Celebrating the Feast of St. Kosmas and Damian

The Feast of St. Kosmas and Damian provided a wonderful opportunity for our community to share and celebrate the beauty of our Serbian Orthodox traditions with other Orthodox Christians in our area.

Every Thursday, a group of faithful parishioners and their children gathers at St. Paul’s Church for the Divine Liturgy, followed by a homeschool co-op. Last week, on Thursday, November 14, according to the Julian calendar, we celebrated the Feast of St. Kosmas and Damian. On this special occasion, one of our parishioners, Milica Jelic, brought her slava kolac (festal bread) and zito (wheat) to be blessed.

During the service, Fr. Vladislav used this opportunity to introduce and explain the profound meaning behind this cherished practice in our Serbian Orthodox tradition. The children were active participants in learning about the customs surrounding the slava, our unique way of honoring our family’s patron saints. They listened attentively to the explanation and joyfully engaged in the ritual.

The children also partook of the kolac, the bread offered as a sacrifice, connecting it to the liturgical gifts and sacrifices offered to God. Additionally, they shared in the zito, prepared in memory of our departed loved ones, a reminder of the hope we have in the resurrection.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Milica for sharing the joy of her slava with us and allowing us to participate in this meaningful tradition. Moments like these strengthen our faith, enrich our community, and pass on the beauty of our Orthodox customs to the next generation.