Saint Varnava (Nastić)
Saint Varnava (Nastić), New-confessor (1914-1964)
Varnava may be spelt Barnabas.
Vladika may be spelt Vladyka.
Atanasije may be spelt Athanasius.
Nastić may be spelt Nastich.
The biography of Saint Varnava (Nastić) is included in this list primarily because he is considered to be a saint of North America, and also because many (not only Serbs) in Canada would like to know about him.
Early life of Vojislav Nastić
On 31 January, 1914, Vojislav Nastić was born into a family of Serbian immigrants in Gary, Indiana, USA, which is not far to the east from Chicago, Illinois. His father and mother were Atanasije and Zorka Nastić and the family attended the Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church of Gary, Indiana. This congregation and Temple are now located in Merrillville, Indiana.
It was in Gary that Vojislav was the first person to be baptised in that Temple. There, he served as an Altar-server. It was also in Gary that he was first recognised as a youthful prodigy in his reciting of Serbian folklore and old ballads.
Vojislav attended the Froebel Elementary School in Gary.
Nastić family
In 1923, when Vojislav was a child 9 years of age, his parents returned to their homeland along with their son. At that time, it was called the “Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes”. It was later called the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the former is often treated simply as the latter.
Vojislav attended the high-school (gymnasium) in Sarajevo in Bosnia, and he graduated from it with honours in 1933. When he finished the gymnasium, Varnava's father took him to see Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović) in order to receive the bishop's blessing to study theology, “the science of sciences” (theology). It seems that the young man himself or his father already knew the saint : the elder Nastić was an active participant in the movement of pilgrims, whose ideological inspirer was Vladika Nikolai. Having learned from Athanasius about his son’s desire to become a monk, the saint was very happy. He blessed the young man to graduate from the Theological Faculty in Belgrade and to pray earnestly for the fulfilment of his cherished desire.
Higher education
Vojislav Nastić continued his education at the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Orthodox Theology. He graduated from this faculty in 1937. He defended a diploma of the Theological Faculty with a total score of 9.34 points, and he shared first place in academic performance with his friend Lazar Milin.
After graduating, he was assigned to teach as a catechist in 2 high schools (gymnasiums) in Sarajevo.
Saint Nikolaj Velimirović) commented about him that
With his works, and even more with his ascetic life, he won the hearts of young Serbs and was their spiritual leader and teacher. Faith and the service of God, which the intellectuals had pushed to the margins of social life, he returned to its centre, and he thereby placed spiritual and moral values over material achievements.
Vojislav as a student
Despite the fact that Vojislav had material as well as intellectual resources, his spiritual resources were greater still. In this context, after he had spent some time teaching, his heart led him towards the monastic way of completed devotion to and focus on Christ. Therefore, he gave up everything and he entered the Mileševa Monastery, where he was tested and formed as a monk.
Monastic tonsure, 1940
In 1940, Vojislav was tonsured to be a monk in the Mileševa Monastery by Metropolitan Petar (Zimonjić) of Dabar-Bosna. He received the name Varnava (Barnabas) in memory of the Apostle Barnabas.
Diaconal ordination, 1940
In 1940, the monk Varnava Nastić) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Petar (Zimonjić) of Dabar-Bosna.
Diaconal service ; World War II
The Hierodeacon Varnava (Nastić) remained in Sarajevo during World War II.
On 6 April, 1941, German troops, supported by their allies, invaded Yugoslavia ; and on 17 April, 1941, the surrender of the Yugoslav army was signed. The country was divided by occupation zones. Sarajevo, with the cathedral seat of the Dabrobosnian Metropolitanate, became part of the then-created puppet Independent State of Croatia.
Under the leadership of the nationalist Ustashe regime, a large-scale terror against the Serbian Church was unfolded in the "Nezavisna Država Hrvatska" (NDH), the "Independent Sate of Croatia". The Orthodox clergy was subjected to physical violence, arrests and forced deportation. By the autumn of 1941, not a single acting Serbian bishop remained on the territory of the National Palace of Arts: 3 bishops suffered martyrdom, and 2 more, having suffered torture and bullying, miraculously ended up in the territory of central Serbia occupied by the Germans.
One of the serious tests for Hierodeacon Varnava came from the Croatian fascists ("Ustashe") leader, Ante Pavlić, the “headman” of the NDH, the "Independent State of Croatia". This was a puppet state of the Nazi German government, with strong ties to the Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini. After a wave of terror, which severely injured the Serbian Orthodox Church, a separate "church" entity was created by the Ustache with the participation of the German "Special Services". The ultimate goal of this project was to weaken the Orthodox population of its Serbian national identity. Mr. Pavlić, attempting to play on his pride, invited Hierodeacon Varnava to go to Zagreb and to become a bishop of the newly-formed "Croatian Orthodox Church", which they had organised in order to subvert the Serbian Orthodox population in Croatia and in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Hierodeacon Varnava categorically refused this. He also refused co-operation with the Yugoslav Communist partisans, who also stained themselves with the blood of the Serbian clergy.
Soon, it became necessary that Hierodeacon Varnava leave Sarajevo in order to preserve his life.
In April, 1944, the territory of Yugoslavia was completely liberated from the invaders. However, the long-awaited freedom brought the Serbian Orthodox Church new suffering. It was at this time that the Yugoslav Communists came to power in the country, under the leadership of Comrade Josip B Tito. During the first months after the expulsion of the invaders, dozens of clergymen were shot dead by Communist partisans. The process of establishing a new statehood was marked by a sharp deterioration in the relationship between the higher Church hierarchy and the representatives of the new government. Patriarch Gavrilo (Dožić), who had been released by the Germans secretly in 1945, was able to return to the country only in November, 1946, when the Communists considered this more timely from their perspective.
Presbyteral ordination, 1945
In 1945, after the war was over, the Hierodeacon Varnava (Nastić) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Nektarije (Krulj) of the Eparchy of Zvornik and Tuzla
Pastoral service
Immediately upon his ordination to the Holy Priesthood, the Hieromonk Varnava (Nastić) was elevated to the dignity of “protosyncellus” (“protosyngellos”).
On 20 May, 1947, at its first regular session, the Holy Bishops’ Assembly (“Sabor”) of the Serbian Orthodox Church, under the chairmanship of Patriarch Gabriel, elected the Protosyngellos Varnava (Nastić) to become a bishop.
Episcopal ordination, 1947
On 19 August, 1947, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ, Patriarch Gavrilo (Rajić), together with Bishop Nektarije (Krulj) of Zvornik-Tuzla, and Bishop Vikentije (Prodanov) of Zletovo and Strumica (in present-day Macedonia), ordained the Hieromonk Varnava (Nastić) to the Holy Episcopate.
Bishop Varnava (Nastić)
Episcopal service
Bishop Varnava (Nastić) was assigned to serve as the Bishop of the Diocese of Hvosno (Khvostansky), and at the same time as a Vicar-Bishop to the Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo (Rajić).
Then, in addition to his responsibilities as the Bishop of Hvosno in Metohija-Kosovo, Bishop Varnava was assigned also to the responsibility of temporarily administering the Diocese of Dabar-Bosna. This time of service as an administrator was during a gap between the service of Bishop Petar (Zimonjić) (1920-1941) and the service of Bishop Nektarije (Krulj) (1951-1966).
Vladika Varnava concelebrating the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy
Returning to Sarajevo (the capital of the Federal Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Bishop Varnava (Nastić) developed an active archpastoral service. Through his sermons in the cathedral, he attracted the interest of the local intelligentsia. It seems that he also began openly to criticise the new communist government (from 11 November, 1945) for mistreating the Church. This could not and did not go unnoticed by the Yugoslav state security authorities : already on 25 December, 1947, Vladika Varnava was arrested.
Having received a message from the church court of the Dabrobosnian Metropolitanate, Bishop Nektarije (Krulj) of Zvornik-Tuzla informed the Holy Synod of the situation.
On 2 February, 1948, an appeal was sent to the State Commission for Religious Affairs under the Presidium of the Government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia :
The Holy Synod of Bishops was notified by the church court in Sarajevo that the Vicar-Bishop of Hvostan, His Grace Varnava, was deprived of his liberty in Sarajevo on 25 December, 1947 and that he is still in prison. The Holy Synod of Bishops does not have any official report about why he is deprived of his liberty ; and according to rumours, he is deprived of his liberty because of some of his speeches made in the Sarajevo Cathedral. The Holy Synod of Bishops does not know the exact content of these conversations, but if this is so, then we believe that these conversations could not have been malicious. The Holy Synod of Bishops has the honour to ask the Presidium of the Union Government to ensure that His Grace, the Bishop Hvostan, Vladika Varnava, be released [...] and that further investigation against him be stopped, and that the Synod will advise him that in the future he should be moderate and evade everything of what can be considered unauthorised.
Soon, the commission received the answer that the commission was not in a position to influence the process within the jurisdiction of the judiciary, and that it would have to wait for a “judicial review and final court decision”. The trial and sentencing were not long in coming.
The trial, 1947
One of the accusations seems to have been that Vladika Varnava was an American spy. In order to support this accusation, it was presented as evidence that he was teaching his sister the English language so she could be used as a spy for the Americans. During his trial, Vladika Varnava was not permitted to deliver a final defence statement because “it was feared that he would expose and reveal the government's criminal, terroristic and tyrannical policies”.
On 1 March, 1948, Vladika Varnava was sentenced by the Sarajevo District Court to 11 years in a strict regime with forced labour, and 3 years of deprivation of civil rights. The bishop had been charged with "crimes under articles 2, 3 and 9 of the Law on Crimes Against the People and the State".
A summary of the main points of the charges would be :
1. That he met with representatives of the elements in Sarajevo "hostile to the existing order", and with some representatives of the peasantry, during which, he expressed the intention to undermine and ultimately to overthrow the people’s power. He attacked the main democratic directions of the war of liberation ; he emphasised that lawlessness reigns in the country and that because of tyranny the people do not have power in their hands ; that there is no freedom ; that the peasant masses have never been worse off than today ; and that there have never been more difficult times for them.
2. On 21 November, 1947, while preaching and talking with people in the Old Church in Sarajevo, he attacked the Yugoslav Army : he claimed that “the army is an organisation for killing people ; that it only spends a huge amount of financial resources ; that officers are hypocrites and losers, who, in the event of a collision, will be the first to flee ; that the army is not needed and that our fatherland should not be protected with weapons in case of an attack by external enemies. All this was done with the intention of averting the draftees from military service, of inciting hatred towards officers and, thus, ensuring the unhindered enslavement of Yugoslavia.
3. In his speeches on 19 August, 1947, at the ordination in Belgrade, and on 14 September, 1947, at a meeting of the administrative council in Sarajevo, as well as in private conversations, he "incited the masses against the existing state system and state leadership". He claimed that the people's power persecutes the Church and restricts freedom of conscience, religion and religious rites.
4. In a sermon delivered on 21 September, 1947, in the New Church in Sarajevo, he “slanderously attacked the five-year economic plan” of Yugoslavia, in that he likened the realities of socialist construction with the situation in Nazi Germany, and he compared Yugoslav youth with Nazi youth. At the same time, he convinced the audience that all the efforts of the peoples of Yugoslavia were in vain and that the country would perish if it did not adopt a “certain religious plan”. All this was done "with the obvious intention to undermine the unity of forces in the struggle for the construction of the country, to bring confusion and doubt, and to avert the masses, and especially the youth, from participating in the implementation of the five-year plan".
5. In the summer of 1945, he met with the leader of the Ustashe gangs, the Catholic Priest Ivan Chondrich, who had been sentenced to death. At these meetings, Chondrich in detail acquainted Vladika Varnava with the existence of a secret Catholic organisation in Sarajevo, its relations with troops in the forest, and the goal of waging a terrorist struggle against the existing order, as well as about its contacts with hostile elements abroad. At the same time, the issue of establishing contacts between gangs of Croatian Ustashe and Serbian nationalists-Chetniks was discussed. Vladika Varnava was allegedly initiated into a secret plan for the joint subversive activities of these organisations, an integral part of which was the establishment of cooperation between the Catholic and Orthodox clergy in Sarajevo. According to the prosecution, Bishop Varnava agreed with these plans of Chondich and adopted a "jointly prepared platform aimed at overthrowing the existing order in our country".
6. After adopting a platform unified with Chondich, he carried out an ideological campaign to save and support the remaining Chetnik gangs from destruction. He claimed that "every Serb involved in some way in the fight against the Chetniks is a traitor to Serbism".
7. In the period 1945-1947, in sermons, letters, and in person, he acted as a “arsonist of the war,” and developed propaganda ideas about the temporality and fragility of the situation existing in Yugoslavia. He claimed that inevitably there would be a war between the Anglo-Americans and the USSR, as a result of which the former would overthrow the system existing in the "Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"("FRNY"), and the Soviet Union, under pressure, would be forced to give the peoples of Yugoslavia new economic and political dependence on foreign imperialists. He also argued that Yugoslav emigrants returning to their homeland should not come, because in this country there is no freedom and work.
8. Twice (in 1945, and in April, 1947) in order to slander Yugoslavia and interfere with foreign forces in its internal affairs, “made contact with well-known members of foreign missions” and “personally and maliciously” informed them of the situation in Yugoslavia, in particular the abuse of humanitarian aid by the "UNRA" (United Nations Rehabilitation Administration) and the American Red Cross and its use for political purposes. He persuaded foreign representatives that the dictatorship of one political group ruled in the country and that religion and the Church were persecuted.
