Memorial Service Held at Gračanica Monastery on the 21st Anniversary of the March Pogrom

Today, a memorial service was held at Gračanica Monastery to mark the 21st anniversary of the March pogrom that affected the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija in 2004. The service was officiated by His Eminence, Bishop Teodosije of Raška-Prizren, along with clergy from the Raška-Prizren Diocese.

Following the liturgy, the gathered faithful, families of the victims, and institutional representatives proceeded to the Cultural Centre in Gračanica. There, they laid white roses at the “MISSING” memorial installation in remembrance of the missing Serbs, as well as at the monument dedicated to the victims of the pogrom in the Cultural Centre’s courtyard.

Subsequently, a commemorative academy dedicated to the victims of the pogrom was held in the hall of the Gračanica Cultural Centre. The program included appropriate messages that reminded attendees of the suffering of the Serbian people and emphasized the importance of preserving truth and memory.

The academy began with a moment of silence due to the tragedy in Kočani, North Macedonia.

Bishop Teodosije addressed those present in the Cultural Centre, stating that March 17 is a bitter testimony to human injustice, but simultaneously a testament to the greatness and strength of the spiritual endeavor by which our people have withstood trials for centuries. “The March pogrom is not just one in a series of historical events remembered for the suffering of our people in Kosovo and Metohija. It represents a profound spiritual warning and a reminder of how we cannot rely on human justice, but also how eternal and unbreakable is the faith in Christ and His victory over evil. For us Orthodox Serbs in these areas, the pogrom has become yet another bitter testimony to human injustice, but simultaneously to the greatness and strength of the spiritual endeavor by which our people have withstood trials for centuries. Suffering is not only a painful reality witnessed by every generation but also a call from God that through this cross, an even stronger faith and determination to survive and remain in this martyred land may grow.”
The March pogrom of 2004 remains a deep wound for the Serbian people, but also a reminder of the unyielding struggle to preserve faith, culture, and life in these regions.