Administration

His Grace Bishop Longin

His Grace Bishop Longin was born on September 29, 1955 as Momir Krco in the town of Kruscanje Olovo. His parents were Stanoje and Andja (nee Jovanovic) Krco. He attended grade school in Olovske Luke from 1962 to 1970. He entered Three Hierarchs Seminary in Monastery Krka in 1970 and graduated in 1975.

During this time he was tonsured a monk and received the small schema as a fifth year student. The tonsuring was done by Bishop Stefan of Dalmatia on the eve of the school Slava of the Holy Three Hierarchs on February 11, 1975. At the Divine Liturgy on February 12th he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Stefan. On February 13th, he was ordained a priest.

He entered the Moscow Theological Academy in 1975 where he graduated in 1979. From October 1980 to April 1981, he served in the Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla as secretary of the Executive Board. He was also administrator of two parishes. On the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops he was appointed as lecturer of the Holy Three Hierarchs Seminary in 1983 for two years.

At the Sabor of May 1985 he was elected Vicar Bishop of Morava to the Patriarch. He was consecrated on October 20, 1985. His Holiness served the Divine Liturgy along with Metropolitan Vladimir of Rostov and Novo Cerkay (now Metropolitan of Kiev) who had been Dean of the Moscow Theological Academy while Bishop Longin was a student. Also serving were Bishop Nikolaj of Dalmatia, who had been Dean at the Seminary in Krka Monastery where the young Bishop had begun his theological education; and Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla.

Present at the services were the following bishops of the Serbian Church: Metropolitan Vladislav of Dabro-Bosna, Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb and Ljubljbana, Bishop Chrysostom of Branicevo, Bishop Pavle of Ras and Prizren, Bishop Stefan of Zica and Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka. As guests present were the Archimandrite Platon, professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Canon Dr. Colin Hikling, professor of Holy Scriptures at the London University, where the new bishop had done post graduate studies. In May of 1986 he was elected Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, where he spent six and a half years. Besides serving the great territory of Australia he also built churches and was involved in work with the youth. Bishop Longin was known especially as a fighter for unity of the Serbian Church.

At the Sabor in 1992 at the request of His Holiness and brother hierarchs, Bishop Longin accepted the duty of being bishop of Dalmatia. He was not able to enter his residence in Sibenik, but had to reside in Monastery Krka, where he lectured at the seminary. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, he journeyed to Canada and Australia where he collected donations for the suffering Serbian people. After the tragic occurences in August of 1995, Bishop Longin and the entire seminary from Monastery Krka stayed at Divcibare near Valjevo. At the same time he helped Bishop Lavrentije of Saba-Valjevo in diocesan matters. Along with Bishop Nikanor of Gornji Karlovac, he worked with refugees, visited the camps and delivered help which had been sent mainly by the Serbs in the Diaspora.

With the decision of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, he was appointed on July 31, 1997 as auxiliary in the administration of the Diocese of America and Canada – New Gracanica Metropolitanate. On May 23, 1998, he was appointed as Administrator of the Diocese of America and Canada -New Gracanica Metropolitanate, while on May 5, 1999, he was elected at the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Sabor, as Bishop of the Diocese of America and Canada, New Gracanica Metropolitanate. This fulfilled the request of the Diocesan Council and the Ecclesiastical Court as well as the desire of the clergy and delegates of the Seventh Church National Sabor held on April 23 – 24, 1999.

After the administrative arrondation of our Church on the North American Continent in May 2009, a better and canonically more correct organization of our faithful people was achieved. In the same year, Bishop Longin was elected Bishop of New Gracanica-Midwestern America. Since then, His Eminence has resided in Libertyville, retaining offices at Pokrov-Protection Monastery. The intention is for our oldest Monastery to be renovated in many ways, so that all monasteries and parish churches can successfully continue the mission of salvation and deliverance from all evil! For this, we pray to the Lord!

V. Rev. Radovan Jakovljevic was born in 1974, in Loznica, Serbia. He finished elementary school in his birthplace, and in 1989 he enrolled in the St. Sava Theological Seminary in Belgrade, Serbia, where he studied until 1994. After completing all the Seminary courses in good academic standing, Father Radovan continued his studies at the Theological College in Belgrade, Serbia. In 1995, he moved to the United States of America.

From 1995 to 1999 he attended the St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, Illinois, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Theology degree.

After graduation and a consultation with His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher, he continued his studies at St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York.

In 1999, he enrolled in the Master of Arts program in Christian Education. Following the completion of his studies in 2001, he returned to Chicago where he was appointed the Director of the Department of Christian Education for the Serbian Orthodox Midwestern Metropolitanate (2001-2008).

On Sunday, August 17, 2003, he was ordained a deacon at St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Lansing, Illinois.

On the eve of Vidovdan, on Sunday, June 27, 2004, His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher ordained Father Deacon Radovan Jakovljevic to the holy priesthood during the Divine Liturgy at St. Lazarus Cathedral “Lazarica” in Detroit, Michigan.

From 2006 to 2008, Father Radovan served as a temporary administrator of St. Petka Serbian Orthodox Mission Parish in Nashville, Tennessee, and of the St. Archangel Michael Mission Parish in Huntsville, Alabama.

On November 1, 2008, he was appointed a priest of the Southern parish of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Chicago where he ministered until August 1st 2017.

Father Radovan is to a large extent involved in the field of Bioethics. In 2006, he finished the Certification Program in Bioethics through the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2010, he received the Master of Bioethics degree from the Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL.

In 2012, His Grace Bishop Longin appointed father Radovan as the secretary of the Central Church Council for the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America. Father Radovan also serves as the treasurer of the Serbian Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood.

On August 15th 2017, he was appointed a priest at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Schererville, Indiana.

On May 5th, 2019, His grace Bishop Longin promoted father Radovan to the rank of protopresbyter (protojerej).

He is married to Milijana (nee Kuljanin) and together they have two children: Andrej and Anastasija.