Diocese of New Gracanica – Midwestern America
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gracanica – Midwestern America (Serbian: Српска Православна Епархија новограчаничко-средњезападноамеричка) is a Serbian Orthodox Church diocese located in the United States. Its headquarters are in Third Lake, Illinois.[1] The diocese operates 59 churches and parishes in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.[2]
Bishops
Momir Krco, later Bishop Longin, was born on September 29, 1955 in the town of Kruscanje – Olovo. His parents were Stanoje and Andja Jovanovich. He attended grade school in Olovske Luke from 1962 to 1970. He entered Three Hierarchs Seminary in the Monastery Krka in 1970 and graduated in 1975. During this time he was tonsured a monk and received “Small Schema” as a fifth year student. The tonsuring was done by Bishop Stefan of Dalmatia on the eve of the school Slava of Three Hierarchs on February 11th, 1975. At the Divine Liturgy on February 12th he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Stefan. On February 13th, he was ordained a priest. He entered the Moscow Theological Academy in 1975 where he graduated in 1979. From October 1980 to April 1981, he served in the Diocese of Zvornik- Tuzla, as secretary of the Executive Board. He was also administrator of two parishes. On the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops he was appointed as lecturer of the Holy Three Hierarchs Seminary in 1983 for two years. At the Sabor of May 1985 he was elected Vicar Bishop of Morava to the Patriarch. He was consecrated on October 20, 1985. Longin served the Divine Liturgy along with Metropolitan Vladimir of Rostov and Novo Cerkay, (now Metropolitan of Kiev) who had been Dean of the Moscow Theological Academy while Bishop Longin was a student. Also serving were Bishop Nikolaj of Dalmatia, who has been Dean of the Seminary in Krka Monastery where the Longin had begun his theological education; and Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik -Tuzla. Present at the services were the following bishops of the Serbian Church; Metropolitan Vladislav of Dabro-Bosnia, Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb and Ljubljana, Bishop of Chyrsotom of Branicevo, Bishop Pavle of Ras and Prizen, Bishop Stefan of Zica, and Bishop of Jefrem of Banja Luka. As guests, the present were Archimandrite Platon, professor of the Moscow Theological academy, Canon Dr. Colin Hikling, professor of Holy Scripture at London University, where the new bishop had done post graduate studies. In May of 1986 he was elected Bishop of Australia – New Zealand, where he spent six and half years. He built churches and was involved in work with youth. At the Sabor of 1992 at the request of Longin and other bishops, Bishop Longin accepted the duty of being bishop of Dalmatia. He was not able to enter his residence in Sibenik, but had to reside in the Monastery of Krka, where he lectured at the seminary. With the blessing of Patriarch Pavle, he journeyed to Canada and Australia where he collected donations for the suffering Serbian people. After the tragic occurrences in August 1995, Bishop Longin and the whole seminary from Monastery Krka stayed at Divcibare near Valjevo. At the same time he helped Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac – Valjevo in diocesan matters. Along with Bishop Nikanor of Gornji Karlovac, he worked with the refugees, visited the camps, and delivered help which had been sent mainly by the Serbs in the Diaspora. With the decision of Patriarch Pavle, he was appointed on July 31, 1997, auxiliary in the administration of the Diocese of America and Canada – New Gracanica Metropolitanate, headed by Metropolitan Irinej Kovačević (1914-1998). On May 23, 1998, he was appointed as Administrator of the Diocese of America and Canada – New Gracanica Metropolitanate, while on May 15th, 1999, he was elected by the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church – Sabor to be the Bishop of the Diocese of American and Canada – New Gracanica Metropolitanate. This was fulfilled at the request of the Diocesan Council and the Ecclesiastical Court, as well as the desire of the clergy and delegates of the Seventh Church National Sabor held on April 23-24, 1999. He was enthroned in New Gracanica on October 14, 1999 on behalf of Patriarch Pavle and the Holy Synod of Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands.
Notable churches
- Saints Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church
- Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Merrillville, Indiana)
- St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral