JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA - BISHOP IRINEJ'S GULAG“ Unlimited power in the hands of limited people always leads to cruelty!” A. Solzhenitsyn

The beloved priest of St. Sava Cathedral in Parma, removed in October 2025 as retaliation towards parishioners who appealed to the Holy Synod. The priest whose family was terrorized on December 5th when the bishop's family and kumovi board invaded their home. The priest whose parishioners now stand in -2°F snowstorms rather than legitimize the illegal regime that replaced him.

But Fr. Dragoslav is not the first. He's not even the fifth.

He's the latest victim in an eight-year campaign of systematic persecution that began in 2017 and continues today. This is the untold story - the pattern Bishop Irinej Dobrijević has spent years hiding. The trail of destroyed priests, traumatized families, and shattered parishes stretching across the entire Eastern American Diocese.

Let's name them. Every single one. Because they deserve to be remembered, and because patterns don't lie.

THE PATTERN BEGINS: 2017

VICTIM #1: PROTOJEREJ-STAVROPHOR FR. STEFAN ZAREMBA

St. Petersburg, Florida → Driven Out Before Johnstown ExileSerbian Church's Loss. ROCOR's Gain.

August 2017. The persecution campaign begins.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio (June 24, 1963), Fr. Stefan was baptized and raised at St. Sava Cleveland - the very church now suffering under Bishop Irinej's illegal regime. His great-grandfather, Nikola Uzelac, was one of its founders. Four generations of his family are buried in Cleveland's Orthodox Cemetery.

In 1982, under Bishop Christopher's blessing, he went to Belgrade, graduating from Bogoslovski Fakultet in 1987. There he met Svetlana. They married in 1990. He was ordained October 14, 1990 at St. Sava Cleveland.

27 years of faithful service followed:

• St. George SOC, New Jersey

• Holy Ascension, Youngwood, PA

• St. George Lazarica, Midland, PA

• St. Sava, St. Petersburg, Florida

For 10 years he directed the Diocesan Children's Camp in Shadeland, PA. In Florida, he was appointed Dean of the St. Petersburg Deanery. By August 2017, he had served 14 years in St. Petersburg.

Then came the letter.

THE REMOVAL

"Act of Transfer" to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Reason: "Needs of the diocese." Time given: ONE MONTH.

Fr. Stefan wrote explaining why one month wasn't enough: His wife Svetlana faced serious surgery. Their son had just started college. They owned a home requiring time to sell.

Bishop Irinej's response: Silence.

He never asked what was wrong with Svetlana, how long she needed to recover, or about their son's education. After one week of silence, the message was clear: Bishop wanted them gone.

THE EXODUS

Facing impossible circumstances - wife needing surgery, son in college, one month to move, and a bishop who wouldn't respond - Fr. Stefan made a heartbreaking decision. He asked to leave the Serbian Orthodox Church and be received by ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia).

ROCOR accepted him immediately.

Then - and only then - Fr. Stefan asked Bishop Irinej for canonical release.

Bishop Irinej replied immediately. The same bishop who couldn't respond about a wife's surgery suddenly had time when Fr. Stefan wanted OUT.

Fr. Stefan now serves as priest at St. Andrew's Russian Orthodox Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. In Svetlana's words: "That does not remove the pain and suffering that we did not have any other choice and basically had to leave."

A priest whose great-grandfather founded St. Sava Cleveland, with four generations buried there, who gave 27 years to the Serbian Church - forced out. Maybe too much Serbianism. 

His "crime": Unknown. Never explained.

VICTIM #2: PROTOJEREJ-STAVROPHOR FR. ZIVOJIN JAKOVLJEVIC

St. Sava Cathedral, NYC → Removed Twice → Now Victorious

Born in Valjevo, Serbia (May 4, 1968), Fr. Zivojin holds a Ph.D. and published extensively on Serbian Church history. He taught at Cleveland State University and lectured in Serbian language, culture, and theology.

In August 2016, following the devastating Easter fire at St. Sava Cathedral NYC, he was appointed Cathedral Dean to oversee reconstruction of this historic 1851 landmark.

His mistake: Taking that task seriously.

