Yesterday, the believers of the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in Cleveland gathered in front of the church to express their dissatisfaction with the removal of Archpriest Dragoslav Kosić from his position as priest and parish leader by Bishop Irinej of the Eastern American Diocese.
Parishioners are outraged because everything happened overnight, and the priest’s dismissal, they emphasize, occurred less than 48 hours after they received the official notification. With yesterday’s protest, they wanted to send an unequivocal message to their bishop, but also to the Holy Synod in Belgrade — a message that can be summed up in a few sentences:
This is our church. This is our priest. And we decide who serves at our altar.
In the statement received by the Serbian Times editorial office, it says:
The scene in front of St. Sava Church was not chaos or anger — it was unity and unwavering determination. Families who have worshiped together for generations stood side by side. Grandmothers who donated their savings to build this cathedral stood next to young parents raising the next generation of Serbian Orthodox believers. Their message was simple and clear:
DISMISSED, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Father Dragoslav Kosić has the support of his parishioners
“We stand with Father Dragoslav. We will not accept any other priest until he is returned to our cathedral.”
This was not a request. This was not a negotiation. This was a statement of fact from the people who built this church, who maintain it, who fill it with prayer, and who have every canonical right to expect proper governance from their hierarchy, the message reads, and adds:
“We are not subjects – we are the Church!”
For too long, there has been a dangerous misconception in our diocese: that the bishop is the Church, and that the faithful are merely subjects who must obey without question. This is heresy. The Church is the Body of Christ. The bishop is a servant of that Body – not its master, not its owner, not its dictator.
WE WON’T GIVE UP FATHER DRAGOSLAV: Parishioners protested yesterday in front of St. Sava Church
St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote that the faithful gathered around their bishop represent an image of the Kingdom of Heaven. But that image requires a bishop who truly tends to his flock – not one who scatters it, ignores it, and treats it with contempt.
When a bishop forgets that he is a servant, the faithful have every right – and duty – to remind him.
“Our eyes are set on Belgrade”
The parishioners emphasize that in their letter to the Holy Synod they documented:
Canonical violations (48 hours between notice and removal instead of 30 days)
Financial mismanagement (about $235,000 in tax debt at the Marča Monastery)
Missing donor funds (over $25,000 unaccounted for)
Obstruction of communication (three certified letters to the Holy Synod blocked by Bishop Irinej)
Systematic abuse of clergy and parishioners
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Source: Serbian Times Foto: Privatna arhiva