as Hanover,
Germany. There
they had to wait
two months in
another DP camp
until the US Army
Transport (USAT)
General W. M.
Black was ready to
take them to Peru,
a rough transatlan-
tic passage lasting
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 22
three weeks. Commissioned in Novem-
ber 1942, the General Black was one of
the most active ships of its class during
the war years, when it carried thousands
of troops to and from the European the-
atre, and, after the war when it carried
thousands of war-related refugees away
from Europe to countries around the
world. 522 feet in length with a capacity
of nearly 4,000 people, the General
Black provided safe passage and regular
meals, but little else.
Help for DPs
UNRRA, the United Nations Relief and
Rehabilitation Administration, ran the
displaced person camp in Hanover. As
the war ended, millions of people found
themselves in unfamiliar places facing
uncertain futures because they could not
return to their prior homes. Allied mili-
tary and civilian authorities faced con-
siderable challenges in attempting to
resolve their problems. Reasons for dis-
placement varied widely—there were
evacuees, political prisoners, forced or
voluntary workers, former forces under
German command, deportees, intruded
persons, extruded persons, civilian
internees, ex-prisoners of war, stateless
persons, and, of course, war or political
refugees like the Prica siblings. Like
many others displaced from Yugoslavia,
they could not return to their homes
because nothing was left for them to
return to—family, friends, home,
resources, everything was gone, and now
the country was Communist.1
On the General Black
After two months of uneventful camp
life in Germany, where no one had any
money and there was nothing to do, the
young Milanka was eager to begin the
next chapter of her life and excited to be
on an American ship, even though it
1.Although the family would not know at this time,
many displaced persons who returned to the now
Communist Yugoslavia would be “purged” as ene-
mies of the revolution for various trumped up rea-
sons. Many innocent people, crossing all ethnic
groups, were killed during this time as Marshal
Tito attempted to solidify the new Communist gov-
ernment. Information about these actions has only
recently surfaced, and written documentation of it
is difficult to find.

