Vidovdan Solemnly Celebrated at Gračanica Monastery

On Sunday, 28 June 2026, on the feast of the Holy Great-Martyr Prince Lazar, Vidovdan, one of the most important feast days of the Serbian people was solemnly celebrated at Gračanica Monastery. Several thousand faithful from Kosovo and Metohija, from all parts of Serbia, the region and the diaspora attended the Holy Liturgy, gathering in prayer to mark this sacred day.

The Holy Liturgy was concelebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral, His Eminence Metropolitan Atanasije of Mileševa, His Eminence Metropolitan Teodosije of Raška and Prizren, His Eminence Metropolitan Maxim of Western America, His Eminence Metropolitan Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and Ston-Littoral, as well as His Grace Bishop Jovan of Slavonia and His Grace Vicar Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo, together with numerous clergy and monastics of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

After the reading of the Holy Gospel, Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral delivered the homily, recalling the spiritual significance of Vidovdan and the person of Saint Prince Lazar.

“Today we celebrate Vidovdan, the Holy Martyr Prince Lazar and all Serbian martyrs from Kosovo to the present day. The great feast of Vidovdan gathers us wherever the Serbian people live, and especially here in Kosovo and Metohija, beside this beautiful church and at Gazimestan. Before our spiritual eyes, the Holy Martyr Prince Lazar appears in his glory as the leader of the Serbian heroes and defenders of the Orthodox faith, those who sacrificed themselves for the holy Orthodox faith and for their fatherland,” Metropolitan Joanikije said.

Speaking about the person of Saint Prince Lazar, the Metropolitan emphasised that he was a man of deep faith and a virtuous ruler who, in difficult times, succeeded in gathering the Serbian nobles and his people together.

“Prince Lazar possessed authority, as a man full of virtue and love, to unite both the nobles and the whole people. He had the courage to stand against a conqueror who was advancing unstoppably. He laid down his life, together with his heroes, for the Honourable Cross and golden freedom,” the Metropolitan stressed.

Reflecting on the suffering of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, Metropolitan Joanikije said:

“The Kosovo wound still bleeds today, and the Serbian people, especially in Kosovo, find themselves upon a great cross. Yet this does not confuse us, for when we are upon the cross, we know that we are on the path of Christ. Kosovo is crucified, and for this reason it possesses that holiness, strength and grace which gather us, unite us and lift us up spiritually. May today’s gathering be for us a covenant to preserve our love for Kosovo, for its holy shrines and for the crucified people who live here.”

At the conclusion of the Holy Liturgy, Metropolitan Teodosije of Raška and Prizren addressed those present, emphasising that the Vidovdan gathering is the best confirmation of faithfulness to Christ and to the covenant of Saint Sava and Kosovo.

“Here in the courtyard of Gračanica Monastery, as we celebrate Saint Prince Lazar and the Serbian martyrs and new martyrs, the Holy Liturgy and our gathering are the best confirmation that we have chosen Christ and His Kingdom, that we are faithful to our holy Kosovo and Metohija, to our holy shrines, and to the covenant of Saint Sava and Saint Lazar,” Metropolitan Teodosije said.

He recalled that the Diocese of Raška and Prizren, in cooperation with the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, is once again this year awarding the Order of the Mother of the Jugović Brothers to mothers who have given birth to four, five or more children and who live in Kosovo and Metohija.

“This year as well, we shall read the names of courageous mothers who selflessly sacrifice themselves by giving birth to children and thereby make the greatest contribution to their Church and to their people,” the Metropolitan said, congratulating all those present on the feast.

After the Holy Liturgy, the Order of the Mother of the Jugović Brothers was traditionally awarded to mothers with four or more children from Kosovo and Metohija, as a sign of gratitude for their love, sacrifice and contribution to the preservation of the family, the people and life in these lands.

This year’s Vidovdan gathering in Gračanica once again bore witness that Kosovo and Metohija remain the spiritual centre of the Serbian people, a place of prayer, covenant and gathering, where faith, history and hope meet in a shared liturgical celebration.