BISHOP IRINEJ'S SECRET RETURN
- Special Correspodent
- Mar 16
- 4 min read
A Thief in the Night, Hiding Behind Police Badges
Cleveland, Ohio – March 15, 2026
For the past 20 weeks, loyal parishioners have braved rain, snow, and bitter cold, standing vigil outside St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. Their demands are simple: reinstate Father Dragoslav Kosić, address the governance chaos, and restore transparency to a community reeling from financial discrepancies, rejected elections, and forced evictions.
Today, Bishop Irinej Dobrijević finally came to his cathedral. After more than a year of absence.
But he did not come as a shepherd. He came as a fugitive.
THE SCENE:
Eight police cars. Not one. Not two. Eight.
The bishop arrived unannounced, his visit shrouded in secrecy. The temporary trustees he himself appointed did not inform the congregation. No invitations were extended for dialogue. No olive branches were offered to heal the wounds inflicted by his decisions.
Instead, he slipped in like a thief in the night, flanked by law enforcement, to serve the Divine Liturgy behind a wall of badges.
THE PEOPLE'S RESPONSE:
"Shame on you!"
The chants echoed from the crowd outside — not from rabble-rousers, but from families, elders, and children. The same faithful who poured their hearts and donations into building and sustaining this sacred space, only to be met with locked doors, police threats, and now this furtive intrusion.
"Is this how a bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church comes to his parishioners?" one parishioner shouted, capturing the raw betrayal felt by many.
THE QUESTION:
Why the secrecy?
Why descend like a thief in the night, flanked by eight police cars, rather than face the congregation with openness and humility?
Why no words for the people who have stood in rain and snow for 20 weeks?
Why no effort to engage with the very people he claims to lead?
THE ANSWER:
Speculation runs rampant that this was a calculated photo-op, a staged spectacle to beam back to Belgrade.
By serving the liturgy without visible disruption — thanks to the police barrier — Bishop Irinej could paint a false portrait of resolution. He could claim the "problem" in Cleveland has been neatly solved.
It's a narrative that ignores the human cost:
A board elected by the people was summarily dismissed.
Eighty children were displaced from their folklore group after decades of tradition.
A cathedral transformed from a beacon of unity into a fortress of division.
"Is this about sending a fake picture to the Patriarch and the Holy Synod?" one parishioner questioned. "A photo op to say, 'Look, I fixed it,' while ignoring the pain of the people who built this church with their own hands?"
THE PATTERN:
This isn't the first flare-up under Bishop Irinej's tenure. Similar rebellions have erupted across the Eastern American Diocese, from forced priest removals to accusations of heavy-handed control.
In Cleveland, the saga began long ago and escalated with the abrupt reassignment of Father Kosić last October, followed by the installation of a "temporary trusteeship" that sidelined the legally chosen leadership.
Protests have drawn police intervention multiple times, with officers citing trespassing orders allegedly tied to the bishop's directives.
Official statements from the diocese deny direct involvement in trespassing bans or police calls, but parishioners see a pattern of avoidance and intimidation. Video evidence tells a different story: On December 29th, police announced through megaphones, "The Bishop doesn't want you here." On December 5th, Katarina Derekh offered her phone to police with the bishop on the other end, confirming these were his orders.
THE TESTIMONY:
"We've stood here in rain, snow, and bitter cold for months, pleading for our voices to be heard," said one longtime parishioner. "Today, the bishop sneaks in like a thief in the night, hides behind police barricades, and pretends everything is fine. No words for us, no solutions — just a show for the cameras."
WHAT TRUE LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE:
True leadership means confronting problems head-on.
True leadership means walking among the people, not behind a wall of badges.
True leadership means dialogue, not deception.
True leadership means humility, not hubris.
Bishop Irinej's secret sortie speaks volumes about his priorities — and it's not the souls entrusted to his care.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:
As the dust settles on today's liturgy, the divide only deepens. Parishioners vow to continue their stand, undeterred by the bishop's evasion tactics.
Legal battles loom. Concerned congregants have retained attorneys, arguing that Ohio state law on nonprofit organizations is being violated.
"This isn't just about one priest or one visit," another parishioner added. "It's about preserving the soul of our church from those who wield power without compassion."
THE VERDICT:
The faithful of St. Sava deserve better: accountability, reconciliation, and a bishop who walks among them, not behind a wall of badges.
Until then, the chants of shame will only grow louder.
With gatherings now entering their fifth month, the rift at St. Sava shows no signs of healing, raising urgent questions about leadership, accountability, and the future of Serbian Orthodoxy in America.
The community watches — and waits — for a genuine path to resolution.
Bishop Irinej's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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