Milanka Prica (Vlasovich) 1945
wasn’t taking her to America. Already
having left a trail of broken-hearted
young men in Italy, Milanka continued to
attract the attention of potential suitors.
But she was watched carefully by her
older sister, and she, herself, knew she
still had not found the love of her life. So
even as the captivating Milanka was
watching the star-filled skies with a
youthful companion on the deck of the
General Black, she knew she was not
ready for love just yet.
US Army Transport General W.M. Black
Broken promises
It was land at last as the General Black
moored in the Port of Callao, near Lima,
Peru. Full of anticipation, the refugees
disembarked. But instead of being
hooked up with their new jobs, they were
lead from the transport to another ship, a
permanently moored ship that was to be
temporary housing until they found jobs.
There was something wrong with this
picture. Weren’t employers and jobs sup-
posed to be waiting for them? Weren’t
they supposed to quickly meld into the
vibrant South American culture and find
happiness and success? After the terror
of Lika, the escape to Italy, the seem-
ingly endless transit through the refugee
and DP camps of Italy, and the waiting
for life to really take a turn for the better,
what could the poor refugees do now but
wait some more—wait until they found
work.
“Slave Ship” labor
After the word was out that a new cheap
and desperate labor pool was available
and waiting in the port, people from
Lima began to come to Callao to check
out the “slave ship” cargo. These work-
ers were not like the cheap native work-
ers they were accustomed to, most of
them were educated professionals, and
all were white. Bogdanka and Milanka
were prime candidates—multi-lingual,
multi-talented, attractive, and eager, they
soon found themselves working as ser-
vants in the palatial home of an Italian
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 23
merchant’s family. Savo was employed
as a mechanic.
Bogdanka was put in charge of preparing
the meals and Milanka was her helper.
The stingy Italian mistress dictated the
menus in a caste-like hierarchy, with the
family members getting the richest, fin-
est food and the poorest indigenous
workers getting only cabbage and rice.
Bogdanka and Milanka were paid 150
soles per month, which was three times
what the indigenous workers received.
After two or three months of this, the
outspoken Bogdanka argued with the
mistress, and she and Milanka left.
Bogdanka’s next job was for the Haitian
Consulate, which was facilitated once
again by her executive skill and ability
with languages. Milanka lived with Bog-
danka, but she found work in a store.
Also working at the consulate as major-
domos (butlers or houseboys) were two
other refugee Serbs. One of these men, a
handsome Montenegrin, dreamed of
becoming an actor as famous as Frank
Sinatra. In later years, Milanka would
find out this man, Vlado Radulovic,
became one of Peru’s most important
film director-producers.
But in those days for the Prica’s, life in
Peru was a miserable struggle to make
ends meet through menial and demand-
ing work. Probably if they had stayed in
Peru, the sisters and their brother would
also have become as successful as most
of the folks who stayed did. But they
wanted to come to the United States.
They had not lost that dream, and they
had not lost contact with the Prica’s of
Chicago. They contacted the United
States Embassy in Lima to put their
names on the waiting list for immigra-
tion to the US. They would have to wait
two years.
Coming to America!
Thanks again to Milan and Soka Prica,
the three siblings were sponsored and
sent to New York City. The 18-day trip
from Lima aboard the Santa Isabel, a
Continued on page 24
Continued from page 23.
commercial ship with only 10 passenger
cabins stopped in every port. It wasn’t a
cruise ship, but it did have some of the
same formalities—you had to dress for
dinner. Poor Savo did not have a suit and
tie, so he could not eat with the passen-
gers, a sorry event that was impressed
upon a family also on that trip who
informed him years later after they saw
his name in a San Francisco newspaper
after he had become extremely success-
ful in the United States.
“Uncle Milan” Prica met the ship in New
York, and like any good American, the
first thing he did was take his newly
arrived charges to a “hamburger joint” to
eat, and as, Milanka remembers so well,
they carried their own food on trays to
the table. Oh, those first impressions!
Chicago, Chicago
Milan Prica (known as Mike Price in the
States) immigrated from the old country
in 1905, and he had been operating the
Riverside Tap near the Chicago Loop,
since 1908. He would later be recognized
as one of the oldest taverns owners in the
US. He and Soka (known as Sophie) had
been married for almost 50 years. They
were “old timers” as immigrants go and
well-known among the Serb community
in Chicago.
And that community was waiting and
excited to meet the new comers. There
was a special interest in the two girls as
they would make good marriage candi-
dates for the many eligible bachelors.
After their June 1950 arrival, their offi-
cial coming-out was at the annual 4th of
July picnic at the Libertyville Monastery.
Wedding bells already
Only a few months after moving in with
“Aunt Sophie” Prica, Milanka would
meet her future husband, Spasoje
Vlaisavljevic (later shortened to Spas
Vlasovich), a Serb from Slavonia. Ten
years older than the 23-year-old
Milanka, Spas had graduated from the
Academy in Belgrade and had been cap-
Milanka & Spas Vlasovich 1950
tured by the Germans and held as a pris-
oner of war in Munich. After the war, he,
too, decided not to return to Yugoslavia
and also had ended up in Chicago. At the
time Milanka met him, he was already
gainfully employed as a mechanic and
machinist at the Continental Can Co.
So in November 1950, after only a one-
month courtship, 150 family and adopted
family members and friends witnessed
the marriage of Spas and Milanka. From
the $600 in wedding gifts they received,
Spas and Milanka began paying back all
the money Milan and Soka Prica had sent
to Milanka, Bogdanka, and Savo during
the war and while they were displaced.
The money was completely repaid in
four years, even though the Prica’s never
expected repayment.
A kind, gentle, and wise man, Spas
would make Milanka a perfect partner,
and as a team they would build a suc-
cessful life and family in the United
States.
The next chapter describes their journey
to California and their life in San Diego.
Marsha Jovanovic, editor
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 24
AMERICA
Far
We've been traveling far
Without a home
But not without a star
Free
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream
On the boats and on the planes
They're coming to America
Never looking back again
They're coming to America
Home, don't it seem so far away
Oh, we're traveling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm
Home, to a new and a shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm
Everywhere around the world
They're coming to America
Every time that flag's unfurled
They're coming to America
Got a dream to take them there
They're coming to America
Got a dream they've come to share
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
Today, today, today, today, today...
—Neil Diamond
Stole Report for Jan. 1 – August
16, 2010

Baptisms-Chrismation

Servant of God____is baptized in the

name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit! God grant you many
years!
• Isabella Marie Podesta
• Meridee Faith Gaynor
• Angelina Snezana Krstic
• Anthony Tuniyants
• Peter William Yancey
• Devenee Jeanne Ilic
• Marko Simjanovic
• Madeleine Kaja Powell
• Filip Jovanovic Church President Nemanja Selezan and First Vice President & MPC Chair Vladan Trifunovic
• Alex Jarebica Ross showing Bishop Maxim the renovation to date on Vidovdan 2010.

