Today, the Žitomislić Monastery near Mostar celebrated the Patron Saint of the Annunciation, and His Eminence Bishop Kirilo of Buenos Aires and South-Central America emphasized in his homily that this holiday is the essence of all good news.
Bishop Kirilo, the Zagreb-Ljubljana administrator, has stressed that it is always nice to come to the Žitomislić monastery, which shows that God resides here with his way of carrying the cross and the power of the resurrection.
Abbot Danilo thanked everyone who was in Žitomislić today, reminding them that the Annunciation announces the event of salvation and that it is the holiday when the Archangel Gabriel broke the good news to the Mother of God that she would give birth to the Son of God.
He pointed out that the Annunciation in Žitomislić is a large traditional assembly that gathers believers from all over Herzegovina, adding that this year they are also celebrating 20 years since the restoration and consecration of the monastery.
He reminded that in 1848, the first school for literacy of Serbian children was founded in Žitomislić and the first theological school, which was transferred to Sarajevo after a month.
According to him, this monastery is a witness to the suffering and resurrection of the Serbian people, because it was completely destroyed and emerged from the suffering more beautiful and better thanks to everyone, especially the people who live there.
The Žitomislić Monastery is one of the most important monasteries, not only in Herzegovina, but also in the whole of BiH, due to its rich history and the influence on culture that it has had throughout history until today.
It was built in 1566, the same year as the Old Bridge in Mostar. It is an endowment of the Miloradović family, which in 1566 received permission from the Nevesinje qadi to restore the monastery, which indicates that there was a church there before.
It was razed to the ground in 1992, and its restoration began in 2002 and ended in 2005, when it was consecrated by the Blessed Serbian Patriarch Pavle, as the first Orthodox place of worship that was rebuilt in the Neretva valley after the last war.
In 2019, a museum was opened within the monastery, which has a significant collection of artists, manuscript books from the 14th to the 16th century and icons that are the oldest and date from the 16th century, as well as many other works of art.
It is located halfway between Mostar and Čapljina in the town of the same name. It is one of the oldest and most important Orthodox monasteries in BiH and has been declared a national monument.
Source: srna.rs
