His Excellency, the Consul General of the Republic of Serbia in New York, Dr. Vladimir Božović, paid an official visit to Pittsburgh

On this occasion, Consul General Božović greeted the youngest children and students of the church-school congregation of the Holy Trinity Church in Pittsburgh. Addressing them in both Serbian and English, he wished them a successful start to the new school year and reminded them of the great historical figures of the Serbian people, their spirituality, faith, and cultural heritage. He pointed to the best examples – from Saint Sava, the Kosovo martyr and hero Saint Prince Lazar and his army of martyrs, to many other role models of honor and heroism, such as Petar II Petrović Njegoš, Vuk Karadžić, Mihajlo Pupin, and Nikola Tesla. He called on them never to forget the Serbian language, faith, and culture, and to remain proud daughters and sons of the Serbian nation.

He also invited them to visit the Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia in New York, under whose jurisdiction the city of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania falls, and to become acquainted with the work of this diplomatic-consular mission.

During the interactive workshop marking the beginning of the school year, the children expressed great joy and responded positively to the address of Consul General Božović.

At the conclusion, the Consul General expressed his gratitude to the clergy and the church board of the Holy Trinity Church School Congregation, as well as to Bishop Irinej for his blessing and invitation.

During his visit, the Consul General also took the opportunity to visit the synagogue that was attacked a few years ago, where eleven people tragically lost their lives. On that occasion, he expressed support for the Jewish people and the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, speaking of the brotherhood between the Serbian and Jewish peoples and their shared suffering throughout history – during World War II, Serbs through genocide and Jews through the Holocaust. Addressing the children and congratulating them on the new school year, he reminded them always to be good Serbs, to love and support one another, but also to love their Jewish neighbors and friends, with whom they share much history, and always to condemn any form of violence and hate speech.

With this, Consul General Božović concluded his visit to Pittsburgh.