9. He worked on the destruction of the “brotherhood and unity of peoples”, carrying out “chauvinistic propaganda directed against Croats and Muslims”, and declaring “that both must be hated and that Serbs do not hate them enough now” amid the fact that Croats and Muslims in every way were supported by the state to the detriment of the Serbian people.
Bishop Varnava in the courtroom
The bold behaviour of Vladika Varnava at the trial is evidenced by the fact that when the public prosecutor asked if he considered Comrade Tito an illiterate person, Vladika answered in the affirmative, adding that this refers to “him and all the others who do not want to know these three letters : God”. At the end of one of the interrogations, the confessor boldly answered the court : “It doesn’t surprise me that you judge me and that so many priests have already been convicted, because it was done by Turks, Ustashi, and Germans. I only regret that there are atheists among my people, “For among My people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit” (Jeremiah 5:26).
The behaviour of Vladika Varnava during the trial was truly heroic. According to the testimony of his lawyer, he behaved very bravely and wisely, not giving the opportunity to the prosecution to draw other Serbian bishops into his case. This detail is especially important when we consider that during this period the sword of “communist justice” was also brought upon other bishops who were objectionable to the new regime.
Domestic and foreign newspaper and magazine reports
The story of the arrest and conviction of Vladika Varnava was actively covered in the Yugoslav press, which tried to denigrate the bishop's honest name. On 3 March, 1948, a headline appeared in the "Belgrade Politics" entitled “The People’s Court sentenced Vladika Varnava (Nastich) to 11 years in prison and forced labour”. The news item said that the treacherous activity of the bishop “was aimed at overthrowing and endangering” the state system through violence. The correspondent wrote : “Nastich [...] attacked the armed forces and defences of our country with the aim of killing the faith in the power of our army among the masses and averting people from joining it”.
On 11 March, 1948, the same newspaper wrote in an article entitled “Traitor Bishop” : “After last year’s conviction, Archbishop Stepinac was recently followed by the Orthodox Dabrobosnian Bishop Varnava (Nastich), who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his criminal cases. Both representatives of ecclesiastical hierarchy, although they belong to different churches, were responsible for the same criminal acts committed against the people and the state. Their crimes are based on the same understanding of the attitude towards the people and they are committed from the same motives”. At the end of the article, its author indiscriminately blames the entire Serbian Church for not calling the bishop to account and openly not dissociating herself “from the treacherous activity” of some bishops. Other Yugoslav newspapers published similar attacks.
The opposite assessment of events appeared on the pages of the foreign (primarily American) press. In February-March, 1948, articles about the arrest of Bishop Varnava appeared in "The Washington Post", "The New York Times", "Time" and the "Post Tribune". Apparently, these publications were promoted not only by the general anti-communist rhetoric of American publications and the presence of a significant Serbian diaspora in the USA, but also by the fact that the confessor himself was a native of the USA. The article in the "Post Tribune" was entitled : "The Tito Regime judges a Man born in Gary". The American press presented a reaction of some clergymen to the events in Yugoslavia. Thus, “Time” reported that the New York Episcopal Bishop, William Manning, said that the young Serbian bishop showed “a wonderful testimony in the name of the Lord, faith and human freedom”. The bishop emphasised, “I would like, about his example, to hear support from our country and the whole Christian world”. Bowing to the deeds of the confessor, the American bishop expressed the hope that his country "will do everything possible to support justice, freedom and humanity".
On 15 March, 1948, "The New York Times" in turn reported that, in connection with the condemnation of Vladika Varnava, a special service was held in the local Temple of Saint Savva, after which Vladika Nikolaj (Velimirović) spoke about the confessor. The Priest Dushan Shukletovich, who spoke after this, referred to the injustices and biases of the legal proceedings against the bishop-confessor.
Verdict and sentence
On 3 April, 1948, Bishop Nektarije (Krulj) of Zvornik-Tuzla informed the Holy Synod about the verdict imposed on Vladika Varnava. Bishop Nectarije saw the true reason for the arrest of his brother, in that earlier, in 1944, Hierodeacon Varnava had refused to co-operate with the partisans, which offended the Communists, who could not forgive the insult. During the subsequent years, they sought any convenient excuse for revenge. According to the firm conviction of Vladika Nektarije, this was the main reason for such a harsh sentence. At the same time, there was another recent influence : the condemnation of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Zagreb Aloysius Stepinac, and one of the spiritual leaders of the Bosnian Muslims, Kasim Dobrachi, each of whom received 16 years of imprisonment, to a large extent, also influenced the sentence of Bishop Varnava. The authorities, as a sort of compensation, needed to condemn a prominent representative of the Orthodox Church in order to support the image of “brotherhood-unity” and equal rights of all the peoples of the new Yugoslavia that was being introduced into the popular consciousness. The immediate pretext for the arrest was 2 vivid conversations of Vladika Varnava : “On the Plan”, and “On the Losers”. In the first, he allegedly averted believers from participating in the reconstruction of the country, and in the second he allegedly insulted the Yugoslav Army.
Vladika Nektarije (Krulj) concluded his remarks to the Holy Synod : “According to verified information, which we received from various sources, and especially from the lawyer Dr. Uros Ivanishevich who defended him, the behaviour of Vladika Varnava during the trial was worthy of all praise. Everything that was true, he acknowledged, even if it was to his detriment. He did not blame anyone, and with his answers he often confused the judges and the public prosecutor. In sum, his conduct before the court serves the honour of the Serbian Orthodox Church”.
Imprisonment, 1948
After the verdict had been announced, Vladika was sent from Sarajevo to Stolac, and then to the prison in Zenica, in eastern Bosnia. In prison there, his monastic clothing was removed, his hair was sheared and his beard was shaved. Despite humiliation and bullying, Bishop Varnava remained courageous. This, in particular, is evidenced by the message of Bishop Vasilije (Kostich) of Banja Luka : “From the priest Dusan Majenovic, released from the Zenik prison, I learned that Vladika Varnava is spiritually and physically feeling well”. While in custody, Vladika Varnava asked for the opportunity to receive Holy Communion, but the prison administration refused this request.
The hierarchy of the Serbian Church made efforts to rescue the bishop. Having replaced the late Patriarch Gabriel (Dozić), Patriarch Vikentije (Prodanov) of Serbia, during personal meetings with Marshal Tito on 21 and 15 September, 1950, asked him to take care of the situation of the imprisoned Metropolitan Joseph of Skopje and Bishop Varnava of Hvostan. Despite the fact that Mr. Tito had promised “to find mercy besides justice” for the mentioned bishops, Bishop Varnava remained in custody, and his conditions even deteriorated.
In his letter of 6 October, 1950, Patriarch Vikentije (Prodanov) again asked Mr. J Tito to release Vladika Varnava : “All circumstances, as well as our fraternal feelings, urge us to ask you, Mr. Chairman, on your behalf and on behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops, to let His Grace Varnava be released to freedom, and thereby be given the opportunity for useful and dedicated work for the good of the country and the Church”. Mr. Tito also ignored this request of the patriarch.
