A Tale of Four Builders and One Destroyer
- Special Correspodent
- Dec 23, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 26, 2025
How Bishop Irinej Dobrijević Destroyed 53 Years of Work by His Predecessors
Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church 1963-2025
THE MEASURE OF A BISHOP
In the Serbian Orthodox Church, bishops are measured not by their titles, but by their fruits. The Eastern American Diocese has had five bishops since 1963. Four bishops spent 53 years building. One bishop spent 9 years destroying—and lost $5.4 million in the process. This is their story.
BISHOP STEFAN LASTAVICA (1963-1966): THE FOUNDATION BUILDER
Years of Service: 3 years
Legacy: "A sure and well-laid foundation"
Who He Was:
Born in 1908 in the village of Divoš, Srem, into a priestly family, Stefan Lastavica was a scholar of church music and liturgy. He graduated from the Seminary in Sremski Karlovci and the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at Belgrade University.
His Challenge:
In 1963, the Serbian Orthodox Church in America faced a tragic schism. The newly-created Eastern American and Canadian Diocese had no structures, no procedures, no established seat. Bishop Stefan had to build everything from nothing. The diocese faced severe financial difficulties. Bishop Stefan worked under conditions of extreme hardship.
And he did it.
What He Built (in just 3 years):
• Ordained 4 priests
• Founded a new parish in London, Ontario
• Blessed 3 churches, 3 schools, 5 parish homes, 2 church halls
• Moved the diocesan seat from Clairton to Cleveland
• Established all necessary diocesan bodies
• Created organizational structure from scratch
His Sacrifice:
Bishop Stefan died at age 58, after only three years of service. The strain of building a diocese from nothing under extreme hardship broke his health. He literally gave his life for the diocese.
But he left behind "a sure and well-laid foundation."
BISHOP SAVA VUKOVIĆ (1967-1977): THE MASTER BUILDER
Years of Service: 10 years
Legacy: Transformed the diocese from struggling to thriving
Who He Was:
Born in 1930 in Senta, Bishop Sava was a brilliant scholar. He earned his doctorate in Switzerland, was a professor of liturgics at the Belgrade Theological Faculty, and was vicar bishop to the Patriarch. He was precisely what the young diocese needed: a brilliant administrator and strategist who transformed a struggling diocese into a financially strong and spiritually vibrant organization.
What He Built (in 10 years):
• Property: Purchased Richfield, Ohio estate (became Monastery Marcha); purchased Sewickley, PA building (diocesan seat)
• Parishes: Founded 11 new congregations, re-activated 2 dormant parishes, major missionary work across Canada
• Buildings: Blessed 8 churches, 6 chapels, 4 schools, 5 halls, 5 homes
• Financial Strength: Diocese "began to quickly gain strength financially"; established missionary-scholarship fund
• Publishing: Founded "The Path of Orthodoxy" newspaper (became official publication for entire Serbian Orthodox Church in USA/Canada)
• Education: Provided scholarships to "nearly all the theological students of the diocese"
After 10 years of building the diocese into a strong, financially stable, spiritually vibrant organization, he was elected Bishop of Šumadija in Yugoslavia. He left behind a thriving diocese.
BISHOP CHRISTOPHER KOVAČEVIĆ (1978-1991): THE AMERICAN INTEGRATOR
Years of Service: 13 years (in Eastern Diocese)
Legacy: First American-born bishop / Integrated Serbian Church into American life
Who He Was:
Born Velimir Kovačević on December 25, 1928, in Galveston, Texas - the ninth of twelve children of Serbian immigrant parents from Montenegro. He was the first American-born bishop to serve a diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North America.
What He Built (in 13 years):
• Organizational: Proposed and established the separate Canadian Diocese (1983) - recognizing growth; introduced computerization of all church administration (still used today)
• Education: Developed diocesan-wide program in religious education; founded Serbian Orthodox Association for Religious Educators and Youth; became Dean of St. Sava School of Theology (1986); got official state recognition for the school
• Cultural Integration: Made Serbian parishes bilingual in worship and education; integrated Serbian Orthodox Church into American culture while preserving Serbian identity
• Parishes: Organized new congregations; built new churches and facilities throughout the diocese
In 1991, he was elevated to Metropolitan and served as Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in America until his death in 2010. He left behind a diocese that was both authentically Serbian and successfully American.
BISHOP MITROFAN KODIĆ (1991-2016): THE SPIRITUAL GIANT
Years of Service: 25 years
Legacy: A quarter-century of growth, scholarship, and sound financial management
Who He Was:
Born in 1951 in the village of Ljuša, Šipovo, Bosnia. A monk from age 19. A brilliant theologian who earned his PhD in 1997. A translator of major theological works from Romanian to English. A professor of New Testament. An author. He embodied what the faithful needed: a monk-scholar who combined deep spirituality with practical wisdom, bringing the diocese to sustained growth both spiritually and financially.