• James Nikolai Levitin

• Tamara Maria Balac
• Natasha Sophia Balac
• Enzo Lucian Gaipa

Weddings

O, Lord our God, crown them with glory

and honor! – God grant you many years!
• Nikola Zigic and Rania Daoud Dallal
• Robert Stevo Basic and Kathryn Lee
Purviance
• Marko Knezevic and Anne Margaret
• Peter Jovanovic and Olivera Plamenac

Funerals

Grant, O, Lord, Memory Eternal to:

• Nedelcho Ned Nedelchev-Nedel
The Brkic Triplets gave a concert at St. George Parish, Sunday, August 1, 2010, following the
• Sonia Popovich Kennedy Divine Lituryg. Slobodan and Nada are blind and their sister Vera and father Dragisa became
• Daniel Smolan their eyes during their visit throughout Western American Diocese. Following their visits they
had an appointment with the eye specialist in San Francisco who after thorough examination
• Dragoslav Drago Novakovic reported that surgery in which Nada and Slobodan will receive artificial retinas and some other
• Rajka Orlich medical procedures is promising. So God willing, we might see the Brkic Triplets again next
years. Thank you to all of our parishioners and friends who came to the concert and participated
• Stevan Medin in free will offering. Vera, Slobodan, and Nada were immersed from a young age into God’s
mysterious ways; for He opened and tremendously developed all their other senses.They came
to share their unique, spiritual, and artistic talents through singing, playing instruments, and
giving beautiful renditions of the spiritual poems.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 25

