HRH Hereditary Prince Philip and HRH Princess Danica, together with her children, HRH Prince Stefan and HRH Princess Maria, are on a several day visit to the Serbian community in Chicago, where on the eve of Vidovdan they attended a prayer meeting and a ceremonial program in the Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, one of the most important spiritual and national centers of the Serbian people in the United States of America.
The Royal family attended the Holy Liturgy served by His Eminence Archbishop of Novogračanica and Chicago and Metropolitan of the Midwest America Longin, with the concelebration of His Grace the Vicar Bishop of Kostajnica Seraphim, the clergy and monastics of the Serbian Orthodox Church. After the service, there was a solemn Vidovdan program and a meeting with representatives of the Serbian community.
Addressing the gathered people, HRH Hereditary Prince Philip emphasised the importance of preserving the national identity among Serbs in the dispersion, stressing that he was deeply moved by the strength of faith, adherence to tradition and commitment to passing on the heritage to younger generations. “I was especially moved to have the opportunity to see how much love, faith and commitment our people in the dispersion put into preserving their identity and passing that heritage on to their children,” said the Hereditary Prince.
Speaking about his personal experience of growing up outside the Homeland, Prince Philip emphasised: “I was born far from Serbia, and I understand well what it means to grow up outside the homeland, to preserve the traditions and memories of the land of my ancestors. This is precisely why I deeply respect all our people who, even far from Serbia, managed to preserve their Serbian name, faith, glory and family values.”
The Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, founded in 1905, is one of the most important gathering places of the Serbian community in America, through whose activities today the third and fourth generations of descendants of Serbian settlers pass.
The visit also renewed and reminded of the historical ties between the Royal House of Karađorđević and the city of Chicago, which occupies a special place in the history of the Serbian diaspora.
“For my family, Chicago occupies a special place. This city has been an important refuge of the Serbian spirit for decades, and in difficult times, it also provided hospitality to my grandfather, the blessed King Peter II. That is why this meeting had a special emotional meaning for me,” said the crown prince.
Speaking about the importance of Vidovdan, Hereditary Prince reminded that this holiday represents one of the foundations of Serbian historical, spiritual and national identity. “Vidovdan reminds us that a nation is not just a community of people living in the same space, but a community of memories, values, faith and vows that is passed down from generation to generation. It calls us to be worthy of the heritage we have received and responsible to those who come after us.”
A special impression was left by the cultural and artistic program in which the Serbian Singing Society “Branko Radičević”, the children’s choir “Brankići”, the KUD “Oko Sokolovo”, the Radović Family Orchestra and other performers took part.
“I was especially happy that I had the opportunity to see how strongly our heritage lives among the younger generations. Through the performances of our young artists, it was witnessed that the Vidovdan Covenant is not only preserved in memory, but also through the daily commitment to preserving our identity, language and tradition,” emphasised the Crown Prince.
Under the spiritual auspices of Metropolitan Longin, Bishop Seraphim and the head of the temple, archpriest Darko Spasojević, the gathering once again confirmed the importance of the Church, family and community as key pillars of preserving national identity among Serbs around the world.
At the end of the visit, Prince Philip expressed his gratitude to the hosts for their warm welcome and hospitality. “Thank you to Metropolitan Longin, Bishop Seraphim, Father Darko Spasojević, all the clergy and all our people in Chicago for the warm welcome and brotherly love. May Vidovdan always remind us that we are the strongest when we are united in faith, harmony and love. Long live Serbia!”
