Hereditary Prince Filip Karađorđević participated, together with his wife Princess Danica and their children, in the traditional Pilgrimage to Cer, which the descendants of the Drina Division from Mačvanski Prnjavor organize in memory of the suffering and heroism of this place during the First World War.
During the pilgrimage, which gathers participants from Serbia, Montenegro, and Republika Srpska every year, they visited the Memorial Ossuary in Mačvanski Prnjavor, the Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah, Čokešina Monastery, and the Church of Saint John of Shanghai on Cer, dedicated to the heroes of Cer.
“This pilgrimage, which gathers people from all parts of Serbia, Montenegro, and Republika Srpska, testifies to the living strength of our national memory, faith, and unity,” said Hereditary Prince Filip.
The participants crossed a twenty-kilometer-long march through the landscapes of Cer, places that remained remembered for the famous Battle of Cer and the feat of the Serbian army.
“A special experience was walking through the very heart of Cer, along the paths walked by our ancestors in the days of the famous Battle of Cer. In those places, the greatness of their sacrifice and the unwavering determination of the Serbian soldier to defend the freedom, honor, and right of his people to survive is still felt today,” he pointed out.
The Prince reminded of the huge sacrifices that Mačvanski Prnjavor made in the Great War, stating that this place lost 704 civilians, while more than 1,300 locals, civilians and soldiers, laid down their lives for Serbia.
“That is a sacrifice that obligates us and that must not be forgotten,” Filip emphasized.
He also recalled his family’s connection with Mačvanski Prnjavor, pointing out that his great-grandfather, King Alexander I Karađorđević, visited this place on June 3, 1934, and decorated it with the Order of the Karađorđe’s Star, 4th Class with Swords.
“My great-grandfather, King Alexander I, decorated Mačvanski Prnjavor as the only village in Serbia to bear this high decoration. That act recognized not only the suffering, but also the exceptional courage and loyalty to the Fatherland that the residents of Prnjavor showed in the most difficult times,” said the Crown Prince.
He recalled that after King Alexander, Prnjavor was also visited by King Peter II, as well as his father, Crown Prince Alexander Karađorđević.
During the 20-kilometer-long route, wreaths were laid and respect was paid to the innocently suffered civilians, warriors, and heroes at all places of suffering and memorials.
At the end of his address, Prince Filip thanked the descendants of the Drina Division for organizing and preserving the memory of their glorious ancestors.
“I thank the descendants of the Drina Division from Mačvanski Prnjavor from the bottom of my heart for the invitation, brotherly hospitality, and dedicated effort they invest so that the memory of our ancestors, their sacrifice, and libertarian spirit remains alive and is passed on to future generations,” he said.
“May eternal glory be to the martyrs of Prnjavor, the heroes of Cer, and all who laid down their lives for the freedom of Serbia. Their sacrifice remains our vow and our permanent obligation,” concluded Hereditary Prince Filip.
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Source: Serbian Times, Photo: Kabinet NJ.K.V. Princa-Naslednika Filipa