“The Most Holy Mother of God preserved the church in Gnjilane.”

When the evil of this world began to breathe fire, to tear apart and attack the Orthodox people of Gnjilane, when everything seemed destroyed, the Holy Mother of God preserved what was most important.

А great number of people gathered in the courtyard of St. Nichola Church after the Holy Liturgy to celebrate the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos. The gathering in Gnjilane was alive once again. Along the former Slobodan Trajić Street leading to the church, the Serbian market was vibrant with color a reminder of the famous Gnjilane fair, still alive in the memories of the older Morava people.
With the blessing of Archpriest Zoran Kovačević, this year’s hosts and faithful organized a festive celebration unlike any held in Gnjilane since the war.
In recent decades, the people of Gnjilane have quietly and modestly marked the city’s feast day each year, never forgetting their town, where the church has become a shared home for the displaced and exiled. This year’s celebration, if only for a moment, brought them back to the Gnjilane of old, says local resident Saša Stojanović.

The Feast in Gnjilane, Just Like Before

“Today I met many people who are originally from Gnjilane. They now live in central Serbia, but they come back  drawn by the feast, by the memories of where they once lived, and by the nostalgia for our town. I walk around the church and remember our old Gnjilane. Sadly, when we step outside this courtyard, that’s where Gnjilane ends. It’s no longer the same town that once had a soul, where people lived peacefully, gathered with their neighbors in front of their homes. Now, there are all these new buildings, and sometimes I can’t even recognize where things used to be. But this place has remained ours.”

A few Serbian families still live in the town, with four children attending “Vuk Karadžić” Elementary School alongside Roma children. They live quietly and modestly not facing open hostility anymore, but still forgotten and alone. Among the twenty or so Serbs in Gnjilane today is priest Zoran Vujić. He confirms that life in the city is hard  not because it’s unsafe, but because there are so few parishioners. Yet, he reminds the faithful never to lose hope.

Serbs Still Live in Gnjilane

“These gatherings mean so much to us. They give strength to all of us still living here. We must not trade our faith for comfort. We should keep gathering around our holy places, because they remind us that Kosovo and Metohija are our sacred land.”

Around the cobblestone paths of the churchyard, holes have been dug for new saplings. This year’s hosts decided to donate to the church by purchasing seedlings for the courtyard  each to be planted by hand. Even a few American KFOR soldiers stopped by the stand to ask about the young trees.As the market hums in front of the church, soft traditional music fills the air. The cultural program is about to begin, featuring the choir of the “Stevan Hristić” Music School from Stanišor, the ethno group “Kos” from Šilovo, the cultural association “Manasije Conić” from Gornji Kusce, and actor Saša Stojanović.

Everything feels peaceful and joyful. The service inside the church continues, while those outside quietly talk about the sermon of Hieromonk Hristofor from Draganac Monastery  powerful as thunder, moving as prayer. From the full church, his words echo through the doorway:

“We heard the words of the Holy Gospel: ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but only one thing is necessary.’ That one thing is here in Gnjilane  the Lord’s Church. Everything else has been expelled, burned, destroyed, frightened away… And not by chance, right here in Gnjilane, where the Protection of the Holy Mother of God is celebrated. When the evil of this world began to breathe fire, to tear apart and attack the Orthodox people of Gnjilane, when everything was destroyed, the Holy Mother preserved what was most important. And in that very thing  what is most important we gather today, so that from it, we may receive everything else that truly matters.
Let us look each other in the eyes and remember the days when this town had many people and fewer inside this church. In that, we find the reason for our fall our own fault and responsibility. And in that tear of repentance, may the light of Christ shine.”

In the Tear of Repentance, Christ’s Light Will Shine

Over the past years, the people of Gnjilane have worked to restore their church  their shared home  to its former beauty. Restoration continues to this day, and everyone who visits admires it deeply. The Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1861 on the foundations of an older church dedicated to the Protection of the Holy Mother of God, has become a cherished pilgrimage site. Even King Alexander Karađorđević once remarked that there was no smaller town with a more beautiful church.

Inside the church, this year’s and next year’s hosts exchanged the traditional three kisses. The festive bread was cut and blessed with wine for the welfare of Gnjilane. Before the feast of love, gratitude certificates were awarded to notable donors and benefactors of the church  posthumously to Aleksandar Arsić, who led the association “Restore St. Nichola Church”, to the church chanters, and to the organizing committee.

And so, the feast in Gnjilane was held, and the church was full. Everyone remembered what once was, and sensed that what is to come depends on us. And it will be good. It will be better.

Marija Vasić

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