TIJANA BOŠKOVIĆ JOINS PILGRIMAGE FROM BILEĆA TO OSTROG MONASTERY

The world’s best volleyball player, Tijana Bošković, joined fellow pilgrims from her hometown of Bileća on a spiritual journey to the Ostrog Monastery in Montenegro.

Around 400 faithful set out from Bileća on the traditional walking pilgrimage held in honor of Saint Basil of Ostrog. Bošković’s presence brought joy and inspiration to many participants, who were deeply moved to see the celebrated athlete among them.

The pilgrimage culminates on May 12, when the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of Saint Basil of Ostrog, a revered miracle-worker whose relics are kept at the Ostrog Monastery—one of the most significant spiritual sites in the region.

Saint Basil is venerated not only by Orthodox Christians across all Serbian lands but also by people of other faiths, including Muslims, who come to the monastery seeking healing and spiritual relief. It is said that during his life, Saint Basil resembled an angel more than a man—elevating his spirit and, in faith, overcoming the limits of the physical body.

Pilgrims observe a strict fast leading up to the day of their arrival at the monastery, refraining from heavy labor and dedicating themselves to prayer and purity. It is customary to send pilgrims with offerings of oil, incense, and cotton to leave by the saint’s relics—items believed to bring spiritual protection in times of trouble.

Traditions also call for households to be cleaned thoroughly before the feast day to ensure peace and harmony throughout the year. Quarreling is strongly discouraged, especially among loved ones, as folk belief holds that any discord on this day could bring misfortune for the year ahead.

Saint Basil was born in the village of Mrkonjići in Herzegovina and began his monastic life in the Trebinje Monastery. He later served as Bishop of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and Skenderija, defending the faith during times of Ottoman oppression. After the destruction of the Tvrdoš Monastery, he moved to Ostrog, where he lived in asceticism until his death in 1671.

Built into a cliffside and divided into the Upper and Lower Ostrog, the monastery may not rival the great medieval churches in architecture or frescoes, but it matches them in spiritual power. From the time of the saint’s passing, the faithful have flocked to his resting place in search of healing and hope.

Recognized as a saint even during his lifetime, Saint Basil's legacy has only grown over the centuries. Today, thousands of pilgrims visit his relics daily, and on May 12, the monastery cannot contain the multitudes who come to venerate one of the greatest saints of the Serbian Orthodox Church.