A Day of Peace, A Season of Preparation
- Writer
- Dec 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
There's something unmistakable about the feeling when things are settling into place. Today at St. Sava was one of those days, not dramatic, not headline-worthy, but good. Quietly, steadily good. The kind of day that reminds you why we're all here in the first place.
The cathedral is stabilizing. Not just the building itself, though that's always a work in progress, but the rhythm of parish life and the continuation of the Liturgy. People are coming to pray. Families are showing up. There's a sense that we're remembering what we came here to do: worship together, preserve our traditions, and pass them on to the next generation.
And what timing. We're heading into one of the most beautiful seasons of our church year.
It starts with Nikoljdan on December 19, St. Nicholas Day, when families celebrate and children receive gifts, reminding us of the saint's generosity. Then Detinci on December 22, honoring our youngest members and the future of our faith. Materice follows on December 30, celebrating mothers and the women who hold our families together. Then on January 2, we have both Ocevi, honoring fathers and the generations who built this community.
This whole season builds toward the pinnacle, Christmas on January 7, the Nativity of our Lord celebrated according to the old calendar.
But before Christmas comes Badnje Vece, Christmas Eve on January 6. If you've never experienced it, you're missing something profound. The service begins at 6 PM, followed by the lighting of the badnjak, that moment of anticipation as we prepare to greet the newborn Christ. Afterward, we gather in the hall for vruca rakija and fellowship, because our faith is lived in community.
This year, we're also planning to make cesnica together as a community during the day on Badnji Dan (Jan 6th). The traditional Christmas bread, with a coin baked inside for luck in the coming year. It's a tangible connection to our Serbian heritage, a reminder that our faith isn't abstract but lived out in simple, beautiful acts. Breaking bread together. Blessing our homes. Teaching our children why these things matter. Reach out to Fr. Dragan for details on timing.
The doors are open. To everyone. Whether you've been here every Sunday or you haven't set foot in church in years. Whether you're caught up in the disputes and divisions or just looking for a place to pray. Come inside. Come to Liturgy. Come for any of these feast days.
Things are stabilizing because people are choosing worship over controversy, prayer over politics, community over conflict. That's what today felt like. That's what these coming weeks can be.
Come and see.
Upcoming Feast Days & Services
December 2025 - January 2026
Date | Feast Day | Time | Event |
Friday, December 19, 2025 | Nikoljdan (St. Nicholas Day) | 9:00 AM | Divine Liturgy |
Sunday, December 21, 2025 | Detinci (Children's Day) | 10:00 AM | Divine Liturgy |
Sunday, December 28, 2025 | Materice (Mothers' Day) | 10:00 AM | Divine Liturgy |
Sunday, January 4, 2026 | Ocevi (Fathers' Day) | 10:00 AM | Divine Liturgy |
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 | Badnji Dan (Christmas Eve Day) | 10:00 AM | Divine Liturgy, Cesnica Making |
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 | Badnje Vece (Christmas Eve Service) | 6:00 PM | Divine Liturgy, Badnjak Lighting, Vruca Rakija & Fellowship in the Hall |
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 | Božić (Christmas - Nativity of Our Lord) | 10:00 AM | Divine Liturgy |
For additional details, please contact Fr. Dragan or check announcements.
Read the full series on the St. Sava Cathedral situation: Blog
