PRIEST NEW PRESIDENT OF SNO: Oldest Serbian political organization elected new leaders, supported students and broke off relations with government in Serbia (PHOTO)

Yesterday in Chicago, the oldest Serbian political organization in America, and also the longest-lasting in Serbia, the Serbian National Renewal (founded in 1908), held its Congress and elected new leadership.

For the first time in history, a priest, Father Saša Petrović, parish priest of Saint Nicholas Church from Omaha, Nebraska, USA, was elected as the new president.

The session, as is customary in SNO, proceeded with polemical tones and open discussion, but finally ended amicably, with a joint resolution adopted.

Which, among other things, states that SNO is breaking off all relations with the authorities in Serbia until the secret files are opened that will reveal the details of the monstrous murder of journalist Dragiša Kašiković and his stepdaughter Ivanka Milošević (9) in 1977.

-This government in Serbia decided a few years ago that the UDBA archives would remain closed until 2060, which tells us that the children of communism still rule Serbia, and that justice is still unattainable for these two martyrs of the Serbian diaspora. Therefore, I propose that we break off relations with such a government until further notice, emphasized the new president, which was immediately adopted by a majority vote.

This was not the only complaint against the regime in Serbia, so the resolution expressed support for the current protests of students and citizens against the “corrupt and traitorous government.”

Representatives of the Serbian Consulate in Chicago were not invited to the assembly, but the Congress delegates agreed that in the future, representatives of opposition political parties should not be invited either, as they too, in their own way, contributed to the political climate in the homeland.

The introductory speech and his report were given by the hitherto president of SNO, Dragan Vujošević, discussions and proposals lasted several hours, and among the more interesting proposals was certainly the one that the diaspora, through SNO, should have its representative in the Serbian parliament in the future.

It was also decided to establish a Committee for the relocation of the organization from its current premises to new ones, and among the locations mentioned were the former Saint Nicholas Church in Lyons and the premises of the Serbian Fraternal Aid in Gurnee (both are Chicago suburbs).

Many agreed that in the coming period, the Serbian National Renewal should be refreshed and rebranded, and new, young people should be attracted to its ranks, who would, with their energy, spread the word and popularize the organization among the numerous Serbian diaspora in America.

In this regard, activities on social networks, field work, guest appearances in other US cities were mentioned, and it was also decided to launch a podcast that would cover current as well as topics of historical importance for Serbs, our tradition, culture, and political ideas.

And then the vote for the president of the Central Board began… Of the two proposed candidates, Dragan Vujošević and Saša Petrović, a narrow majority elected the latter as the new leader of the organization.

In his first statement after the appointment, Father Petrović once again underlined the importance of involving young forces in SNO activities, as well as attracting Serbs who were born in these areas and do not speak Serbian well or at all:

NEW PEOPLE FOR NEW TIMES: Priest Saša Petrović, new president of SNO

-There are many of our people, young and old, in whom a Serbian heart beats, who feel a deep belonging to this nation. We must open doors to them, to approach them, because if we insist on the Serbian language as some kind of prerequisite for participation in our struggle and activities, I am afraid that at some point we will irreversibly lose most of our population in these areas, including children who are now growing up, whom we see singing in churches and dancing folklore. By accepting them with open arms, we will also be able to explain to them the importance of the Serbian language in preserving our being and culture, so if they haven’t learned it yet, perhaps their children will learn it, said Petrović. (read the full interview tomorrow on our portal Serbian Times).

The presidents of the local SNO boards submitted annual reports, and the new president informed those present that he had established two new local organizations in Omaha and Denver in the past period.

At the session, holders of other functions in SNO were also elected, so Miloš Marinković was elected as the first vice-president, Ognjen Jovović as the second, while Jovan Selaković will be the secretary in the future.

Finally, the Vidovdan Academy was announced, which will be held today in the hall of the Church of the Holy Resurrection (Redwood Dr.) in Chicago, starting at 1 PM.

Author/Photo: Antonije Kovačević