Meanwhile, Bishop Varnava was subjected to torture, lack of food, and was kept in the most isolated wing of the prison. However, Bishop Varnava remained calm. Every day, he sang the troparia and other hymns. In prison, Vladika Varnava gained respect and authority amongst the prisoners. The prison administration in Zenica wanted to transfer him to another place of detention. The justice authorities of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed with the proposal of the prison authorities, and a decision was made to transfer the bishop from Zenica to Sremska Mitrovica, located in Vojvodina, in the north of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.
An “accident”
On the day of the sending, Bishop Varnava, tied hand-in-hand with a Roman Catholic priest, was taken to a railway station and loaded into a prison carriage. When the passenger train arrived at the Slavkovtsi station near Sremskaya Mitrovica, the locomotive was disconnected, and the carriage with the prisoners remained where it was on the tracks. At about midnight, a freight train crashed into it at full speed. As a result of the powerful impact, the prison carriage literally shattered into chips. According to eyewitnesses and to Bishop Varnava, about 30 prisoners died in the disaster. The bishop himself, upon the impact, flew out the window along with the Catholic priest tied to him. At the same time, his brother accidentally died on the spot, and Vladika Varnava and about 10 other prisoners miraculously survived. However, both his legs were broken. Much evidence indicated that the disaster could have been especially arranged by the Special Services. After the crash, the police did their best to prevent eyewitnesses of the incident to help the victims. The groans of the injured people became weaker and completely stopped by the morning. Doctors were forbidden to provide medical care until representatives of the state security agencies OZNA (“Department for People's Protection”) arrived at the scene. They then escorted the survivors to the hospital in Sremska Mitrovica, where first aid was provided to the victims.
However, officers of the communist secret police, who arrived several hours later at the hospital, prohibited the doctors from providing further assistance. According to Velibor Dzhomich, Vladika Varnava was at that moment on the operating table, and his broken legs were being treated. A special hole was made in his legs, into each of which a metal rod was to be inserted. Despite the requests of doctors, the operation was stopped. All the victims were loaded onto bare boards in the back of a truck, which then travelled to the prison at high speed on a rough road. As a result, 2 inmates died en route. The rest were placed in a prison hospital. They were later returned to the Mitrovica city hospital, where Vladika Varnava lay for several months. Despite this situation, Vladika Varnava recovered from his injuries in a manner that was not expected. Such phenomena appear in the lives of some martyrs.
Upon leaving the prison in Sremsky Mitrovica, Bishop Varnava, at the request of the Holy Synod, was released for some time in Belgrade, and he lived in the Monastery of the Entrance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Believers in large numbers came to visit the bishop. This was very disturbing to the security agencies.
House arrest, 1951
In 1951, after the “accident”, the State Secretariat of the Interior transferred Vladika Varnava to "house arrest" in the Gomionica Monastery in the Diocese of Banja Luka, in the very west of Bosnia. On 20 June, 1953, Vladika Varnava appeared before the head of the local department of the interior in Banja Luka in order to inform him of his arrival.
Bishop Varnava at the Gomionitsa Monastery
Living in the Gomionica Monastery, the bishop, with his faith, courage and steadfastness exerted a beneficial influence not only on the monks and pilgrims who visited the monastery, but also on their guards. Here, as elsewhere, the confessor was especially distinguished by his prayer. Once, a sick man was brought to the monastery and they asked the bishop to read a prayer over him for healing. During the reading of the prayer, Vladika suddenly stopped, looked into the face of the sufferer and firmly said : “You are a great sinner. You are a killer ! Tell me whom you killed !” The unfortunate man admitted that he had killed the Igumen of Gomionitsa himself, whose grave was in the monastery courtyard. After talking with the patient and making sure of his sincere repentance, Vladika asked all those present to pray for him.
Thus, in prayers and labours, under constant guard, the confessor spent 5½ years in Gomionitsa. On 27 March, 1954, Vladika Varnava turned to the Holy Synod with a request to return to active episcopal service. On 5 April, 1954, the Holy Synod addressed the authorities about this same matter. A little later, Patriarch Vikentije (Prodanov), accompanied by Bishop Vissarion (Nechayev) of Banat, Bishop Hrizostom (Vojinović) of Branichev, Bishop German (Đorić) of Budapest (Budim) and members of the Holy Synod, visited the Allied Commission on Religious Affairs. During a conversation with the chairman of the commission Radosavljevich and other state functionaries, the patriarch also touched on the matter of Vladika Varnava. However, Mr. Radosavlyevich replied that there could be no question of the return of the bishop to active service.
Vladika Varnava remained in Gomionitsa until the beginning of 1959, when on 10 January, he was given an official notice that his 11-year sentence had expired on 25 December, 1958, and he again became a free citizen with all rights of movement. However, it soon became apparent that the true situation was somewhat different.
Move to Krushedol Monastery ; house arrest continues, 1958
At the invitation of Bishop Makarije (Djordjević) of Srem, Vladika Varnava moved to the Krushedol Monastery at Fruška Gora, where he settled in a small, modest cell. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Vladika Varnava had with him only the old well-worn mantle, which he wore while in prison. His monetary allowance was a modest pension of 15,000 dinars, which he, without hesitation, handed out to all those in need. In the monastery, Vladika Varnava served the Divine Services in his rank as a bishop.
Bishop Varnava with Bishop Makarije of Srem, at the Krushedol Monastery, 12 August, 1961
Even in Krushedol, Vladika Varnava continued to be the subject of special security concerns. A representative of the "UDBA" visited him at least once a week. The "UDBA" refers to "The Office for the Safety of Poverty" (that is, the "State Security Directorate"). The purpose of these visits was to force Vladika to sign a special statement that would express his loyalty to the official policy of the Communist state. Conversations of security agents with the bishop sometimes lasted whole nights. Such conversations can only be interpreted as coercive encounters. According to the memoirs of Protosingel Stefan Chakich, after 3 months of “working” with Vladika Varnava, the "UDBA" agents decided that the time was right, and they brought the prepared paper for signature. Despite their cunning persuasion, the confessor firmly refused to sign this document. He cited the fact that the document contradicted the Gospel principles, loyalty to which, in his opinion, must remain unshakable. Persuasion by some of his more accommodating fellow-bishops also did not persuade him.
The very presence of Vladika Varnava on Fruska Hill, a 1½ hour drive from Belgrade, worried the security agencies. They tried to move the politically unreliable bishop farther away from the capital of socialist Yugoslavia. On 27 May, 1960, Vladika was visited by a representative of the authorities. They insisted that the bishop must leave for Gomionitsa in order not to be present in Belgrade during the next meeting of the Sabor of Bishops. Vladika Varnava, moreover, had to withdraw his request to return to active service.
