Sts. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church, Maribor, Slovenia

Ιστορικές Πληροφορίες

Έτος Ίδρυσης:

2009

Ιστορία:

With the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918, the territory of today's Slovenia, including the city of Maribor, became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Since then, the Orthodox population began to immigrate to Maribor. According to the 1921 census, there were 30,622 inhabitants in Maribor, of which 20,759 were Slovenes and 2,516 Serbs and Croats. Orthodox soldiers first moved to the city of Maribor. The first Orthodox chapel was founded in the barracks of King Alexander I in Melj. On November 19, 1921, the Board of the Serbian Orthodox Church Municipality in Maribor sent the first request to the City Magistrate in Maribor, asking for suitable land of 1000 square meters for the construction of its place of worship. Petitions were sent in the following years as well, and nine years later they received an epilogue. Namely, a park has been designated on Jugoslovenski trg, across from Realka, free of charge. The foundation stone of the new church was consecrated by Metropolitan Dositej of Zagreb and Ljubljana, the later priest-martyr, on August 12, 1934. On that occasion, Maribor's "Večernik" writes that this was the first visit of Metropolitan Dositej to Maribor, and that the church will be built in Serbian. Byzantine style. For their patron, the Orthodox of Maribor take St. Prince Lazar. Maribor's "Večernik" also reported on this event in detail. He reports that His Eminence arrived by train the day before. He was welcomed by the President of the Maribor Central Office, Mr. Jakob Perhavec, with the faithful, as well as the Mayor of Maribor, Dr. Lipold. The Metropolitan held a short prayer and sermon in the chapel, and then spent the night with his entourage in the "Eagle". The next day he held a holy act, which was attended, in addition to many people, and representatives of city and military authorities. The king was represented by Brigadier General Svetislav Hadzic. The consecration of the crosses of the temple was performed on August 4, 1938, and "Večernik" records the first wedding in the new temple on August 4, 1939. During the occupation, the Maribor church shares the fate of the competent Metropolitan. In 1941, it was completely demolished, and after the war, the land was nationalized. After that, there is a difficult period in the life of CO Maribor. All subsequent initiatives for resolving the worship space remained without echo. For a period, the Orthodox shared the church on Trubarjeva 1 with the Protestants, and then worship was held in a small museum chapel. Visiting priests from Varaždin, Zagreb and Celje served in these areas. It was during this period that a church apartment in Masarikova 18 was bought. In May 2005, Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb and Ljubljana appointed Fr. Sava Kosojevic. Since then, active church life in Maribor has begun. A year later, the Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubljana and the Maribor Central Office bought the former waterworks building at Tržaška 13, which it was converting into a worship and residential space. In December 2009, a plot of land was purchased for the construction of a new temple, with a total area of ​​2,500 square meters. The plot is located in the immediate vicinity of the church premises on Tržaška 13. The wish is that, when the economic conditions are created, a temple dedicated to St. Cyril and Methodius, and in the image of the Church of Christ the Savior in Banja Luka. In November 2012, Metropolitan Jovan appointed Fr. Milan Jovanović, former parish priest in Ljubljana, for the second parish priest in the Maribor Central Office. On this occasion, the Maribor priests are also entrusted with the areas of Carinthia and Prekomurje. In Carinthia, worship is held in the Roman Catholic church in Ravne na Koruškoj, and in Prekomurje in the chapel of the Mother of God in Murska Sobota (Rakičan).