Traditionally, this year too, the Holy Monastery of Bigorski dignifiedly commemorated the memory of the legendary “Cherry Ball”, a symbol of our people’s struggle for freedom. A group of young patriots, organized by the association “The Path of the Cherry Ball – Bigorski Monastery” from Gostivar, dressed in revolutionary uniforms, arrived last night at the Bigorski Monastery, where once several cherry balls had been made by the monks for the Ilinden Uprising. This morning, the revolutionaries first headed to the church of Saint John the Baptist, where they were blessed by our elder and bishop, Bishop Mr. Partenij, with prayers for the welfare of the Homeland and for a successful journey, filled with love for God and the Homeland, as well as with a bright memory of our devoted, God-loving ancestors. Then, the horsemen, in front of the Holy Bible, revolver, and dagger, took an oath of loyalty to the revolutionary liberation cause – the same oath that all members of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization once had to swear.
Blessing their journey to the glorious Krushevo, the Elder addressed the revolutionaries with the following words:
“May your journey to our glorious Krushevo be blessed and sanctified by God, and may the memory of Krushevo and the Uprising forever remain deeply engraved in our hearts! Always let us remember all that our God-loving ancestors did for the freedom of our Homeland, and let us faithfully preserve and pass on to our future generations the values they achieved through much effort, even laying down their lives for their fellows. Be blessed, and let us celebrate the great holiday that is upon us.” Amen!