Despite everything, Vladika did not stop in his desire to serve the Church with full attention and energy. On 5 May, 1961, he sent another letter to the Council of Bishops, which again contained a request to return to active service. The nature and content of this letter in its entirety reflects the difficult and disenfranchised position both of the Church herself, and personally of Bishop Varnava. His fate depended entirely on the location of the authorities : “From all this it is clear that the state vetoed the Holy Bishops' Sabor with regard to my return. In other words, the reason for my non-return to pastoral service was not in the Holy Sabor of Bishops, but in the relations that developed between the government bodies of the FRNY and me”.
Vladika Varnava at the Monastery Vavadeniu in Senjaku
Transfer to the Beočin (Beochin) Monastery, 1963
In 1963, under pressure from the UDBA, the confessor was transferred to the Beočin Ascension Monastery, where he was followed more closely. Bishop Makarije of Srem wrote the following to the Holy Synod : “His Grace, Bishop Varnava of Khvostan has been under house arrest all the time, and he is guarded by 3 UDBA officers and 3 armed police officers. He also says that the mental and physical condition in which he lives is not at all comforting”. Having received this message, Patriarch German II (Djoric) of Serbia immediately turned to the state authorities with a request for the release of the bishop from house arrest. In response, a message was received that “Bishop Varnava is under house arrest because some individuals outside Yugoslavia want to transfer him abroad”.
Meanwhile, Vladika did not weaken in his ascetic exploits. Archdeacon Vikentije (Vujović), his Beočin Monastery brother, testified that Vladika Varnava kept himself in constant strict fasting and prayer. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he did not eat food at all. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he ate food without vegetable oil, and on Saturdays and Sundays with vegetable oil. Vladika Varnava ate fish only on great feast-days and he never ate meat. It is noteworthy that he recommended fasting and prayer even to the officers who kept watch over him at all times. In general, it was noticed that those assigned to guard Vladika soon enough began to feel a special disposition towards him and even ask for spiritual advice. Therefore, the composition of the guard was quite often changed.
On 11 April, 1964, a delegation visited the confessor in Beočin. The delegation consisted of Bishop Emilijan (Marinović) of Slavonia, Bishop Pavle (Stojčević) of Raška-Prizren (future Patriarch), and Bishop Andrej (Frušić) of Banja Luka. At this meeting, Bishop Varnava again said that he did not clearly understand the reason for his isolation, while all his attempts to meet with representatives of the security agencies and clarify the situation did not bring success.
Relatives of Vladika Varnava and philanthropists from the USA decided to give him a gift by sending him a car. The injuries sustained by the bishop during his imprisonment allowed him to count on the official status of a disabled person, which in turn implied the provision of significant benefits for the collection of customs duties. However, the Yugoslav bureaucratic machine refused to provide them for Vladika Varnava. The confessor was outraged not so much by the authorities’ refusal to grant him the privileges, but by the blatant hypocrisy of the government : opposing the bishop’s return to active service, the authorities referred to his physical disability, and at the same time denied him benefits on which he would normally rely as a disabled person.
In a telegram sent personally to President Joseph Broz Tito in July, 1963, Vladika wrote : “It has been more than 6 months since I sent you a letter, to which I still have not received an answer. You have no time. You are busy accepting concessions from the Serbian Orthodox Church and distributing privileges to the Roman Catholics. You do not have time to return the customs fee to the Serbian bishop, but you had a few years ago time and reasons to return the bishopric to the Croatian bishop, who shared a prison cell with me for a year and a half. You remain consistent in bloody paradoxical discrimination, since while in your prison this bishop and yet another archbishop were serving solemn masses, the bishop of the Serbian Church writing this letter was forced to clean the toilets. By this, you insulted not only the Serbian Vladika, but also anyone who feels like a Serb. Or perhaps it is not in your power to decide this ? Perhaps I need to turn to some other forum in the world ? In any case, I remain grateful to you”.
Regarding the same matter, on 15 June, 1964, Vladika Varnava sent a letter to the chairman of the Allied Commission for Religious Affairs, Momir Markovich. However, there was again no reply.
The active position in upholding his rights, the bold letters and telegrams of the bishop, and his desire to return to active service, apparently, caused more and more irritation amongst the Communists. Vladika Varnava posed a special danger to the authorities also because at one of the Church and People’s Councils in the USA in August, 1963, the question arose about the possible relocation of Vladika Varnava to America. Moreover, the demands of representatives of the Serbian diaspora took quite frank and radical forms. On 19 December, 1963, the chairman of the church community in Trieste, Dragoljub Vurdella, in an article titled “The Titovites Prepare the Killing of Varnava (Nastich)” in the newspaper “Serbian Struggle” called on the emigration to do everything possible to free the bishop. In Chicago, Illinois, a special committee was also formed in order to rescue Bishop Varnava (Nastić). Prominent representatives of the emigration spoke in his defence on the radio.
At the same time, the US Embassy in Belgrade began to show increased interest in the fate of Vladika Varnava. Vladika himself, according to the testimony of the Secretary of the Holy Synod Mladen Mladenović, said that he intended to respond to the invitation of the American Embassy and visit him, since he was awaiting the return of American citizenship, and he would like to go to America. Apparently, in this the holy confessor saw the only remaining opportunity to return to the active ministry of the Church and his people. It can be assumed that with increased pressure from the public and more active steps at the political level, this could very well have happened.
Of course, such a development of events did not suit the Communist authorities. It would be too reckless for them to let Vladika Varnava go to the West after everything he had experienced : it would undermine the “democratic” image and authority of socialist Yugoslavia and of Mr. Tito personally. Vladika Varnava became an increasingly uncomfortable figure for the Communists. At some time, the internal affairs bodies again tightened control over the bishop, and they forbade him to leave Beočin (Beochin).
However, the hierarchy of the Serbian Church was not idle. Their active interest and participation in the destiny of Vladika Varnava nevertheless led to some weakening of state control over the confessor. Vladika had the opportunity to leave the walls of the monastery, accompanied by police. Bishop Lukian of Osiechko polje and Baran recalled that, at one time, Vladoka Varnava arrived at the monastery of Kovil near Novi Sad in order to get some patristic literature. And immediately after the departure of the bishop, the then young Hierodeacon Lucian was called in to the representatives of the state security “for a talk”.
Evidence has also been preserved that Vladika Varnava was invited to give a lecture in the seminary in Sremsky Karlovtsy in the autumn of 1964. The confessor, who celebrated his 50th birthday during that same year, was still full of plans for his life. Nevertheless, on the morning of 12 November, 1964, Vladikia Varnava was taken by car by his uncle to the dentist. When he returned to the car, and they returned to the monastery, Vladika already complained that he felt unwell. Soon, he complained more and more that he was cold, especially his legs. Then, after a few moments of suffering and great pain, his life came to an end.
Repose, 1964
On 12 November, 1964, the sudden repose in Christ of Vladika Varnava interrupted his life-filled path of suffering for Christ.
