Topic: Serbian Church in America: Slavonic vis a vis Serbian

[Anastasios]

In your average Serbian parish in America, other than when English may be used, what percentage of the liturgy is in Slavonic, and what percentage in modern Serbian? Just trying to get a rough idea. I once attended a liturgy that was about half Slavonic, half Serbian.

[Alveus Lacuna]

While my parish is all English, another parish nearby is currently all Church Slavonic, no modern Serbian.

[stashko]

Resurrection Cathedral off the kennedy expressway at canfield ext. has one english liturgy followed by a staro [old] slovanic Liturgy ,,otherwise it english and staro slovenski mixed ....or all old slovanic

[Andrew21091]

Resurrection Cathedral off the kennedy expressway at canfield ext. has one english liturgy followed by a staro [old] slovanic Liturgy ,,otherwise it english and staro slovenski mixed ....or all old slovanic

I thought their second Liturgy was in Serbian. I was there about a year or so ago and in their bulletin said Serbian and so does their website. I've only gone to the English Liturgy though.

[simplygermain]

In the two parishes I've attended - both primarily English with touches of Serbian such as Lord Have Mercy, the Our Father, and during Lent I recall during the time when the Priest is praying over the Gifts we had our small choir introduce a beautiful Hymn which I can not remember the name of. Maybe someone else can help remember it.

[stashko]

I would like it if the liturgy was all in serbian, But its not,  only in the church old slovanik,,the sermon is in serbian and announcements .Gospels are chanted church slovanic the readings are in serbian by a lay person....we sing the hymn to Saint Sava in serbian on his feast day...

[stashko]

Cont---- Iv noticed when we ,hear the Holy Liturgy served in old Church Slovanic .one gets so use to it ,it becomes more understandable over time and it seems like it's in our serbian language though its really not....
 

[Robb]

Just curious, are there people in the Serbian Church who are upset that they are introducing modern Serbian into the Liturgy?

Is there a faction of people in the Serbian Church who want nothing but OCS for the liturgy and no Serbian at all?

[stashko]

Just curious, are there people in the Serbian Church who are upset that they are introducing modern Serbian into the Liturgy?

Is there a faction of people in the Serbian Church who want nothing but OCS for the liturgy and no Serbian at all?

Iv never ever heard about all serbian or modern serbian in Holy Liturgy ,Or even about a movement thats pushing for it...I better get back in to the Grapevine and find out.....As soon as i find out, ill let you know if its true or not....
In the serbian Monastery churches women to the left men to the right no pews upon entering ,,,never heard about  our women complaining about it ,,ever...
Churches that have pews people mix sit were they want ,Hate those pews ,the organs in the new calendar greek churches i hate even more ....

[peteprint]

In my parish, it's about 35% in English, and about 65% Slavonic.  As I read along in the liturgy book (which has the Slavonic on one side and English on the facing page) The Priest and the Deacon will switch from English to Slavonic and back again every couple of pages or so.  The choir sings almost exclusively in Slavonic except for the creed. 

The Deacon will read the Gospel in English, then Father will read the same Gospel reading in Serbian.  The homily that follows is always in English.  At Christmas last year Father gave the homily in English and then again in Serbian (since so many more people show up on Christmas, and many of them are older). 

I think a bit of Serbian is spoken on Sundays for the announcement portion, so each week I hear three languages over the course of the morning.  Sometimes I get lost even when following in the book;  when that happens I just pray silently (usually the Jesus Prayer) so that I won't "tune out" until they switch back to English.  That has happened in the past where, when a lengthy part of the service is in Slavonic, I have found my mind wandering, looking around at the other people, etc.

[Punch]

Just curious, are there people in the Serbian Church who are upset that they are introducing modern Serbian into the Liturgy?

Is there a faction of people in the Serbian Church who want nothing but OCS for the liturgy and no Serbian at all?

My priest (from Serbia) does not want to use Serbian in the Liturgy.  We are about 75% Slavonic and 25% English.  The Epistle and Sermon are in English.  The Gospel is read in English, Serbian, and Slavonic.  I will be talking with him a lot more tomorrow as we bake some Holy Bread together and will find out more.  As I understand it, his preference (as well as mine) would be to have the non-variable parts of the Liturgy in Slavonic.  Our Parish has quite a mix of Slavs; Serbian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Kazakastani, and the like.  Most speak at least some English, and understand the Slavonic Liturgy.  It seems like a good portion of the Serbs are second or third generation.  If the Liturgy was done in Serbian, I am not sure that many people would understand it.  Anyway, this is just my observation.  Reality may differ from this somewhat.

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

a friend of mine tells me that in Wisconsin, there was her Serbian Church which did a slavonic liturgy, then an English liturgy.  there was another that did liturgy in just Slavonic.  as the slavonic liturgies, the sermon was alwayse in Serbian.

[JHP17]

in Oz Serb churches use only Church Slavonic (sometimes English for a wedding and rarely modern Serbian). we are much more traditional here. No pews unless the church has been purchased already containing pews.

[Esteban]

At my parish, nearly all the priest's parts are done in Serbian (with perhaps a Small Litany in Slavonic, and a mixed Serbian/English litany here and there), while the standard responses are sung in Church Slavonic. (I have only very seldom heard any standard responses sung in the Serbian language anywhere.) Troparia and kontakia, together with the stikhira at the other Services, more often than not are done in Serbian--though things like the troparion/kontakion of the Temple, O Protection of Christians, and the like are usually sung in Church Slavonic. The Epistle is read in either Serbian or English (depending on the reader), and the Gospel always in Serbian and English.

A nearby parish, however, uses Church Slavonic exclusively; this was formerly the local Free Serbian parish. As a matter of fact, I find that more often than not the former Free Serbian parishes tend to have services in Church Slavonic, whereas Serbian is rather widespread elsewhere. Bishop Longin himself, as I have heard them express more than once, prefers to serve in Church Slavonic and does so exclusively at Nova Gračanica.

[stashko]

The late Metropolitan Christopher was also a stickler for tradition ,,He even Had the Choir Sing in Greek....I can't speak for all the Serbian Churches ,because i allways attended St.Sava and New Gracanica Monastery....

At my parish, nearly all the priest's parts are done in Serbian (with perhaps a Small Litany in Slavonic, and a mixed Serbian/English litany here and there), while the standard responses are sung in Church Slavonic. (I have only very seldom heard any standard responses sung in the Serbian language anywhere.) Troparia and kontakia, together with the stikhira at the other Services, more often than not are done in Serbian--though things like the troparion/kontakion of the Temple, O Protection of Christians, and the like are usually sung in Church Slavonic. The Epistle is read in either Serbian or English (depending on the reader), and the Gospel always in Serbian and English.

A nearby parish, however, uses Church Slavonic exclusively; this was formerly the local Free Serbian parish. As a matter of fact, I find that more often than not the former Free Serbian parishes tend to have services in Church Slavonic, whereas Serbian is rather widespread elsewhere. Bishop Longin himself, as I have heard them express more than once, prefers to serve in Church Slavonic and does so exclusively at Nova Gračanica.

[cizinec]

This is an old thread, but . . .

Ours is half in Serbian, half in Slavonic and half in English.

Our liturgies are really long.