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Manasija Monastery: A History

Page 27 of 60

During this period, that is, up to the beginning of the Second World War, besides Father Mitrofan the following are mentioned as monks of Manasija: the hieromonk Isakije (who kept the church registers around 1934 - this is probably the hieromonk Isakija, appointed at the end of 1934 as deputy of Manasija Monastery),184 the hieromonk Agatangel (who in the middle of 1934 was transferred from the monastery of Sveta Petka to Manasija Monastery, and at the end of the same year, as a member of the Manasija brotherhood, was appointed deputy of the monastery of Koporin),185 the hierodeacon Miron (appointed acting deputy of Manasija Monastery in 1934; as a hieromonk, at the end of the same year he was also appointed acting deputy of the monastery of Vitovnica),186 and the hieromonk Joanikije Ivanov, a Russian who came to Manasija Monastery from the famous Valaam, and who was in the monastery in 1940.187 By 1932 at the latest, the superior of Manasija Monastery was the hieromonk Pavle Panić,188 who held the office of superior of the monastery until the second half of the Second World War. As Prof. Sergei V. Troitsky (1878–1972) states, in 1932 Father Pavle found "in the walls of Manasija Monastery"189 the oldest book of the present-day library of Manasija Monastery - the manuscript Monthly Menaion for September, produced in the second half of the 15th century.190 According to a press report, in the first half of the fourth decade of the 20th century the monastery administration tried to petition the state authorities for material assistance for the repair and protection of the monastery church, which had been leaking ever since a storm had shifted the copper roof back in 1932,191 but until some research is devoted to this subject it is not certain whether, and to what extent, there was state assistance in this period, or whether the monastic community financed the repairs and maintenance of the Manasija buildings by itself. The sinđel Pavle, superior of Manasija Monastery, was honored with the rank of abbot in April 1935.192 In the time of abbot Pavle, one of the first Serbian color films was shot in Manasija Monastery - the film "The Outing" ("Izlet"), made around 1937, a reportage of an outing to Manasija Monastery recorded on camera by Dragić M. Stojadinović (1886–1968).193 King Petar II Karađorđević (1923–1970) visited Manasija in September 1939.194 Of course, Manasija was first and foremost a place of spiritual events, a gathering place for the people, who on feast days filled the Manasija churchyard. On the eve of the feast of Saint Despot Stefan in 1940, the vigil in Manasija Monastery, that is, in the magnificent Manasija Church of the Holy Trinity, was served by Bishop Venijamin Taušanović of Braničevo (1884–1952) and Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović of Žiča (1881–1956); the next day, on the feast itself, Bishop Nikolaj preached at the Holy Liturgy.195

