Serbia has commemorated the 70th anniversary of the death of Nikolaj Velimirović, one of the most revered theologians and preachers of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

A festive hierarchical liturgy was held on March 15, 2026, at the Monastery of St. Nicholas near the medieval fortress of Soko Grad, not far from the town of Ljubovija, according to the church’s official website. The service was led by Metropolitan Chrysostom (Jević), along with Metropolitan John (Mladenović), Bishop Isihije (Rogić), and Bishop Jerotej (Petrović). Clergy from various dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church and numerous pilgrims attended the liturgy.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Chrysostom recalled that Velimirović died in exile in the United States in 1956. However, he emphasized that the bishop “never ceased to be with his people — in prayer and spiritual support.” The metropolitan described Velimirović as one of the symbols of Serbian spiritual tradition and an outstanding preacher who united believers and significantly influenced theological thought within the church.

Born in 1880 to a peasant family in western Serbia, Velimirović received theological and philosophical education in several European institutions. In 1920 he became Bishop of Ohrid, and later Bishop of Žiča Monastery.

During World War II, Velimirović was arrested by Nazi authorities and held for a period in the Dachau concentration camp together with Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo V. After the war, he lived in United Kingdom and the United States, where he died in 1956.

The Serbian Orthodox Church canonized Velimirović as a saint in 2003. Today he is widely regarded as one of the most prominent Serbian spiritual writers of the 20th century.

The monastery near Soko Grad where the commemoration took place was built in the 1990s and dedicated to St. Nikolaj. The church houses a relic of the saint.

Following the liturgy, participants attended the blessing of festive offerings and a cultural program featuring schoolchildren from Ljubovija, poet Srđan Ristić, and gusle performer Dragomir Maksimović.

Church representatives say the memory of St. Nikolaj remains an important part of Serbia’s spiritual life, and that his writings and sermons continue to be read by believers in Serbia and abroad.