John Alexander Vidović

John Vidovic is a young musician and composer whose talents, work with students, and presence in various musical circles have already created a significant community impact. Mr. Vidovic specializes in classical guitar, music theory and composition. He has been playing guitar for 13 years and has accumulated 11 years of experience as a self-taught pianist.

John studied guitar with Michael McChesney and Barrios scholar Richard Stover, as well as voice with Christopher Bengochea. He graduated from UCLA with a BA in music composition. As a composer, he has 9 years of experience in composition ranging from solo works to large ensembles, including chorus, wind ensemble and orchestra. He has also conducted original choral composition under the direction of Maestro Donald Neuen with the UCLA Chamber Singers in Royce Hall in June 2011. Mr. Vidovic composed choral works for the West Valley College Chamber singers performed at the Finale concerts in May 2009 and December 2011. His main influences include music from Latin America, Romantic era music, and folk music from Eastern Europe.

Holy Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan

In 2013 Christian world celebrates 1700 years since the day when the Providence of God spoke through the holy Emperor Constantine and freedom was given to the Christian faith. Commemorating the 1700 years since the Edict of Milan of 313, Sebastian Press of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church published a book by Bishop Athanasius Yevtich, Holy Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan. The book has 72 pages and was translated by Popadija Aleksandra Petrovich. This excellent overview of the historical circumstances that lead to the conversion of the first Christian emperor and to the publication of a document that was called "Edict of Milan", was originally published in Serbian by the Brotherhood of St. Simeon the Myrrh-gusher, Vrnjci 2013. “The Edict of Milan” is calling on civil authorities everywhere to respect the right of believers to worship freely and to express their faith publicly.

The publication of this beautiful pocket-size, full-color, English-language book, has been compiled and designed by Bishop Athanasius Yevtich, a disciple of the great twentieth-century theologian Archimandrite Justin Popovich. Bishop Athanasius' thought combines adherence to the teachings of the Church Fathers with a vibrant faith, knowledge of history, and a profound experience of Christ in the Church.

In the conclusion of the book, the author states:"The era of St. Constantine and his mother St. Helena, marks the beginning of what history refers to as Roman, Christian Empire, which was named Byzantium only in recent times in the West. In fact, this was the conception of a Christian Europe. Christian Byzantine culture had a critical effect on Europe; Europe was its heir, and then consciously forgot it. Europe inherited many Byzantine treasures, but unfortunately, also robbed and plundered many others for its own treasuries and museums – not only during the Crusades, but during colonial rule in the Byzantine lands as well. We, the Orthodox Slavs, received a great heritage of the Orthodox Christian East from Byzantium. Primarily, Christ’s Gospel, His faith and His Church, and then, among other things, the Cyrillic alphabet, too."

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