A donation evening dedicated to the restoration of Kumica, the historical metochion of the Hilandar Monastery near Mount Athos, organized by the Royal Foundation of Prince Hereditary Filip and Princess Danica and the Hilandar Monastery, was held at the Royal Palace in Dedinje.
The event gathered numerous guests from public, cultural, and economic life, with the goal of supporting the restoration project of one of the most significant Hilandar properties, which will receive a new purpose after reconstruction – becoming a resort and spiritual-educational center for children and youth, including children with special needs.
In addition to Prince Hereditary Filip and Princess Danica with their son Prince Stefan as hosts, the evening was also attended by Crown Prince Alexander and Princess Katherine.
With the blessing of His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, the event was also attended by His Grace Bishop Dositej of Lipljan and Military Bishop, who before being elected as Bishop, was a brother of the Hilandar Monastery for 20 years.
On this occasion, the Highly Reverend Archimandrite Metodije, the abbot of the Holy Imperial Serbian Lavra of Hilandar on Mount Athos, responded to the invitation and graced the ceremony. Accompanying Abbot Metodije were Archimandrite Gerasim and monk Jelisej, a Hilandar brother.
The evening began with a memorial service for the soldiers of the royal army on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of its suffering in the Great War. The service in the Palace Chapel dedicated to the patron of the royal family – the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, was led by the Vicar Bishop Dositej of Lipljan and Military Bishop, with the concelebration of the Highly Reverend Archimandrite Metodije and in the presence of the clergy and deacons.
After the memorial service, a presentation of the Kumica metochion restoration project and numerous projects within the endeavors of the Holy Monastery of Hilandar for working with children and youth, “The Hilandar Lighthouse”, followed in the cinema hall of the Royal Palace.
At the very beginning of the dinner, Crown Prince Alexander addressed the guests as the head of the Royal House:
“I am very proud of my son Prince Filip and daughter-in-law Princess Danica because of their initiative and organization of this gathering of support for the Kumica metochion. The Royal Family of Serbia and our Holy Monastery of Hilandar are connected by permanent bonds. King Peter I planted an olive and a cypress tree at this holy place. The same great honor was given to me during my first visit. My father, King Peter II, during the hardest days of his life, found solace in the letters he received and sent to Hilandar. Three years ago, I decorated Hilandar with the Royal Order of the Karadjordje Star, for all merits for our people and country. My son and grandson also visited the monastery, continuing the bond of the Karadjordjevices with Hilandar. They too received great love and respect from the father abbot and the brotherhood. Without this great holy place, we Serbs would hardly have endured and remained on the path of our Lord. By helping this holy place, we leave a lasting trace in eternity. This evening is a continuation of the bond between Hilandar and our family, which will continue to grow and flourish in the years to come,” Crown Prince Alexander said.
During the dinner, Prince Hereditary Filip also addressed the guests as the organizer of the gathering, emphasizing the spiritual and national significance of Hilandar, as well as the symbolic importance of the restoration of Kumica.
“Tonight, we are gathered in the Royal House of Serbia by the project of restoring Kumica, a metochion of the Hilandar monastery at the very entrance to Mount Athos. For centuries, Hilandar has been the spiritual pillar of our people, a place that shaped, but also preserved our identity, our faith, and our worldview,” the Prince Hereditary said.
He emphasized that “difficult times have once again brought closer two institutions that together guarded the continuity and soul of Serbia – the Crown and the Church”, adding that the Serbian people recognize the significance of that unity ever more clearly.
Speaking of Hilandar as a place of special spiritual significance, Prince Filip pointed out that Serbs “do not say by chance that they go ‘onto’ Hilandar, instead of ‘into’ Hilandar”, describing it as “a place that is not on earth, but somewhere in between, like a threshold from which we see the Lord most clearly”.
In his address, he particularly pointed to the importance of preserving traditional values in modern times.
“In a time when, under the influence of cultural relativism, many values and foundations of society are being questioned, it is important that we return to what is permanent – faith, morality, and responsibility. That is the foundation of long-term thinking, a foundation that teaches us not to live only for today, but with the awareness of the generations to come,” he said.
The Prince Hereditary also shared a personal experience from Hilandar with those present, recalling that last year he took his son Stefan to this Serbian holy place for the first time.
“That experience reminded me how important it is to teach our children by example, to introduce them to the life of the Church and to give them strong roots,” he said.
Speaking about the project itself, he emphasized that Kumica “is not just a restoration project, but a project of the future”.
“It will be a gathering place for children and youth, rooted in the living faith and permanent traditions of the Serbian people. Through this project, the Crown stands with Hilandar, the spiritual heart of our people, with an awareness of responsibility towards our ancestors, but also towards the generations to come,” Prince Filip pointed out.
According to the presented project, the reconstruction of the entire complex within the historical dimensions and with respect for the traditional architecture of Mount Athos is planned.
Accommodation capacities for children and youth, specially adapted rooms for children with special needs, a library, rooms for daily activities, a dining room, an infirmary, as well as a space for outdoor activities are provided.
The estimated value of the reconstruction of the complex amounts to more than 3.3 million euros, and the first phase of the project will include the restoration of existing buildings and the infrastructure of the complex.
The historical metochion Kumica is located in the immediate vicinity of Mount Athos, not far from the town of Nea Roda, and for centuries it represented one of the most significant Hilandar properties. Today, from the former complex, mostly the remains of the walls and the Church of Saint Haralambos from the 19th century have been preserved, while the planned restoration is aimed at preserving the authentic appearance and spirit of this place.
At the end, Prince Filip thanked everyone who supported the project, especially the restaurants “Madera” and “Kalemegdanska terasa” which prepared the donation dinner, the hotel “Metropol”, “Divino evento”, as well as the associates of the two Foundations participating in the realization of the restoration.
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As a symbol of the unity of the Royal House and the Hilandar Monastery, red wine from the Hilandar vineyards and white wine from the royal vineyards on Oplenac were served during the dinner.
After the addresses of Crown Prince Alexander and Prince Hereditary Filip, the guests were blessed and greeted by the Highly Reverend Archimandrite Metodije, the abbot of the Hilandar monastery. Abbot Metodije used the opportunity to express words of great gratitude, primarily to the hosts, and then to all who gathered with a sincere desire to contribute to the mission started in the Holy Monastery of Hilandar by the Hilandar founder himself – St. Sava, and which actively continues today.
As a memory of this charitable event under the vaults of the Royal Palace in Belgrade, Abbot Metodije, on behalf of the holy brotherhood of the Hilandar monastery, presented appropriate gifts to the members of the royal family: a photograph of Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic with the Hilandar brotherhood taken during his visit to Mount Athos in 2023 and an icon of the Holy Hieromartyr Haralambos, the patron of the Kumica metochion, the work of the holy brotherhood of the Hilandar cell of St. Nicholas of Myra – Burazeri. Specially made albums with authentic photographs of King Peter I Karadjordjevic’s visit to the Hilandar monastery in 1910 were gifted to all benefactors.
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Source: Serbian Times Photo: Kabinet princa prestolonaslednika Filipa Karađorđevića