At it's session this spring, the Assembly of Bishops (Sabor) of the Serbian orthodox Church has ruled on the matter of "arondacija" - the reorganization of the Dioceses of the Serbian Church in North America.

Please read the complete text of the statement that was issued in Beograd on May 21st.

----------------------------------------------------------

Press release of the Holy Hierarchal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Serbian Patriarchate, May 21^st 2009

The Holy Hierarchal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at its session of May 21^st 2009, at the suggestion of the Hierarchal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, concerning the issue of redistribution [arondacija] of the existing Dioceses in North and South America, has reached the decision by which the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America is upheld and the Dioceses are redistributed in the following manner:

1. Metropolitanate of Libertyville-Chicago, with its center at the Saint Sava Monastery in Libertyville (includes the Saint Sava Monastery in Libertyville and the Holy Resurrection Cathedral with its three parish communities), whose Metropolitan will be the president of the Episcopal, Church-national and Central Committee, as well as ex officio representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America.

2. Diocese of Midwestern America – New Gracanica, with its center at the New Gracanica Monastery (includes all the parishes in the Chicago area, excluding the mentioned Holy Resurrection Cathedral, as well as all the parishes in the other States of the Midwest region which have so far belonged to the Metropolitanate of the Midwest, as well as all the church-school communities and parishes of the Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate located on the territory of the Metropolitanate of the Midwest).

3. Eastern-American Diocese, with its center in Pittsburgh / Mars (includes all the parishes of the current Eastern-American Diocese as well as all the church-school communities and parishes of the Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate located on the territory of the Eastern-American Diocese).

4. Western-American Diocese, with its center in Los Angeles / Alhambra (includes all the parishes of the current Western-American Diocese as well as all the church-school communities and parishes of the Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate located on the territory of the Western-American Diocese).

5. Canadian Diocese, with its center in Toronto / Milton Monastery (includes all the parishes of the current Canadian Diocese as well as all the church-school communities and parishes of the Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate located on the territory of the Canadian Diocese).

By this decision of redistribution Article 8 of the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America is changed inasmuch as the current names of “Metropolitanate of Midwest” and “Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate” and the new borders are hereby set for these Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America.

Irinej, Bishop of Backa
Spokesman of the Holy Hierarchal Council

Please click on our Parishes link to see the list of all parishes which are now a part of the Diocese of New Gracanica - Midwestern America.