The ordination of the elected Bishop of Kostajnica, Serafim, will take place on Sunday, October 13, 2024, starting at 9:00 AM at the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar during the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy officiated by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, together with bishops and clergy.
The day before, on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 6:00 PM, the rite of the proclamation of the elected bishop will be performed in the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Belgrade.
Biography of the Elected Bishop of Kostajnica, Serafim
Archimandrite Serafim (Baltić) was born on May 7, 1978, in Zagreb, to Veljko and Radojka. He was baptized with the name Bojan. The Baltić family originates from Banija. He completed elementary and three years of high school in Electrical Engineering in his hometown. Due to the war in August 1995, he moved to the United States, to Florida, where he completed high school and obtained a degree in Information Technology. During his education, he encountered Elder Ephraim of Philotheou, who had been divinely sent to America, along with his monks and nuns. His contact with Athonite monks, participation in their services, and receiving their spiritual advice and confessions shaped his future life path.
After completing his undergraduate studies, he visited several Orthodox monasteries throughout America, Serbia, and Greece. In the late 1990s, he met Bishop Longin (Krčo) during his pastoral visits to parishes in Florida. With his blessing, he went to New Gračanica Monastery in 2003. That same year, he enrolled in the Holy Trinity Seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in Jordanville, graduating in 2008 with magna cum laude honors.
During his studies, on Holy Thursday in 2006, he was tonsured as a monk at New Gračanica Monastery. He was ordained a hierodeacon that same year on the feast of the Holy Prophet Elijah. After completing his theological studies, he was ordained a hieromonk on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in 2008 by Bishop Longin. During his service at the monastery, he translated the works of St. Nikolai Velimirovich into English. To better familiarize himself with the Athonite monastic typikon, he went to the Holy Monastery of Hilandar, where he spent six months in 2010.
Upon his return to America, he took on various pastoral duties, working with children and youth in diocesan summer camps and youth councils. He also served as a steward at the Saint Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, while simultaneously caring for the mission parish of Saint Petka in Nashville. Since 2015, he has been the secretary of the New Gračanica-Midwestern American Diocese. In the same year, he completed an MBA degree. At the end of 2020, Bishop Longin sent him to Serbia, where he spent six months at the Monastery of the Holy Archangels in Kovilj. From 2021 until August 2024, he served at the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Milwaukee.
At the regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, held from May 14 to 18, 2024, in Belgrade, the esteemed Archimandrite Serafim was elected as Vicar to the Metropolitan of Midwestern America with the title of Bishop of Kostajnica.
Source: spc.rs