The Ilinden Council was celebrated in Sinjajevina

At the Ružica Church, in Sinjajevina, Ilindan - the assembly of the Bjelopavlićs - was solemnly celebrated this year.

In the presence of a large number of citizens, the holiday was marked while the liturgy was served by priests of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, Predrag Katanić and Zarija Vuković.

The host was Bogdan Braletić.

Katanić emphasized the importance of preserving spiritual and cultural heritage, recalling that the prophet Elijah, whom the Bjelopavlićs who raise the Sinjajevina mountain have been celebrating for more than a century, is not only a figure from biblical history, but also a symbol of perseverance and struggle.

He said that even today, it is not important who belongs to which organization or political party, nor the status they have within them, but rather the way they relate to others and God.

This year's host of the celebration, who took over the celebration cake last year, spoke to the crowd about the historical significance of Sinjajevina for the people of Bjelopavlić and the necessity of preserving its natural and spiritual character.

He said that he was honored to continue a tradition that is almost a century and a half old, which "has always kept the people of Bjelopavlić together, no matter how much trouble we faced."

"I want to remind you that we are in the right place to remember the sacrifices of our ancestors, who gave their lives for this mountain, and that we thank them today and always, because they paid with blood for both freedom and this mountain. In addition to remembering them, from this sacred place we should send messages of peace, mutual respect, but also those that will clearly tell everyone that the Bjelopavlići are good hosts to all well-intentioned people," said Braletić.

He warned of current threats to the preservation of Sinjajevina, emphasizing that caution is still necessary:

"Today, I must not forget to remind you that, no matter how much we individually give to this mountain, in any way, it will always be incomparably less than what it gives us, but also what our ancestors - 53 of them - gave for it. So let us not forget it and let us not easily believe that the danger has passed, at least until every potential threat is erased from the planning documentation," he said.

The following year, as well as the four years after that, by decision of Danilovgrad parish priest Predrag Katanić, the church board will host the celebration.

The gathering was also addressed by the presidents of the municipalities of Danilovgrad and Mojkovac, Aleksandar Grgurović and Vesko Delić, and the president of the Bjelopavlić Association - Bijeli Pavle, Danilo Jovanović.

Grgurović and Delić emphasized their support for the tradition of the Ilinda Council, emphasizing that local communities will always stand with those who fight for the preservation of nature.

They also talked about recent projects in which they announced that electricity would soon come to the katuns in Sinjajevina.

Regardless of that event, tents and stands were traditionally set up on the slopes below the church.

On the slopes of Sinjajevina, between tents, stands, a church, and barbecue smoke, hundreds of people walked who had come to reminisce about old times, meet friends from other cities, pay homage to the sacred site, light candles, or simply enjoy the beauty of the mountain.