Bishop Varnava (Nastic) fell asleep in the Lord on 12 November, 1964, under suspicious circumstances. This occurred at the Beočin Monastery on Fruška Gora mountain in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina.
The funeral service for Bishop Barnabas was performed by Bishop Makarije (Djordjević) of Srem, co-served by Bishop Emilijan (Marinović) of Slavonia and Bishop Pavle (Stojčević) of Rasko-Prizren. Patriarch German II (Djorič) of Serbia also came to pray for the repose of the newly-deceased and to give him the Last Kiss.
Some historians believe that he was poisoned by the "Department for People's Protection" (OZNA).
The body of the confessor was buried in the Temple of the Ascension of the Lord Monastery at Beoćin.
— Bishop of Hvosno 1947-1964. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.
— Vicar-Bishop to the Serbian Patriarch 1947-1964.
Glorification, 2005
On 15 May, 2005, during the regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church (at the Žitomislić Monastery), it was decided that Bishop Varnava was to be glorified to be a saint. His name was added to the Diptych of Saints, and to the calendar of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Notice of this act was sent to all the fraternal Orthodox Churches, so as to include him in the commemorations of all the Churches of the Orthodox Christian Faith.
The solemn glorification was performed during the Primatial Divine Liturgy in the Monastery of Žitomislić on 15 May, 2005.
Feast-day
The Feast-day of Saint Varnava of Khvostan is 30 October on the Julian Calendar, which is 12 November on the Revised Julian Calendar, the date of his repose.
Tropar Tone 1
O Holy Hierarch, Father Varnava,
we honour you as a true shepherd.
You were a courageous and fearless confessor ;
you suffered imprisonment and torture,
and undaunted, you sought steadfastly to serve the Church.
You bore fruit in your endurance :
your life was an image of goodness and faithfulness.
Through your holy intercessions,
may we be delivered from the wiles of the evil one.
Kontak Tone 3
O Holy Hierarch, Father Varnava,
in the bravery of your suffering,
you were an unquenchable light in the darkness of lies.
You calmly endured unjust condemnation and defamation ;
and with unfailing mercy, you served others.
With grateful hearts we cry out :
“God is wonderful in His saints”.
Bishop Varnava
Reflections
It is suggested that at that time, medicine was abused for political purposes. Therefore many claim that Bishop Varnava was poisoned.
The Archpriest-Stavrofor (Protopresbyter) Savo B Jovic wrote the following :
What can be deduced from the above is that Bishop Varnava was a remarkable personality, a man of holy life who kept watch over himself, informing others, and reminding them of the danger that was looming over them and over the whole nation. He was one with unceasing energy. He was an uncompromising fighter for truth and justice. He was a fiery patriot. He was a holy Archpastor of the Church of Christ. He was a true servant of the Holy Altar of God. He was a brave knight. He was a worthy witness of the Risen Christ. He was a torch that shone in the darkness, and which the darkness could not overcome (see John 1:5). He was a star that is not extinguished, which guides the generations to come. He was an almost unattainable example of goodness, honesty : an honesty that has always been aware that the sufferings of this time are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us, where not only mankind but substance itself will be freed from the enslavement to perishability to the freedom of the glory of the children of God (see Romans 8:18-21). He was a clergyman and a fearless confessor, who readily grappled with all the temptations that came to him, and which could not separate him from the philanthropic Lord Jesus Christ with whom he was, and with whom he remains eternally. Because of all the virtues with which he was adorned ; because of his heartfelt acceptance of the monastic endeavour and priestly service ; in brief, because of his entire life, God glorified him and revealed him to us as a saint.
The strange circumstances of the sudden death of the confessor lead his biographers to the idea that he was poisoned. There is no precise evidence for this ; but some of the circumstances and the general atmosphere that had developed around the personality of the bishop have given rise to a strong opinion that his life was interrupted with outside help.
Addressing in his farewell word to his deceased fellow-bishop, Bishop Makarije said : “You, our Holy Vladika, are moving away into the eternal and blissful path, for which you prepared daily. With your angelic life and good deeds, you have made smooth the path to the Kingdom of God. Our Heavenly Father will crown your episcopal head with an unfading crown of glory. The censer of faith in your soul burned with an unquenchable light and it lit up your life-path and all who turned to you for advice. Faith, hope and love for God and your boundless love for your neighbours were all the riches of your heart and soul ; and this wealth will never disappear. And now, when you part with us and depart to the Face of the incorruptible Judge, your path to eternity will be illumined by the rays of your good deeds”.
Saint Varnava
Writings
Writings by Saint Varnava (Nastić) :
"The Word spoken during his Sanctification to be the Bishop of Khvostan", 20 May 1947
"Is God out of Date ?" 19 August, 1947
"About Music" (from a letter to the Nuns of Yazak Monastery
"Is God out of Date ?" (a homily)
Writings about Bishop Varnava by various authors :
Janjic, Dr Jovan, "The Lightening in the Dark : The Holy Confessor Varnava (Nastic)" (Serbia, 2018).
Janjić, Dr Jovan, "Svetnosac U Mraku - Sveti Ispovednik Varnava (Nastić) - Sedma Sila" (Serbia, 2018). (in Serbian)
Tomić, V [ћomiћ V], “The Sufferer of the Serbian Church under the Communists” (Cetinje, 1997).
Janjic, Dr Jovan, "The Lightening in the Dark : The Holy Confessor Varnava (Nastic)" (Serbia, 2018).
Jović, Archbishop Savo B, “Holy Confessor Barnabas, Bishop of Hvostan (1914-1964) (Belgrade, 2004). ISBN : 86-903181-1-9.
Hall, Jared, “An American Saint faces the Communists”
Kontak 1
Let us celebrate the great saint of the Gospel in the latter years, since he voluntarily suffered for Christ, and he was always calm ; thus, he showed us the way to salvation ; therefore, although unworthy, we cry out to him :
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Ikos 1
You were a heavenly man and an angel on the earth, our Holy Father Varnava, because you have fulfilled the commandments of Christ on the earth. Now, although we are small before you, we exclaim :
Rejoice, star came from the West.
Rejoice, for the western world has not darkened you.
Rejoice, because God chose you from the womb.
Rejoice, because you were educated in holy Serbia.
Rejoice, because you already showed a zeal for truth in school.
Rejoice, because you proved to be an obedient student.
Rejoice, wonderful fruit planted by your teachers.
Rejoice, because you have resisted all the earthly temptations.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 2
After graduating from high school, you went to Ohrid where you received a blessing from the Holy Bishop Nikolaj to enrol in the Theological Faculty. Your desire for monasticism seemed ridiculous to your friends, but you did not look back on it, and you sang to the Lord of Glory : Alleluia.
Ikos 2
In university, you already showed great reasoning, especially in the article "On Pride", at which the Holy Bishop Nikolaj himself was amazed. However, as the devil was disturbed by your progress, he sent to you various temptations, which you courageously endured. Therefore, we cry out to you :
Rejoice, because you were praised by Bishop Nikolaj.
