Met. Longin Marks 100 Years of St. Sava Monastery with Call to Faith, Renewal, and Unity

Photo: stsavamonastery.org

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — As the Serbian Orthodox faithful celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of St. Sava Monastery, His Eminence Metropolitan Longin called the milestone “a sacred wellspring of spiritual life” and urged the Church to honor the legacy of its founders through unity, pilgrimage, and renewed dedication.

Speaking ahead of the anniversary events, Met. Longin emphasized the monastery’s lasting role as a refuge of prayer, education, and identity for generations of Orthodox Christians in North America, describing it as a "living witness to the devotion and sacrifice of our forefathers."

“This anniversary is not only a time to look back in gratitude, but also to look forward with renewed responsibility," he said.

The 100th anniversary also coincided with the launch of a major renovation project: the transformation of the monastery’s Konak building into the St. Mardarije Spiritual and Cultural Center..

“This is not a coincidence; it is providence,” said Met. Longin. “It reminds us that his presence is still with us, guiding us, encouraging us to preserve what he began.”

The anniversary celebration was attended by Bishop Maxim of Western America and Bishop Irinej of Eastern America, whose presence, the Metropolitan said, “brings great joy and strengthens our unity” at this historic moment.

One of the highlights of the celebration was the St. Mardarije Day Procession, an annual pilgrimage from New Gracanica Monastery to St. Sava Monastery. Metropolitan Longin hopes this event will grow into a central tradition of the diocese.

“Pilgrimage is not a mere tradition - it is a living movement of the soul toward holiness,” he said. 

The Metropolitan also issued a heartfelt appeal to the faithful for prayers, participation, and financial support for the ongoing renovation.

“Now is the time to give,” he urged. “Just as our ancestors built the monastery brick by brick, so too must we now restore and renew it... Every gift, large or small, is a building block for the future of our Church in America.”

Concluding his message, Metropolitan Longin called for unity and perseverance: “Let us walk together, pray together, and build together - so that in another hundred years, those who come after us will look back and say: they were faithful. May the prayers of St. Mardarije guide and strengthen us all.”

Previously, UOJ reported on plans that seek to renew the sacred site as the St. Mardarije Spiritual & Cultural Center.

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