Description

Feast Day/Commemorated: July 11

Born in 1910 in Tegare near Bratunac, St. Budimir Sokolović devoted his early life to the Eastern Orthodox Church, graduating from the seminary in Cetinje in 1931 before being ordained as a deacon and priest the following year. By 1942, St. Budimir was serving in the Zlatibor Archdiocese amidst the turmoil of World War II. As conflict engulfed the region, St. Budimir eventually retreated alongside the royalist forces of General Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović, staying close to the troops during the closing stages of the war.

As World War II drew to a close, St. Budimir was arrested in Aranđelovac by the newly established communist authorities, along with Deacon Boško Živadinović and Archpriest Svetolik Švabić. The captive clergy were transferred first to Kalinovik and then to Miljevina, near Foča. Held without formal charges or a trial, St. Budimir and his fellow clergy were subjected to brutal torture before being executed and thrown into the nearby Ponor pit. Thousands of young, surrendered members of the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland were shot by partisan forces and cast into the same abyss.

In the immediate post-war era, the new government attempted to conceal the mass execution by dumping thousands of tons of mine tailings into the Ponor pit where St. Budimir had been cast. Despite these efforts to bury the crime, the opening of the pit near the main Miljevina–Foča road remained visible, serving as a silent testament to the tragic loss of life. For decades, the site stood as a stark reminder of the summary executions carried out during the political consolidation following the war.

Decades later, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church reviewed documentation submitted by the priest's descendant, Archpriest-Staurophore Vasko Sokolović, at the initiative of Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabro-Bosnia. On May 15, 2005, at the Žitomislić Monastery, St. Budimir Sokolović was officially canonized as a Hieromartyr. Today, the memory of St. Budimir—alongside other clergy of the Metropolitanates of Dabro-Bosnia and Mileševa who perished under the communist regime—is commemorated annually on July 11.

About Our Icons (Print and Mounted):

Theophany Works Icons are handcrafted reproductions, made with prayer and a desire for excellence. Choose from our standard mounted option on Museum Quality Paper or you may choose to upgrade to Museum Quality Matte Canvas. Both offer a rich print with saturated coloration and are finished with our high-grade UV protection sealant offering a subtle tactile texture that gives our icons a truly authentic feel & can be cleaned with a damp cloth. Additionally, each Maple-shelled panel is prepared with a painted chamfered front edge as well as a round-over on the back edge to give a shadow box effect when hung on the wall. Our Icons come standard with a sliding key-hole slot on the back which allows for balanced hanging. These beautiful American-made reproductions will be a beloved addition to any home or parish at the fraction of the cost of a hand painted icon.

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