Rejoice, because you endured various insults for the sake of Christ.
Rejoice, because you abstained from all evil.
Rejoice, because you fought boldly against lies.
Rejoice, because you showed unfailing mercy.
Rejoice, because you have given and you have not spoken to anyone.
Rejoice, because now you have received your wages from Christ.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 3
The desire for Christ has taken you to the great holy place of the Serbian people, to the Holy Mileseava Lavra, where, O Holy Father, you exemplified the great Saint Sava on an equal footing ; and you were likened to him because you left this world and followed Christ, and at the tomb of Saint Sava, you made the monastic vows with him, singing to God : Alleluia.
Ikos 3
O great Father Varnava, you were honoured to receive holy ordination near the tomb of our greatly Holy Father Sava, and you received holy ordination from the great Confessor of the Faith, the Holy Martyr Peter of Sarajevo, who was your role model in suffering. Therefore, we exclaim to you :
Rejoice, because you have endured the suffering as well as Saint Peter of Sarajevo.
Rejoice, because you served with fear and piety.
Rejoice, for your zeal has caused all to marvel.
Rejoice, because you sowed the Divine Word with great love.
Rejoice, for your temptations have not shaken you.
Rejoice, for you have replaced the earthly with the heavenly.
Rejoice, for the pure water of Orthodoxy flows out of you.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 4
Your spiritual growth was followed by the Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Church, and they took the decision that you receive ordination to be a bishop. You, like the great Chrysostom, avoided ordination because you knew how much weight it carried. Yet, you accepted this most difficult responsibility because of holy obedience and direction. Now, as the heavenly bishop of the Great Blessed Christ, with you we sing to Him : Alleluia.
Ikos 4
You received holy ordination from the great sufferer and hierarch of the Serbian Church, Patriarch Gabriel ; and in your magnificent words, you foretold your own martyrdom. Therefore we sing :
Rejoice, for you have received Christ into your heart.
Rejoice, for you knew that you would suffer for Him.
Rejoice, for you were not afraid of ungodly communists.
Rejoice, for you received their wrath because of your words.
Rejoice, for blasphemous words came out of their mouth.
Rejoice, because upon your arrival in Sarajevo you were arrested for the sake of the Truth.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 5
Immediately after your arrest in Sarajevo, defamation against you began. O Holy Father, how great were your troubles when you listened to lies about you, and the greatest of them to be from the dark Stepinac. However, you have shown great and unspoken calm. Therefore, we sing with you the Thrice-Holy Hymn to our God : Alleluia.
Ikos 5
You showed amazing tranquillity during the trial, as did the Lord Jesus when He endured the suffering for us ; and your reassurance was incomprehensible to men. You answered all the charges with silence, except when the wicked were blaspheming the Church of Christ, then you valiantly defended Truth as did Peter, O Varnava. Therefore, we now sing to you O Vladika Varnava :
Rejoice, for you endured injustice.
Rejoice, for you were the object of the lie that you are the same as the bloody friars.
Rejoice, because you have defended your bishops in court.
Rejoice, because you, as did Saint Athanasius, bravely closed the mouth of liars.
Rejoice, because you have been condemned in the years in which the Lord was also condemned.
Rejoice, because you humbly accepted the unjust condemnation.
Rejoice, our teacher in humility.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 6
In prison, although in poor conditions, you, O Holy Varnava, glorified God because you knew that He is alone righteous and just. You answered the guards with prayers. When they forbade you to pray aloud, you glorified God in yourself, crying out to Him constantly : Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Since you became a favourite of the prisoners, even the darkest ones, and because a city cannot hide when standing on the mountain, the administration decided to take you out of prison, keeping in mind that it would destroy the train you were on and be rid of you. However, since you were pleasing to God, He saved you from death, and thus He showed His power. Therefore, with untold admiration we raise this praise :
Rejoice, for the Lord has preserved you in life.
Rejoice, for even though you were bound, you survived.
Rejoice, for the enemies thought to kill you at Pascha, and the Risen Lord preserved you.
Rejoice, for you have brought yourself as a gift to the Risen Christ.
Rejoice, for although you were away from the flock, you were constantly with it.
Rejoice, for in the "new prison", you proved to be a great prayer-book to the monastery on the tombstone.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 7
In the Monastery of Gomionica you proved yourself to be a fervent worshipper, and everyone admired your faith and prayer. On one occasion, when you were reading prayers for healing, you prophetically saw the sin of that patient ; and he confessed to killing the abbot of the monastery. Since he truly repented, you prayed for him, calling out to the One God in Three Persons : Alleluia.
Ikos 7
From Gomionica you went to the Krusedol Monastery, where you chose a small room that reminded you of your solitary confinement, because you wanted to be permanently imprisoned for Christ. Although you had a pension, you lived poorly, because you knew that the riches of this world were transient. Therefore, we exclaim :
Rejoice, for your left hand did not know what the right hand was doing.
Rejoice, for you were like Saint Nicholas of Myra in mercy.
Rejoice, for you did not ask them to serve you when you served.
Rejoice, for, although you were a bishop, you served everyone.
Rejoice, for you have always had Christ as a role-model.
Rejoice, because many are being saved through you.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 8
Since your holiness was manifested in the Krushedol Monastery, the communist authorities transferred you to the deserted Beočin Monastery of the Ascension, which you transformed with your holy life and prayers. You fasted all the time in captivity, even advising your "guards" to fast. However, because they refused, out of great love you fasted for them, so that your body was wearied. However, you constantly praised God by singing : Alleluia.
Ikos 8
You were kept constantly in custody, but you did not mind, since you devoted yourself to God. All your letters went unanswered ; but you obeyed the words of the Holy Apostle Paul : "Anyone who wants to live godly in Christ will be persecuted", and because of this, you were easily persecuted because you knew you were on the narrow path which leads to eternal life. Therefore, we cry out to you with full heart :
Rejoice, for no condemnation has ever been heard from your mouth.
Rejoice, for everyone admired your calm.
Rejoice, for you never spoke as an authority, but always of Holy Fathers.
Rejoice, for the students of Theology were amazed at your lecture.
Rejoice, because they have compared you to Saint John Chrysostom.
Rejoice, because you truly had his zeal.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 9
As we read your letters, which you sent to the sisterhood of the monastery of Jazak, we see how great a saint you are ; for all your letters are lessons to your spiritual children, to whom you were a true father. You have likened your virtuous life to that of the angels of Heaven. Even though you were constantly persecuted, you never regretted it, as you said, "What is more beautiful than the chains of Christ". We also receive these words as a virtuous message, crying out to our God : Alleluia.
Ikos 9
It is difficult for a human language to describe your exploits, because as you ascended to Heaven with your soul, your fleshly enemies sought to remove you from the earth, because you became a light that shone in the darkness of the Serbian people, in the darkness of godlessness and communism. That is why we turn to your holy mouth :
Rejoice, for you are the new Maximus the Confessor.
