The Petrovdan church and folk festivities Under the Dome of the Homeland were held in Kelebija, organized by the Republika Srpska Homeland Community Subotica. The event, which aims to preserve spiritual and cultural heritage, homeland ties, tradition and unity, was held in the portico of the Church of St. Archdeacon Stephen, with the blessing of the Eparchy of Bačka and the support of the Representative Office of the Republic of Srpska in Serbia.

The Head of the Republic of Srpska Representation in Serbia, Mlađen Cicović, stated that such events were of great importance because they preserved the foundations of Serbian national identity – tradition, customs, the Serbian language, the Cyrillic alphabet, the Orthodox faith and love for the homeland.

‘It is a particular pleasure to have children and young people participating in this event, as such gatherings teach them about their roots, to respect their heritage, and make them guardians of the values that had shaped our people for centuries,’ said Cicović. He added that the Representation was proud to support such events because they strengthened the ties between the Republic of Srpska and Serbia and contributed to the preservation of unity and sobornost, emphasizing that it was everyone’s obligation to pass on spiritual, cultural and national heritage to future generations.

The President of the Republika Srpska Homeland Community Subotica, Milorad Ćopić, said that the festivities had taken place in the spirit of unity, tradition and family values, with a special emphasis on children as future guardians of faith and folk customs. ‘Through sports competitions, creative workshops, art and literary competitions, we have shown that tradition is best preserved when it brings together people of all generations. Today there were no winners or losers. Unity, friendship, camaraderie and love for the homeland and its people won,’ said Ćopić.

The two-day program included an evening service, the Holy Liturgy, creative workshops, sports competitions for children and youth, a bocce tournament for adults and a cultural and artistic program with performances by ethno groups and singer Iva Radenković.

Source and photo: Republic of Srpska Representative Office in Serbia