His Scholarship:
PhD: "The Mystery of Christ According to the Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians of the Holy Apostle Paul" (1997)
Major Translations: Dumitru Staniloae's "Orthodox Dogmatics" (3 volumes), "Community and Spirituality in the Orthodox Liturgy", "Orthodox Moral Theology", "The Gospel Image of Christ"; "The Romanian Patericon I and II"; "Dictionary of Orthodox Theology"
His Own Books: "The Teaching of St. Apostle Paul on the Church" (1991); "Introduction to the Holy Scriptures, the New Testament"
What He Built (in 25 years):
• Missionary Expansion: Established 6 new mission parishes in his first 10 years alone
• Spiritual Life: Professor of New Testament at St. Sava School of Theology; Dean of the school; authority on church services
• Humanitarian Work: Secured aid for Bosnia and Kosovo during wars; along with Jesse Jackson, helped secure release of 3 American GIs held captive during NATO bombing (1999)
• Financial Management: Managed resources carefully and wisely; left diocese financially strong with close to $5 million in various accounts, operating in positive
For 25 years - a quarter century - he led the diocese in sustained growth, spiritual depth, and financial stability.
THEN CAME BISHOP IRINEJ DOBRIJEVIĆ (2016-PRESENT): THE DESTROYER
Years of Service: 9 years (2016-2025) - and counting
Legacy: Financial ruin, spiritual devastation, cultural suppression
The Reality:
The contrast between Bishop Irinej and his predecessors is stark and undeniable. This assessment comes not from critics, but from documented evidence of his nine-year tenure.
The Destruction - Everything He Touches:
FINANCIAL DESTRUCTION
• Inherited from Mitrofan (2016): $5 million in accounts, operating in positive
• Sold Shadeland forest to lumber company: +$1.2 million
• Sold Marča forest to lumber company: +$200,000
• Should have (2024): $6.4 million
• Actually has (2024): $913,263
• LOST: Over $5.4 million in 9 years
• Diocese 2024 operating deficit: -$47,561.85
• Marča Monastery: $254,887 tax debt
• Shadeland 2024: Operating at -$156,482.90
• St. Sava NYC: $90 million air rights removed from his control and placed under Patriarch (to prevent him from destroying it)
• Missing donor funds: $25,000+
SPIRITUAL DESTRUCTION
• Removes good priests without cause: Fr. Dragoslav Kosić (48 hours notice instead of canonical 30 days), Fr. Stefan Zaremba, Fr. Živojin Jakovljević, Fr. Rajko Kosić
• Sends faithful priests to "Johnstown Gulag" as punishment
• 120+ families filing canonical appeals to Belgrade
• Parishes emptying under his leadership
• Rewards Nina Marković's assailant by making him "Trustee President" the next day
• Invades priests' houses to intimidate families and "push them out" faster
• Calls six police cars to threaten peaceful parishioners with arrest
CULTURAL DESTRUCTION
• Persecutes Serbs in their own Serbian church
• Suppresses Serbian language and heritage
• Punishes those who show pride in Serbian identity
• Example: Božo Lemajić - spent 10 years teaching Serbian folklore to children, now threatened with arrest for preserving Serbian culture while others in church leadership worked to erase it
LIFESTYLE
• Lives luxuriously while diocese crumbles financially
• Lies and false accusations against priests
• Contrast: Vladika Stefan died young from strain of building under extreme hardship; Vladika Irinej lives in luxury while presiding over bankruptcy
"Factory Settings"?
Some have described his tenure as returning the diocese to "factory settings." But that's too generous. Factory settings means zero. Bishop Irinej has taken the diocese into negative: Not zero dollars, but $254,887 in debt at Marča. Not zero trust, but active police threats. Not zero problems, but 120+ families in canonical appeals. Not zero, but bankrot (bankruptcy).
Stefan started from zero in 1963 - no money, extreme hardship, but no debt. Irinej has taken it below zero - debt, chaos, persecution, bankruptcy.
Worse than factory settings. Worse than starting over. This is demolition.
The Numbers Don't Lie: 53 Years of Building vs 9 Years of Destruction
Bishop Stefan (1963-1966): Built from nothing under extreme hardship, died at 58.
Bishop Sava (1967-1977): Created financial strength, 11 new parishes.
Bishop Christopher (1978-1991): American integration, computerization.
Bishop Mitrofan (1991-2016): 25 years prosperity, left $5M in accounts.
Bishop Irinej (2016-2025): Lost $5.4M in 9 years, $254K tax debt, parishes emptying.
THE QUESTIONS
For Bishop Irinej:
Four bishops before you spent 53 years building this diocese. Stefan sacrificed his health under extreme financial hardship. Sava created financial strength. Christopher integrated and innovated. Mitrofan led to prosperity for 25 years.
In 9 years, you brought it to bankruptcy.
How do you explain this to your predecessors who sacrificed their lives building this diocese?
How do you explain this to the faithful who built these parishes?
How do you explain this to God?
For the Holy Archiepiscopal Synod in Belgrade:
You have before you:
• The Record: 53 years of building by four bishops, documented and verifiable
• The Destruction: 9 years (and counting) of bankruptcy and chaos by one bishop, documented by 120+ families in canonical appeals
How much more time will it take to protect the legacy of the four previous bishops from further destruction?
FINAL THOUGHT
Bishop Stefan Lastavica died at age 58, having spent three years building a diocese from nothing under extreme financial hardship. He will be remembered as a martyr-bishop who gave his life for his flock.
What will Bishop Irinej be remembered for?
The evidence of his tenure provides the answer: Lies, financial mismanagement, and a lifestyle of luxury while his diocese suffers.
Four builders. One destroyer.
53 years of construction. 9 years of demolition - and he's not done yet.
This is the story of the Eastern American Diocese. It remains to be seen what the future will bring us.
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