  1. Cf. Tomić, Monasteries and Churches in Upper Resava, 108; cf. also "Appointments and Transfers" („Постављења и премештаји"), Braničevski vesnik: Organ of the Associated Clergy of the Eparchy of Braničevo, [vol. III], [no. 1–2] Saint Sava Issue ([January–February] 1935): 28–30: 29. In the following year, 1935, the Manasija brother hieromonk Isakija received a canonical release to the Eparchy of Niš - cf. "Released from the Clergy" („Отпуштени из клира"), Braničevski vesnik: Organ of the Associated Clergy of the Eparchy of Braničevo, [vol. III], [no. 5–6] (May–June 1935): 121.
  2. Cf. "Decisions of the Hierarchal Authorities [III Appointments and Transfers]" („Одлуке арх. власти [III Постављења и премештаји]"), Braničevski vesnik: Religious and Educational Journal of the Eparchy of Braničevo, vol. II, no. 2 (1934): 82–90: 83; cf. also "Appointments and Transfers," Braničevski vesnik: Organ of the Associated Clergy of the Eparchy of Braničevo, [vol. III], [no. 1–2] Saint Sava Issue ([January–February] 1935): 28–30: 29.
  3. Cf. "Decisions of the Hierarchal Authorities [III Appointments and Transfers]," Braničevski vesnik: Religious and Educational Journal of the Eparchy of Braničevo, vol. II, no. 2 (1934): 82–90: 84, 90; cf. also "Appointments and Transfers," Braničevski vesnik: Organ of the Associated Clergy of the Eparchy of Braničevo, [vol. III], [no. 1–2] Saint Sava Issue ([January–February] 1935): 28–30: 29.
  4. Cf. Marija Ilić-Agapov, "In Manasija, the Great Endowment of Despot Stevan (A Look at Ravanica)" („У Манасији, великој задужбини Деспота Стевана (Поглед на Раваницу)"), Beogradske opštinske novine: A Journal for the Communal and Social, Economic and Cultural Life of Belgrade, year LVIII, no. 7–8 (July–August 1940): 651–657: 652. According to the literature, the hieromonk Joanikije reposed in Manasija Monastery in 1957 or 1958 and was buried in the Manasija monastic cemetery - cf. Tomić, Monasteries and Churches in Upper Resava, 111.
  5. Cf. Mom[čilo]. Đorić, "Through Levač and Resava: The Monasteries of Kalenić and Manasija" („Кроз Левач и Ресаву: манастири Каленић и Манасија"), Pravda, year XXVIII, no. 313 (November 8, 1932): 9; "The Founding of the Sokol Society in Despotovac" („Оснивање Соколског друштва у Деспотовцу"), Pravda, year XXVIII, no. 361 (December 26, 1932): 3; cf. also Tomić, Monasteries and Churches in Upper Resava, 107–108.
  6. Cf. S[ergei]. Troitsky, "Two Manuscripts of Manasija Monastery" („Два рукописа манастира Манасије"), Starinar: Organ of the Archaeological Institute, new series, vol. III–IV (1952–1953): 223–226: 223.
  7. Cf. Nada Dimitrijević, "The Cultural Treasure of the Morava Region" („Културно благо Поморавља"), in: Cooperation of Libraries with the Libraries of Traditional Churches and Religious Communities in the Republic of Serbia. Proceedings of the Professional Conference on Cooperation of Libraries with the Libraries of Traditional Churches and Religious Communities in the Republic of Serbia, Kraljevo, October 5, 6 and 7, 2020 (Сарадња библиотека са библиотекама традиционалних цркава и верских заједница у Републици Србији), ed. Katarina Jablanović (Kraljevo: Narodna biblioteka "Stefan Prvovenčani", 2020), 413–424: 416. Unfortunately, as is also the case with numerous other Manasija monks, the life and work of abbot Pavle Panić are for the time being poorly known. One finds claims in the literature that Father Pavle was a native of the village of Gložane, without specifying whether this is the village of Gložane near Svilajnac or the village of the same name near Vlasotince. A certain hieromonk Pavle Panić is mentioned in 1921 as a cleric of the Eparchy of Niš and a member of the brotherhood of the monastery of Saint Roman near Kruševac, where he was acting teacher of the primary school located in the monastery (cf. State Calendar of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes for the Year 1921, Which Is a Common Year (Belgrade: State Printing House of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, [1921]), 32). According to data from 1924, Father Pavle Panić was still a cleric of the Eparchy of Niš (cf. Schematism of the Eastern Orthodox Serbian Patriarchate According to Data from 1924 (Sremski Karlovci: Holy Synod of Bishops, 1925), 196). Again, a certain Father Pavle was administrator of the monastery of Vitovnica in the Eparchy of Braničevo in the period from 1928 to 1931 (cf. Marko Dragović, "The Monastery of Vitovnica (Conclusion)" („Манастир Витовница (Свршетак)"), Braničevski vesnik: Religious and Educational Journal of the Eparchy of Braničevo, vol. I, no. 4 (1933): 162–168: 163). The sinđel Pavle, superior of Manasija Monastery, was present at the enthronement of Bishop Jovan of Niš (Ilić, 1884–1975, until then Bishop of Braničevo) in September 1933 (cf. "The Enthronement of His Grace Bishop of Niš Dr. Jovan" („Устоличење Његовог Преосвештенства Епископа нишког г. др. Јована"), Braničevski vesnik: Religious and Educational Journal of the Eparchy of Braničevo, vol. I, no. 4 (1933): 202–206: 203). From the press we learn that Father Pavle, as abbot and priest of Manasija, was also active in the local community, where as a pastor he served the local people from the surroundings of Manasija - cf. "Livestock Exhibition in Despotovac (From the Report of the Agricultural Branch for Upper Resava)" („Изложба стоке у Деспотовцу"), Težak: Illustrated Journal of the Serbian Agricultural Society, year 62, no. 23 (December 1, 1935): 768–772: 768; D. Đ., "The Owner of the Bus Company 'Morava' Celebrated Eight Years of Work on the Development of Bus Transport" („Власник аутобуског предузећа 'Морава' прославио осам година рада на развитку аутобуског саобраћаја"), Pravda, year XXXV, no. 12.490 (Tuesday, August 15, 1939): 10 (with a photograph in which priests can be seen among the people, probably including Father Pavle). The name of the Manasija abbot Pavle is mentioned in the press right up to the eve of the Second World War, for example in a report on a monastic tonsure in the monastery of Ravanica that attracted the attention of the public in 1940; this tonsure was also attended by abbot Pavle Panić of Manasija: cf. "In the Monastery of Ravanica the Belgrade Journalist Mr. Petar Milivojević, Editor of the 'Anglo-Yugoslav Review', Became a Monk" („У манастиру Раваници замонашио се београдски новинар г. Петар Миливојевић"), Vreme, year XX, no. 6564 (Sunday, May 5, 1940): 11.
  8. Cf. A. T. P., "The Main Dome of Manasija Monastery in Danger of Collapse" („Главно кубе манастира Манасије склоно паду"), Pravda, year XXX, no. 10.657 (Friday, July 6, 1934): 7.
  9. Cf. "Decorated" („Одликовани"), Braničevski vesnik: Organ of the Associated Clergy of the Eparchy of Braničevo, [vol. III], [no. 5–6] (May–June 1935): 120–121: 120.
  10. Cf. D. Stefanović, "An Incendiary Day as an Overture. On the Eve of the Celebration of Yugoslav Film Archive Day, Films on Nitrate Stock Today" ("Zapaljiv dan kao uvertira. Uoči proslave Dana Jugoslovenske kinoteke danas filmovi na nitratnoj traci"), Borba, year LXXXVII, no. 28.459 (Thursday, June 5, 2008): 7.
  11. Cf. B. N., "H. M. the King Visited Ravanica and Manasija" („Њ. В. Краљ обишао Раваницу и Манасију"), Vreme, year XIX, no. 6340 (Sunday, September 17, 1939): 1; "The Return of H. M. the King to Oplenac" („Повратак Њ. В. Краља на Опленац"), Vreme, year XIX, no. 6341 (Monday, September 18, 1939): 1.
  12. Cf. "A Solemn Celebration in Manasija Monastery. The Homily of Bishop of Žiča Dr. Nikolaj" („Свечана прослава у манастиру Манасији. Беседа Епископа жичког г. др. Николаја"), Vreme, year XX, no. 6652 (Friday, August 2, 1940): 7.