Rejoice, for you had the only trust in Christ the God-man.
Rejoice, for you have been able to do everything in Christ, who has given you the power.
Rejoice, for in the most difficult times you were joyful in the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, for your life shows our way to salvation.
Rejoice, our teacher of calm.
Rejoice, for you have shown us the way of true Faith.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 10
When you reached bliss with your life, and when your mouth spoke only the truth that was devastating to the devil and his servants on earth, they decided to remove you from this world without knowing that you would defeat them even more. Indeed, when your body was handed over to the earth, with your soul you became the new inhabitant of the celestial Serbia, where now you sing to God with Holy Sava and all the Saints of our own generation : Alleluia.
Ikos 10
Although your body was poisoned, your pure soul soared into Heaven. There was great sorrow for the people of the earth, but still greater was the joy of the angels that a new messenger was coming to them in the form of Bishop Varnava. That is why we sing with admiration : Rejoice, most beautiful of the adornments of the Beočina Monastery.
Rejoice, blossom of Paradise.
Rejoice, ascendant among the bishops.
Rejoice, blossom of the fragrant garden of Christ.
Rejoice, for your deeds shine upon us like stars in Heaven, and cannot be counted.
Rejoice, for you have received the death of a martyr and the crown of victory.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 11
Few people were allowed to come to your grave and to mention your holy name ; for the ungodly Communists hated you and they were afraid of your name even after your death. Your every word was a defeat for them, who wanted to create a world without God. Knowing that this impossible, we cry to Him : Alleluia.
Ikos 11
Our mouth is powerless to describe the bliss in which your holy soul dwells, for you are now in the courts of Heaven, and we cry out continually to you :
Rejoice, the Beočin Monastery blooms most beautifully.
Rejoice, praise of the Serbian people.
Rejoice, participant in the heavenly Liturgy.
Rejoice, teacher of the Serbian country.
Rejoice, interlocutor of Saint Sava.
Rejoice, many parentless parents.
Rejoice, for you have been adorned with virtues.
Rejoice, miracle worker.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 12
The Beočin brotherhood had been deserted ; but then your holy life brought new life, and the Archbishops of the Church of Serbia saw this with the people and declared you holy. Your glory has been found throughout the Universe, and since then the people have come to you as an inexhaustible source that provides both mental and bodily healing : to God, who works wonders through you, as you sing : Alleluia.
Ikos 12
Now is your continual glorification in Heaven ; for the Serbian people are increasingly glorifying your holy name, and through you the Lord of Hosts, for God is wonderful in His saints. Therefore now, though we are not worthy, we sing to you, for now you are before the Emperor of Heaven :
Rejoice, praise of the Diocese of Srem.
Rejoice, for the Serbian Church has you as a decoration before other Churches.
Rejoice, for the whole the Orthodox Church is glad of you.
Rejoice, New-Confessor of the Faith.
Rejoice, the permanent and invisible protector of Beočina Monastery.
Rejoice, for you became a fiery helper.
Rejoice, for you offer the incense of our prayer to the Lord.
Rejoice, for every word of your prayer is heard.
Rejoice, for your powers have become a source of healing.
Rejoice, for your icons adorn the homes of many hearts.
Rejoice, good servant of our Lord.
Rejoice, O Holy Father our Vladika, our consolation in the latter days.
Kontak 13
O our great Holy Father Varnava, you have been worthy to bear the wreath of martyrdom. Therefore, you now rejoice with Christ in the courts of Heaven. We know that the prayers of us sinners are not enough for our salvation, so we ask you to be our mediator before the throne of our God, the Most Holy Trinity, for whom you have endured all your years of and torment. Thus, now and throughout all eternity, we may sing with you constantly to our God : Alleluia.
Prayer to the Holy Father and Confessor Saint Varnava
O Holy Confessor Varnava, comforted by Christ, your whole life has been pleasing to God. Therefore, He has now settled you in His eternal dwellings. Therefore, we now we ask you to save us from all sorts of troubles that the evil one has fired at us like arrows. We entreat you also to deliver us from the lions that are roaring at us, thinking that we have no protector. However, we trust in your protection, and we believe that you will deliver us from these temptations ; for you are a good shepherd who laid down your life on earth for your sheep. We continue to pray that you save our land and all the people of the Serbian crucifixion, because you have become a great comforter from God, and you have freedom before the Lord to pray for us. Pray for us, dear Vladika, that the Lord will lead us into eternal joy, so that we may glorify Him there with you throughout all eternity. Amen.
References
Shestakov, Hieromonk Ignatius, “Priest Barnabas (Nastich), Bishop of Khvostan”
Orthodox Encyclopedia biography written by Hieromonk Ignatius (Shestakov)
Additional information :
Daskalov, Rumen ; Marinov, Tchavdar, eds., "Entangled Histories of the Balkans: Volume One: National Ideologies and Language Policies". (Boston : Brill, 2013). ISBN 9789004250765.
Jovic, Archbishop Savo B, “Stay under House Arrest”
Pavlovich, Paul, "History of the Serbian Orthodox Church" (Michigan : Serbian Heritage Books, 1989). ISBN : 096913312X ; 9780969133124
Radić, Radmila, ‘The Serbian Orthodox Church in the First World War’ in “The Serbs and the First World War 1914-1918” (Belgrade : Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2015), pp. 263–285. ISBN : 9788670256590.
Tomic, Father Vasilije, “Holy Bishop Varnava Nastic” https://www.vasilijeprotatomic.com/?p=1153
Vuković, Sava, History of the Serbian Orthodox Church in America and Canada 1891-1941(Kragujevac : Kalenić, 1998)
West, Rebecca, introduction by Geoff Dyer, "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia". (Edinburgh, 2006. First published 1941). ISBN 978-1-84195-787-6.
‘Biography of Saint Varnava in the newsletter of the Clergy Brotherhood of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada’ in “Clergy Messenger” (September, 2005).
2005 Communiqué from the annual Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church (Sabor)
Orthodox History article about Saint Varnava
"Northwest Indiana Times" (NW Times) article about Saint Varnava in Gary Indiana
Revolvy article about Saint Varnava
Article about Saint Varnava on the parish web-site of Saint Gregory Antiochian Church
Varnava Nastic : a Holy Serbian Bishop who responded with Church Songs to Communist Terror
American Saints : Saint Varnavas (Nastic)
Saint Varnava (Barnabas) Nastic
Orthodoxwiki article about the Serbian Orthodox Church
Orthodoxwiki article about the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America
Wikipedia article about the Church of Serbia
Video of 2013 Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Ascension, 2013
Lives of Dabrobosnian New-Confessors and New-Martyrs
Life of the Holy Confessor Varnava (in Serbian)
"The mysterious deaths of Serbian bishops in Vienna and elsewhere" (in Serbian)