NOTES FROM LYDIA...
...And a little child shall lead them
(Isaiah 11:6)
When the Continuing Our Legacy cam-
paign was launched in 2008, 90 people
and families made three-year pledges to
support the renovation of our social hall.
A few came from young adults and chil-
dren. One of these children was Katarina
Trifunovich, or “Kiki” as we like to call
her. Kiki is 12 years old and is the third
of four children born to Robert and
Simona Trifunovich.
Robert and Simona have brought their
children up in the Serbian Orthodox
faith. They have created a spiritual foun-
dation for them and guide them in the
basic principles of stewardship: time, tal-
ent, and treasure. Kiki is a true steward
of St. George. You may have seen her
dancing with Junior Morava or working
in the kitchen, side by side with her
mother, wearing her apron, and always
with a smile on her face.
On the evening of our Legacy dinner,
Kiki signed her three-year pledge and
made her commitment to St. George. I
was so happy to see that she understood
what needed to be done at our Church
and was willing to do her part in realiz-
ing our goal.
A few months ago, I was in the kitchen at
St. Petka helping Simona prepare the
meal for our Church Slava banquet. Kiki
came into the kitchen and told me that
she had something for me. She was so
excited, grinning from ear to ear. She
handed me a small, very heavy gift bag.
Kiki had filled out the gift card on the
bag by writing her name, address, and
“Continuing Our Legacy.” I looked in
the bag and saw several rolls of coins and
some dollar bills that had been folded up
and put in a plastic bag. I immediately
got a lump in my throat. Kiki was so
happy to give St. George this gift, to ful-
fill more than half of her three-year
pledge. But I was even happier to have
received it on the Church’s behalf.
I hope that we can each learn from Kiki
to give back to our Church, especially at
this time. We are so close to completing
the first phase of the renovation. Every
donation of time, talent, and treasure we
receive will help us to achieve this goal.
The youngest steward
I'd like to welcome our newest and
youngest steward, Marko Milicevic.
Marko is one year old and is the son of
Jim and Melanie Milicevic. Marko’s
parents want to start the tradition of giv-
ing a small donation every year from
Marko’s birthday money. They want to
teach him a valuable lesson and teach
him early about Stewardship and yearly
giving. They want him to learn to give
back to God!
Jim and Melanie are also expecting
another baby! Congratulations to your
family.
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 26
Another generous gift
Thomas “Tom” Dyke, a successful San
Diego businessman and philanthropist,
has once again made an extraordinary
gift to the St. George parish—he has
donated $50,000 toward the church res-
toration project.
For old timers (those of us who have
been around St George for 30 or 40
years), Tom is well known for the amaz-
ing and noble gesture he made in mem-
ory of his wife, Donna Rose, who passed
away in 1974 at the age of 38. Because
she was of Serbian ancestry and a mem-
ber of St. George Church, he chose to
retire the debt the parish incurred to build
the current building. Over the years, Tom
also donated additional thousands to
help complete the mosaics that adorn the
church interior.
God has blessed Tom for his generosity
to our church; but Tom should not stand
alone in devotion to this work, nor
should the friends and members of this
parish hold back and depend on people
like him to support this project. No, it is
time for each of us to make our own
extraordinary contributions in love for
our beloved church. Many of you already
have donated or pledged generously. But
not enough of you have. Please prayer-
fully consider making a financial com-
mittment to the renewal project.
Stewardship Pledge Drive is coming
A reminder that the end of the year is
approaching, and it is time to fulfill your
2010 stewardship pledge, if you have not
done so as yet. Your church should not be
the last thing you pay—in reality, it
should be the first thing you pay. But Our
Lord is a loving, patient God, and He
understands your financial situation.
Whatever you give to Him, you will
receive back many times over.
God bless you all.
Lydia Petric Rhoads, Stewardship &
Continuing Our Legacy chair
Continuing Our Legacy, August 22, 2010
• Andolsek, Tonska • Kinach, Alex and Seka • Ruzic, Stevan and Marija
• Barron, Zorka • Krsic, Proto Bratso and Protinica Lisa • Savchuk, Nikolai and Olga
• Batinica, Boris • Koruga, Milenko and Jelena • Selezan, Nemanja and Lindsay
• Batricevich, Slobodan and Branka • Kukich, Branislav • Serebryanova, Elena
• Belcevich, Milos • Kukulj, Dragan and Lillian • Sigmreanu, Valentin and Mariana
• +Benesh, Kathryn • Kunac, Dusan and Maria • Simikich, R and Cheryl
• Bosnak, Mara and Les Lambert • Kurkjian, Betty • Srbich, Dr. Alexander and Mrs.
• Bozinovska, Jadranka • Lazic, Sava and Dobrinka • Starr, Tatyana
• Copic, Miro and Laura • Leff, Craig • St. Angelina
• Cucuk, Nick • Masic, Milenko • St. George – San Diego Choir
• Cronemeyer, Jamie and Zorica • Markovic, Predrag • St. George – San Diego Kolo
• DeGranda, Boris and Danila • McKenzie, Sally • St. George – San Diego Sunday School
• Denton, Natalie • Miladinovich, Miroslav • St. Paul. Syriac Orthodox Church
• Djujic, Donna • Milanovich, Jennifer • Sutter, Cameron
• Drakulich, Persida • Milasinovic, Zeljko and Marija • Thickstun, Kathryn
• Draskovich, Proto Bozidar and Protinica • Milicevic, Nikola and Nada • Trifunovic, Jelena
Bozana
• Milicevic, Jim and Melanie • Trifunovic, Katarina
• Driscoll, Josephine
• Miller, Stephanie • Trifunovic, Robert and Simona
• Dyke, Tom
• Milosevich, Alexsandra Babic • Trifunovic, Stefan
• Economy Restaurant Supply
• Medigovich, Milica • Trifunovic, Vladan and Milica
• Emery, John
• Miladinovich, Ljubisav and Radmila • Undheim, Natasha
• Frank, Nick
• Miljkovic, Miodrag and Vecki • Undheim, Robert and Dobrila
• Gavrilov, Gleb and Svetlana
• Morava Youth Group – San Diego • Urosevic, Branko
• Germain, Deacon Paul and Natalija
• Nedic, Ivana • Vallin, Becky
• Germain, Ann
• Nedic, Sava and Spomenka • Vasic, Branko and Ruja
• Goich, Mike and Mara
• Nedic, Milosh and Karen • Vasich, Milan and Milica
• Gregovich, Ljubica
• Nikolic, Dragan and Gordana • Vasilia, Laurentiv and Daniela
• Hartwell, John
• Pavlovich, Maria • Villa, Brian
• Hess, Daniela Radovic
• Petakovich, Proto Velimir and Protinica • Vlasovich, Milanka
• Ilic, Petar and Rosa Petakovich
• Vukotich, Danica
• Irick, Olga • Plavsic, Mara?Seja and D.Dee
• Vukotich, John and Jean
• Jedrysik, Ben and Kimberlie • Plavsic, Rade and Jelena
• Vukotich, Stefan and May
• Jorling, Joe and Nina • Popovich, Ella
• Vunduk, Ilija and Joann
• Jovanovic, Dragoslav • Popa, Cornelia
• Vuskovic, Ivo
• Jovanovic, Drasko and Ranica • Purlia, Sam and Gloria
• Vuskovic, Natasha Jovanovic
• Jovanovic-Vuskovic, Natasa • Radich, Jovan
• Zivkovic, Jovan and Tina
• Jovanovic, Nenad • Radojevic, Dan and Vesna
• Jovanovic, Marsha and Misha • Radojevic, Protinica Nada
• Jovanovich, Martha • Radovanovic, Dragoslav and Ljiljana
• Jovanovich, Ratko • Rakic, Marko and Vera
• Kennedy, Ken and Sonia • Rhoads, Howard and Lydia

