By: Zachary Parisi

From June 2 through June 13, 2026, Archbishop Michael led a pilgrimage of 32 people sponsored by Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary to Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. The clergy present with us were Father John Parker, Dean of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary; Father Daniel Degyansky; Father Josiah Trenham; Father John Vitko; and Protodeacon Ephraim Rivers. The theme of our pilgrimage was “In the Footsteps of Saint Nikolai Velimirovich,” the beloved Saint of Serbia, America, and faithful Orthodox Christians worldwide. Throughout the region we travelled, we saw firsthand just how influential and integral Saint Nikolai is for the faithful in Serbia.

On our very first day, His Eminence and the clergy were invited to serve the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Porfirije in the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade, and we had the opportunity to speak with His Holiness afterwards and receive his blessing. After learning about the achievements and challenges of the Church of Serbia over the centuries and asking His Holiness about how we can better unite the Church in America, we were uplifted by his words, encouraging us to remain patient in this endeavor and trust in the Lord.

While visiting the Cathedral, we were also blessed to venerate the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, brought from Mount Athos. We had no idea that this holy relic would be in Belgrade during our time there, and His Holiness allowed our entire group to come to the front of the massive line. The sight of the tens of thousands of faithful Serbians waiting in line to venerate our Lady’s belt was beyond inspiring. The wait time was estimated to be 10–12 hours, and it is believed that over one million people in total came to venerate this holy relic during the time it was in the Serbian capital.

During our time in Belgrade, we visited the Patriarchate, monasteries, churches, museums, and the Seminary of Saint Sava. We were also blessed to meet Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, who accompanied the Belt of the Theotokos from the holy mountain. The number of holy sites we encountered in just a few days was remarkable.

Leaving Belgrade, we went to Valjevo, near the village of Lelić where Saint Nikolai grew up. Here, we met the local Bishop Ezekios, who was most gracious and hospitable towards our group. He invited us to venerate the relics of Saint Nektarios of Aegina and came to dinner with us. The next morning, we attended Liturgy, with our clergy concelebrating, at Lelić Monastery, founded by Saint Nikolai. The holy relics of Saint Nikolai himself reside in the midst of the Lelić Monastery Church, and we all had the opportunity to venerate him. This was the most special moment of the trip for me personally, since St. Nikolai was the one who brought us all to this wonderful land in the first place. On the same day, we venerated the relics of Saint Justin Popović at Celije Monastery. We attended Sunday Divine Liturgy at Žiča Monastery, the historic seat of Saint Sava and the Cathedral Church of Saint Nikolai during his years as Bishop of Žiča.

The rest of our trip consisted of visiting monasteries throughout Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, sharing the same beauty, peace, and prayer experienced by Saint Nikolai. We venerated the holy relics of Saint King Stefan the First-Crowned at Studenica Monastery, and the holy relics of Saint King Stefan DeÄŤanski at Visoki DeÄŤani Monastery. It seemed as if each day just kept getting better and better. Archbishop Michael served the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at Visoki DeÄŤani and was blessed to stand at the very throne once used by Saint King Stefan DeÄŤanski, a rare privilege given by the brotherhood of the monastery.

Our last experience in Kosovo was being entertained by a talented group of Serbian girl dancers and singers, who performed traditional folk dances and songs of their Serbian cultural heritage. In praising their presentation, Archbishop Michael urged them to cherish the traditions of the Serbian people and never abandon their Holy Orthodox Faith.

During our last few days in North Macedonia, we met Archbishop Stefan, Primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, and enjoyed countless other blessed experiences. We stayed in a hotel that overlooked Lake Ohrid, where Saint Nikolai famously spent so much of his time and wrote the Prologue of Ohrid and his book Prayers by the Lake. Seeing the beauty of the lake firsthand, we gained a deeper appreciation for why Saint Nikolai found such peace there and why he was inspired to compose some of his most beloved spiritual writings in that special place. A group of us even went swimming in the lake one morning.

Everywhere we went during this pilgrimage, we beheld magnificent frescoes of Christ and His Mother, and many of the Saints, that date all the way back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Apart from experiencing the grace found in the beautiful churches and monasteries, what stood out to us all was how hospitable and loving the Serbian people were. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed with smiles, delicious food, various gifts, and, of course, the national drink of Serbia, Rakija. We were humbled by the great respect and love our Serbian hosts showed for the Orthodox Church in America. What I was continually reminded of during our time was Christ’s words to His disciples: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another” (John 13:35). Over and over again, we were shown this same love that reveals Christ to the world, and our faith was being renewed day by day.

Despite the continual challenges and profound suffering the Serbian people have endured under the Ottoman yoke, the Communist regime, and the Kosovo conflict, these faithful people have “endured hardships as good soldiers of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3-4). Our tour guide, Ivan, expressed to us how proud the Serbs are of their country and heritage; yet, he went on to say, “but if you are not an Orthodox Christian, being a Serb means nothing.”

What makes them such a great country and Church is not the food, the beautiful landscape, or even their rich history, but their steadfast faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that the only thing that will matter in the next life is what we did for Christ while living in this life. May we all strive to develop this same love for Christ in all of our hearts, so that perhaps one day, the Orthodox Church will be as integral to American culture as it is for Serbia.

Saint Nikolai of Žiča, pray to God for us!