Thе fact that all what is good in good people easily turns into a tradition, the 8th Freemasonic Picnic showed again. Traditionally, Prijepolje and its surroundings were chosen as the venue. The Fraternity of the Honorable Lodge “Light of the Balkans” once again accepted with pleasure the complex but impeccable organization of this event.
The gathering lasted three days, from June 10th to 12th 2022. The gathering of the Brothers, together with their family members, began on Friday, during the afternoon and early evening. The shady porch of the hostess of the Mileševo monastery was the place where we gathered after the trip. With Fraternal talks and refreshments, we filled up with energy to go through the planned events, together with surprises that only the organizers knew about, in a cheerful and unique Fraternal Column.
Saturday morning brought the first hint that this Freemasonic Picnic will be themed around Chivalry, as befits members of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Brother V.R. very inspired us through the long and colorful history of Mileševo, but also introduced us to the hidden architectural and iconographic symbols of the monastery and their messages and bequests, among which is certainly the greatest secret of the spear of St. George the Victorious.
What followed was adequate for such a beginning. After a short drive, during which, behind every curve, some new heights and depths were revealed to us, unique in their perspectives of the picturesque mountain landscape of western Serbia, we came to the slopes of the Jadovnik mountain, over 1700 meters high. Our destination was the Davidovica monastery from the 13th century. The central building is a simple but very harmonious single-nave church, which with its simplicity unequivocally reveals the philosophy of monks and knights. Jug Bogdan and eight of his Nine Jugovićs, his knights, were buried in it. Not far from the monastery was the palace where Jug Bogdan, duke Vratko Nemanjić lived and ruled, where his sister, princess Milica, often visited him.
The continuation of this unique spiritual path took us to Kamena Gora, now the traditional final destination of the Freemasonic Picnic. There followed another, final surprise of the organizers. In three beautiful and trained female voices, sisters and daughters of our hosts, a capella was performed a potpourri of old, but also the latest Serbian spiritual songs. The selection of songs, together with the superb performance, created a strong and rounded impression of an unbroken unity with our deep roots.
Because of all this, we will remember this Freemasonic Picnic as a visit to Heavenly Serbia.