Patriarch Porfirije consecrates memorial center to St. Nikolaj in Serbia

Celebrations in Lelić. Photo: Serbian Church press service

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije (Perić) consecrated a new memorial center in honor of St. Nikolaj Velimirović at Lelić Monastery in Serbia on May 3, 2026. This was reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists of Serbia, citing the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

On the feast day of St. Nikolaj of Žiča and Ohrid, the Primate of the Serbian Church presided over the Divine Liturgy at Lelić Monastery, where the saint’s relics are kept. After the service, in the presence of numerous hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the saint’s house was consecrated. The complex includes a museum, library and conference halls.

In his sermon, Patriarch Porfirije called St. Nikolaj Velimirović one of the greatest Serbian saints, placing him alongside St. Sava of Serbia, the founder of the Serbian Church. The Patriarch also drew a parallel between Lelić Monastery and the Gospel pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–15): just as the suffering gathered by the waters of Bethesda awaiting healing, so pilgrims from around the world now come to Lelić. According to the Patriarch, this place has become a “new Bethesda” – a space of spiritual healing and renewal.

Bishop Isihije of Valjevo presented awards to Patriarch Porfirije and Archimandrite Georgije, the monastery’s abbot, for their contribution to the spiritual life of the eparchy and to the completion of the complex.

The new center is intended to continue the saint’s work by bringing together faith, theological education and spiritual renewal.

As the UOJ reported, Patriarch Porfirije became an honorary doctor of the Moscow Theological Academy in 2025 for his contribution to the development of theological scholarship and the strengthening of ties between the Russian and Serbian Churches.

St. Nikolaj Velimirović is one of the most revered Orthodox theologians of the 20th century and was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church in 2003. Lelić Monastery is the ancestral monastery of the Velimirović family and the resting place of his holy relics.

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