With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan of Europe Mr. Pimen, and at the invitation of our beloved Father Jovan Todevski, parish priest in Vienna, Austria, our Elder and Abbot, His Grace Bishop of Antania Mr. Parthenius, sent a part of the choir of the Bigorski monastic brotherhood—together with our beloved cantors and zealous helpers in the monastery’s mission—to visit and participate in the liturgical life of our church community in Vienna.
The visit took place at the Church of St. Naum of Ohrid, where, in addition to shared prayer and liturgical communion, holy relics of our great spiritual fathers—St. Clement of Ohrid and St. Joanikije of Rakotintsi—were brought for veneration, as a blessing and consolation for the faithful people.
From 12 to 15 December, the choir took part in the evening and morning services, concelebrating together with Archimandrite Fr. Anatolij and the hieromonks. Through their psalmody, they enriched the prayerful atmosphere of the numerous faithful who gathered to share in the common joy of the Church. The hosts, led by Father Jovan, showed exceptional hospitality, caring for the brethren in an evangelical spirit and bearing witness to genuine brotherly love.
On Sunday, following the Resurrectional Matins and the Divine Liturgy, a special psaltic performance was held, during which the choir performed rich, ancient, and deeply moving hymns from the inexhaustible tradition of the Eastern Church. Through these sacred melodies, the attendees were offered a glimpse of the prayerful atmosphere of the festive services and monastic vigils of Bigorski Monastery.
The holy relics, together with the profound spiritual communion, brought great joy, consolation, and blessing to our compatriots living in Austria, and provided a beautiful opportunity to strengthen the bonds of peace, unity, and love in Christ.
