Serbia awards First-Class Sretenje Order to Hilandar Monastery Abbot

The Holy Royal Serbian Lavra of Hilandar Monastery was formally presented with the First-Class Sretenje Order during a ceremony held on June 17  in Thessaloniki.

The decoration was awarded by decree of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on February 14, 2025, in recognition of Hilandar Monastery’s “exceptional contribution to the spiritual mission of the Serbian people and to the reconstruction of the monastery.”

The award was presented by Serbia’s Ambassador to Greece, Nikola Nedeljković, to Archimandrite Methodius, Abbot of Hilandar Monastery. Since the abbot was unable to attend the official Statehood Day ceremony in 2025, the formal presentation took place during the “Serbia Calls 2026” event, hosted at the premises of “Theophilos,” the charitable organization of Hilandar Monastery in Thessaloniki.

Among those attending the ceremony were Đorđe Milićević, Serbia’s Minister responsible for coordinating activities and measures related to the diaspora; Jelena Vujić-Obradović, Consul General of Serbia in Thessaloniki; and Jelena Jovanović, Head of the Representative Office of Republika Srpska in Greece.

As part of the “Serbia Calls 2026” initiative, organizers also presented…