APPEAL FOR SUPPORT TO REBUILDING OF THE MONASTERY OF BEŠENOVO

„Grace and peace to you from God, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble, with the comfort we ourselves receive from God “ – (Cor. 1,2-4)
Following the instruction of His Eminence Vasilije, Bishop of Srem, we started the reconstruction of the Monastery of Besenovo, with the goal of restoring, at least, the church dedicated to the holy archangels, with God’s blessing and support of good people, on the 70th anniversary of its destruction.
For that purpose, we appeal and ask all the people of good intentions to support this great and God-pleasing undertaking.
According to oral tradition, the Monastery was built by King Dragutin Nemanjic, who was the ruler of Srem. He placed the monastery on one of main springs that provided water for the old Sirmium, today’s Sremska Mitrovica. The cross of the Monastery of Besenovo was mentioned already in 1292, that is, during Dragutin’s rule.
The written traces of the Monastery date back to the 15th century. The Monastery played an important role in the cultural and spiritual life of the Orthodox people. The Turks pillaged the Monastery on several occasions, chasing away the monks, and the Habsburg Monarchy, also, was not positively inclined toward it. Wise Metropolitan Pavle Nenadovic, who was well-aware of its spiritual and national importance, played an important role in the restoration of the Monastery in the time of the Habsburg Monarchy.
Resting in the Monastery since 1773 are the remains of Colonel Aleksandar Raskovic, the last duke of the Raskovic family, direct descent of the holy Nemanjic dynasty. His father Atanasije had raised the people’s uprising in Stari Vlah area, immediately before the Second migration of the Serbs to the Pannonian Plain and his uncle, Patriarch Arsenije Jovanovic IV Sakabenta led that migration.
The tomb of Aleksandar Raskovic, covered with bushes, was found accidentally, during excavation of the foundations of the monastery and will be restored, within the reconstruction of the Monastery.
As Besenovo is away from the main roads, it provided shelter to the monks from Sremska Ravanica and Jazak
monasteries, that fled before the rampaging Ustasha that occupied Srem during WWII. The relics of the Holy Prince Lazar and Holy Emperor Uros were also kept in the Monastery at the beginning of the Second World War. From there, in 1942, thanks to the efforts and courage of priest Radoslav Grujic, the relics were taken to the Cathedral Church in Belgrade. To the sorrow and grief of Serbian people, the Ustasha, followed the order of the Government of the Independent State of Croatia and looted Besenovo and, in 1944, the German aviation bombed the Monastery, to the ground, as well as the nearby village.
The post-war communist authorities tacitly approved of stealing of the bricks and other construction materials, while Monastery was left without its estate, and, when the Abbot Nikodim complained about that, it stayed even without its remaining land. After that, only abandoned ruins of the church and the lodging shelters remained.
It is up to us, now, donating as much as we can, to correct the historic injustice and rebuild the Monastery toward the sky of our holy Fruska Gora mountain.
Wishing that we pray God in restored Monastery of Besenovo, I bless you and wish you peace and health from God!

Abbot of the Besenovo Monastery:
Protosyngellos haji-Аrsenije Matic,
professor at the Sremski Karlovci Seminary
Donations for rebuilding of the Besenovo monastery can be transferred to the following accounts:
1. Dinar account number:
340-11007646-60
with Erste Bank.
2. FX account of the Monastery of Besenovo and instructions for making foreign payments:
CORRESPONDENT BANK FOR (EUR, USD, JPY, AUD, DKK, CAD) INCOMING PAYMENTS:
SWIFT CODE: GIBAATWGERSTE GROUP BANK AG WIEN, AUSTRIA
ACCOUNT OF THE BENEFICIARY WITH:
SWIFT CODE: GIBARS22
ERSTE BANK A.D. NOVI SAD
BENEFICIARY:
IBAN: RS35340000001101007936NAME: SRPSKI PRAVOSLAVNI MANASTIR BEŠENOVO
ADDRESS: ŽIKE BEGANOVIĆA BB, BEŠENOVO, SERBIA
Concerning donations of construction materials and other required materials, you can contact, directly, the Abbot of the Monastery of Besenovo Arsenije Matic on the following phone numbers: 00 381 (0)63 366 213 and 00 381 (0)65 803 23 27.