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 27

St. George Stewardship List As of August 22, 2010
• Alemany, Lazar and Linda
• Andolsek, Tonska
• Arandjelovic, Bojan
• Aud, Matthew and Laurie
• Basic, Stevo and Stana
• Batinica, Boris
• Begovich, Michael and Samantha
• Belanich, David and Jasna
• Belcevich, Milos
• Cle, Mira
• Connor, Thomas and Evelyn
• Copic, Miro and Laura
• Cronemeyer, Jamie and Zorica
• Denton, Natalie
• Drakulich, Persida
• Draskovich, Proto Bozidar and Protinica
Bozana
• Driscoll, Josephine
• Dukich, Mitch
• Dyke, Tom
• Elez, Sladjana
• Freeman, Lillian
• Fulton, Jeff and Radmila
• Germain, Deacon Paul and Natalija
• Giles, Vera
• Grba, Svetozar and Christine
• Gregovich, Ljubica
• Grjakovic, Vladimir
• Ilic, Petar and Rosa
• Irick, Olga
• Ivanovic, Mirko and Sylvia
• Jojic, Dobrinka
• Jojic, Vesko and Julijana
• Jovanovic, Dejan and Lana
• Jovanovic, Misha and Marsha
• Jovanovic, Tomas and Vesna
• Jovanovic, Vel and Mira
• Jovanovic, Ratko
• Jovanovich, Martha
• Jovanovich, Slavko and Tatijana
• Jovanovich, Svetlana
• Kinach, Alex and Seka
• Kostic, Tordis
• Krsic, Proto Bratso and Protinica Lisa
• Kunac, Dusan and Maria
• Lazic, Sava and Dobrinka
• Lukic, Milos
• Lukich, Ljuban James and Petka
• Marin, Michael and Christina
• Markley, Scott and Nada
• Melnick, Stanley and Pauline
• Mikler, Zora
• Milasinovic, Zjelko and Marija
• Milicevic, Jimmie and Melanie
• Milicevic, Marko
• Miljkovic, Milan and Diane
• Milovancev, Miroslav and Mira
• Mitrovich, Desanka
• Mitrovich, Jelena
• Mitrovich, Predrag
• Mrja, Millie
• Nedic, Milosh
• Nedic, Sava and Spomenka
• Pantich, Tom and Jelena
• Pantovich, Nada
• Pantovich, Mirjana Sally
• Papac, Wayne and Sandie
• Petakovich, Proto Velimir and Protinica
Ljubinka
• Petric, Alex
• Petric, Milovan and Jelena
• Plavsic, Mara-Seja
• Plavsic, Milan and Ljubica
• Popa, Cornelia
• Popovich, Dolly
• Popovich, Ella
• Potkonjak, Michael and Sheila
• Pugh, Zachary and Milica
• Purlia, Sam and Gloria
• Radjenovic, Milica
• Radojevic, Dan and Dr. Vesna
• Radojevic, Protinica Nedezda
VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 28
• Radomirovic, Vladimir and Sanja
• Radovanovic, Dragoslav and Ljiljana
• Raicevic, Vladimir and Silvana
• Rakic, Marko and Vera
• Rhoads, Howard and Lydia
• Rhoads, Michael
• Savchuk, Olga
• Selezan, Nemanja and Lindsay
• Serdar, Sophie
• Skaljac, George and Bernadette
• Smith, Justin and Zorana
• Smolan, Daniel
• Srbich, Dr. Alexander and Mrs.
• Stojadinovic, Djordje
• Thickstun, Kathryn
• Topalovic, Vojkan and Maja
• Trifunovic, Dr. Robert and Simona
• Trifunovic, Vladan and Milica
• Undheim, Robert and Dobrila
• Vasic, Milica
• Vasich, Branko and Ruja
• Vasiliu, Daniela
• Vlasovich, Milanka
• Vucelic, Michael and Dr. Inge
• Vukotich, Dorothy
• Vukotich, John and Jean
• Vuksanovic, Dusan
• Wright, Sean and Svenja
• Yancey, Petar
• Zigich, Baron
• Zivkovic, Jovan and Tina
Why we want you to sign Stewardship &
Continuing Our Legacy Cards
Our Church Executive Board has established two
programs for which we ask you to sign a committ-
ment card: 1) St George Stewardship and 2) the
Continuing Our Legacy Capital Campaign.
Here are reasons this is important:
• When we sign the stewardship card and bring it to the
church on Stewardship Sunday, the act itself becomes
a spiritual endeavor. It is no longer just another thing
we do; but rather it is an act of worship and I would
even say a liturgical act of offering ourselves to God.
This is one of the beautiful realities of our Faith—
looking at our life and everything we do as as a way of
sanctifying our life and the life of those around us.
• And on a practical level, if a parishioner signs a card,
it makes tracking/recording donations easier for the
church treasurer and it makes keeping track of
committments easier for the stewardship chair.
Also, please earmark your donations—tell us how
you want the donation to be allocated. On an enve-
lope or check (in the memo area), for example, mark
stewardship, candles, bookstore, memorial, Legacy
fund, etc. If necessary, we can contact parishioners
to clarify a particular donation, but that makes extra
work for our already busy volunteers.
Thank you all very much and God bless you as you
prayerfully pledge yourself as a St George Steward
and/or pledge support to the Continuing Our Legacy
campaign.

