On July 13, 2024, a festive liturgy dedicated to the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles and the memory of the newly canonized martyrs of Jastrebarska and Sisak was held at the Church of St. Petka in Sisak. The service was led by Bishop Kirill of Buenos Aires and South-Central America, temporary administrator of the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolitanate, along with several priests and deacons. 

This was the first liturgy in Sisak in honor of the martyrs canonized last year. Among the attendees was Nevenka Končar, one of the survivors of the Sisak and Jastrebarska children's camps.

In his sermon, Bishop Kirill reminded that most of Christ's disciples suffered as martyrs, emphasizing that the Church's path is one of suffering but also of the joy of resurrection. He noted that among the innocent victims were children and called for forgiveness and reconciliation.

The liturgy was attended by believers from Banja Luka, Serbian Ambassador to Croatia Jelena Milić, Milorad Pupovac, and other political and public figures. Parish priest Nemanja Đurić thanked everyone for their participation and reminded them of the difficult path endured by the children in the concentration camps. He noted that while there are not many Orthodox Christians in Sisak, they strive to preserve their faith and traditions.

After the liturgy, the gathering continued with a festive meal in the church municipality. Participants then visited the cemetery in Sisak, where they laid wreaths and prayed for the innocent victims.

The Jastrebarska and Sisak children's concentration camps, created by Croatian Ustaše during World War II in 1942, saw the deaths of thousands of Serbian children. The Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Church canonized these victims in May 2023. These camps held children aged from one month to 14 years, captured after military operations by the Ustaše, Wehrmacht, and SS against Yugoslav partisans and civilians. In total, there were at least 3,336 children in the camp, of whom at least 449 died. Many children were taken in by local families, and several hundred were liberated by Yugoslav partisans.

Photo: spc.rs