Emotional farewell for the new Archbishop of Crete Eugenios, in Rethymno

With a Divine Liturgy, which was performed in an atmosphere of sacred contemplation but also of emotional, on the day of the Feast of the Three Hierarchs, Sunday 30 January 2022, at the Holy Metropolitan Church of the Entrance of the Virgin Mary into the Temple of Rethymno, Crete, where one of the chapels is dedicated to the Three Holy Hierarchs where fragments of their holy relics are kept, His Eminence the new Archbishop of Crete Eugenios II proclaimed his goodbye to his beloved Rethymno and the blessed people who he served with love for twelve whole years.

The panegyric Divine Liturgy was also attended by the Vicar General, Very Rev Fr. Nikolaos Nikiforos, the clergy of the Metropolitan Church, Very Rev Fr Charalambos Kamilakis and Georgios Metaxarakis, the former Vicar General, Very Rev Fr Nikolaos Polakis, Very Rev Fr Theodoros Sifakis, Very Rev Fr Archim. Theologian Papalevyzakis, while other clergymen of the Diocese also prayed together

Also present were the Deputy Regional Governor of Rethymno, Mrs. Mary Lioni, the Mayor of Rethymno, Mr. George Marinakis, the President of the Rethymnon Branch of the Greek Red Cross, Mr. Emmanouil Raptakis, leader of the group Volunteers and Samaritans, the President of the Lyceum of Greek Women of Rethymno Mrs. Fefi Valaris. many other representatives of local authorities and bodies and many believers.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy,His Eminence Archbishop Eugenios of Crete, addressed with warm words of gratitude for his twelve-year Pastorate in Rethymno, the Head of the Metropolitan Church, Very Rev Fr Charalambos Kamilakis, and, on behalf of the clergy of the Diocese, the President of the Priestly Association, Very Rev Fr Theodoros Sifakis, who offered him valuable and sentimental gifts.

The Archbishop responded with obvious emotion, emphasizing that this is one of the most difficult moments of his life, since, obeying the call of the Mother Church, he leaves his beloved Rethymno and his noble people to serve the Church, to the glory only of Her and of God, from another bastion and rampart. The Archbishop warmly thanked the Reverend Clergy of the Metropolis, with whom he had an exemplary and enviable cooperation for the good of the Local Church, while he also accepted the thank-you gift of the Association of Police Officers of the Prefecture of Rethymno.

The traditional procession of the Holy Relics of the Three Hierarchs around the Metropolitan Church followed, with the participation of the Band of the Municipality of Rethymno, while after the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, the Archbishop of Crete greeted and thanked them all for the relationship that developed all these years between them.

From the Holy Diocese of Rethymno and Avlopotamos..

Source: fosfanariou.gr