Father Bratso Krsic

MORAVA Folkfest 2010

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 29

 Fr. Bratso encourages you to:
• Send your e-mail address to: frbratso@sbcglobal.net if you
Family would like to be placed on a church information email list so
that you get updated announcements of important changes or

is why events during the month between monthly and quarterly

mailings.
• Let him know when people are sick so that he can call or visit

we do them if they want him to do so, and add their names to the
weekly prayer list.

it all. • Call him at any time; with questions, with concerns, with
suggestions. If it’s important to you, it’s important to him!

Our Bookstore has many items on sale!

Vladan Trifunovic, Agent
Insurance Lic. #: 0G31333
928 Fort Stockton Drive, Suite 105
San Diego, CA 92103
Bus: 619-296-6502
We all feel the same commitment
to care for our families. Helping
you meet your insurance needs
is part of my commitment to
you. Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there.®
CALL ME TODAY.
Don’t forget to shop in our church bookstore. We have
many items: gold crosses, gold chains, prayer books, books
on various topics, tapes, video tapes, DVDs, icons, prayer
ropes, etc.
Stewardship Pledges
Did you forget to submit your stewardship card or perhaps
misplaced it somewhere, or do you simply need some more
offering envelopes? Call our church office 619-276-5827
and we will immediately send you a stewardship cards and
envelopes.

Thank you, everyone!

Fr. Bratso would like to thank all of our stewards, Executive
Church Board members, and supporters for the many ways
you bring Gospel values into your homes, workplaces, and
State Farm, Bloomington, IL
0907504
civic communities. “Well done good and faithful servant…”
God bless you all! We appreciate you all!

Voice of St George Advertising Rates

Full page color $200 per issue
Full page B&W $100 per issue
1/2 page B&W $50 per issue
1/4 page B&W $25 per issue
All stewards receive one free ad when placing in four
consecutive issues.
Send your copy or information to the Voice Editor at
marsha@marshaj.com or contact Father Bratso. Mark Your Calendars!
Voice Production
Cevap Challenge
Anyone interested in learning how to write/edit/pub-
lish the Voice of St George, please contact either November 6, 2010
Father Bratso or the Voice Editor. The current soft-
ware used is Adobe Framemaker, Photo Elements,
and other assorted programs.
Anyone brave enough
to be a challenger, email
Dobrila@cox.net

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 30

Firstworld Travel & Misha Tours * 130 East Main Street * El Cajon, CA 92020
619-588-5811 or 619-588-4644

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • FALL 2010 31