Father Slobodan was born in 1954 in the city of Lopare, Bosnia. Prior to entering the seminary at St. Arsenije Sremski Karlovci, his education included pre-law at the University of Novi Sad. Upon graduation from the seminary, he married Djurdjija (Georgia) (nee Lukic). On Christmas day in 1976 he was ordained into the holy deaconate, and the next day into the holy priesthood, and immediately assigned to the parish of Slavonski Kobas. He served there for almost 8 years, after which he was assigned to the mission of Koper, Slovenia. During five and a half years in Slovenia, the parish membership increased from 140 families to 456 families, and the first Serbian Orthodox Church in Koper was established.

While visiting his brother in Chicago in 1988, he was asked by Bishop Sava to remain in the United States, and was subsequently assigned to fill the vacancy in Duluth, Minnesota. Having inherited a parish where few spoke Serbian, Father quickly enrolled in school to learn the basics of conversational english, followed by enrollment at the University of Minnesota in interdisciplinary studies: History, Political Science, and Foreign Languages.

In 1991, Father was transferred to St. George Church in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. The church was indebted with two mortgages (social center and church), and within four years the mortgages were paid, and he tells with great pride that the church is "in great shape both spiritually and financially." During this time, he pursued higher education, receiving a Masters Degree in History, and his Secondary Teaching Degree this May (2000). As part of the requirements for his Masters Degree, he wrote his thesis on "The Life and Work of St. Sava." In addition to Serbian and English, he is conversational in Italian, Russian and German.

Aside from his academic achievements, Father has been awarded the Gramata Priznanja (Gramata of Recognition) for the building of a new church in the village of Luzani, the Diocese of Slavonia; Red Belt Award for building another new church in the village of Bebrina, also in the Diocese of Slavonia; rank of Protonamesnik in 1994, and rank of Protopresbyter in 1996.

Father takes great pride in his son Predrag, a straight A, 9th grade student whose ambition is to become a computer scientist.

Father Slobodan's personal conviction is that a priest's foremost duty is to bring the young to church, to teach them our rich inheritance--our Orthodox Faith, for they are our future. He sees the parish as a unified family--a family of our Lord Jesus Christ. Regardless of place of birth, language, or local tradition, the family needs to pray together, work together, and support the church spiritually and financially. And everything possible needs to be done to bring back those who have strayed.

The split of 1963 was a great tragedy for our people in general and for our church on this continent specifically. This tragedy is now behind us and we need to teach our new generation that we cannot love God unless we love one another.

Father Slobodan's fervent prayer is the start of a new church building on our magnificent property.

We wish Father Slobodan, Protinica Djurdjija and Predrag good health and happiness here in Saratoga, and that with the good works of our parishioners and his spiritual leadership, our prayers for a new church will be fulfilled in the not too distant future.

Mary Bogdanovich