THE FIRE AND THE MONEY

St. Sava Cathedral sits on Manhattan real estate with "air rights" estimated at $90 MILLION. Leading experts estimated reconstruction at $3.5 million. By 2020, costs exceeded $8 MILLION with only a basic metal roof installed.

How? Bishop Irinej imposed his Australian friend, Don Živković, as contractor. Prices were doubled. Checks were demanded without attached invoices for materials. Fr. Zivojin, as Cathedral Dean, started asking questions:

Where is the money going? Why double the estimate? Where are the invoices?

These questions made him dangerous.

P.S. Why import a contractor from Australia when New York has thousands of qualified contractors? This is the catch: American contractors require proper invoicing, licensing, and accountability. Bishop's friend from Australia? No such inconveniences. No accountability

THE MEMORANDUM (JUNE 2019)

By 2019, the financial dispute in New York had reached crisis. The parish supported Fr. Zivojin. Bishop Irinej was forced to negotiate.

June 2019: Bishop signed a Memorandum promising to restore the legally elected Administration and not abuse Fr. Zivojin. With encouragement from the late Patriarch Irinej (who personally protected Fr. Zivojin), the parish agreed to drop prepared lawsuits for "peace in the house."

Everyone believed the bishop would keep his word. Everyone was wrong.

THE BETRAYAL (SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2020)

September 2020: Parish held elections for new Executive Board. Bishop refused to confirm them for over two months, inventing excuses: insufficient education, election irregularities.

Why? The elected board supported Fr. Zivojin, who was still asking about the $8+ million.

But Bishop couldn't openly strike while Patriarch Irinej - Fr. Zivojin's protector - was alive.

THE DEATHBED STRIKE (NOVEMBER 16, 2020)

November 2020: Patriarch Irinej fell gravely ill with COVID-19. Bishop saw his chance.

November 16, 2020 (Đurđić): After Liturgy, Bishop handed Fr. Zivojin removal papers. Effective immediately. Transferred to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Reason: "Needs of the service."

Real reason: The dying Patriarch could no longer protect him.

Think about the timing: The patriarch who had personally protected Fr. Zivojin lay dying of COVID-19. Bishop Irinej chose that moment to break every promise.

He literally stabbed the dying Patriarch in the back.

THE PEOPLE RISE UP

Online petition launched: Over 2,000 signatures demanding Fr. Zivojin's reinstatement and independent audit. Daily protests outside Bishop's New Rochelle residence: 30+ vehicles, car horns, banners reading "Save the Serbian Orthodox Church," "We Are All Father Zivojin." Protests spread to Cleveland and other cities.

Patriarch Irinej intervened from his deathbed. Fr. Zivojin was reinstated.

THE SECOND REMOVAL

Patriarch Irinej died of COVID-19 in November 2020. The moment his protector was gone, Bishop struck again. Fr. Zivojin was removed a second time.

But the battle continued.

ATTEMPTED REPLACEMENT  

Bishop wanted to replace Fr. Zivojin - a Ph.D. scholar, Cathedral Dean - with Fr. Milan Dragović, who was expelled from the Western Dioceses by his bishop, Maxim, because of hiring private security to physically expel parishioners from the Assembly in Salt Lake City, UT. Fr. Milan was suitable for bishop Irinej to manage a church sitting on $90 million in air rights.  

But bishop Irinej accepted him to replace Fr. Zivojin in New York, and assigned Fr. Zivojin to Johnstown, PA. 

This is the priest Bishop considered suitable to control a church sitting on $90 million in air rights.

Why? Because competent priests ask uncomfortable questions about missing millions. Incompetent priests do what they're told.

THE VICTORY

As of today, Fr. Zivojin Jakovljevic proudly serves as Cathedral Dean of St. Sava Cathedral in New York City - the position Bishop Irinej tried twice to steal from him. Through the support of the faithful, the intervention of hierarchs, and his own courage, Fr. Zivojin prevailed.

He won. The bishop lost.

Summary:

• His "crime": Demanded audit of $8M+ (estimate was $3.5M), stood between Bishop and $90M air rights

• Bishop's response: Signed Memorandum (broken), removed him while Patriarch dying, removed again after Patriarch's death

• The result: Fr. Zivojin still serves as Cathedral Dean - victorious

                                                           THE END OF PART 1  - Tomorrow Part 2