Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew officiates at the Great Vespers of the Indiction in Pera

On Saturday afternoon, 31 August 2024, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew officiated at the Great Vespers for the Feast of the Indiction at the Cathedral of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in Pera.

Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne, clergy, monks from Mount Athos, Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Georgios Kotsiras, His Excellency Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, Archons of the Great Church of Christ, and numerous believers from Constantinople and abroad attended the service.

Following the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch elevated Hieromonk Kallinikos Chasapis to an Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne.

Following the service, in the courtyard of the Cathedral, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the consecration of the renovated cells. These cells, once home to the priests of the Church until they were destroyed by fire in the late 1970s, have now been restored. The restoration of the cells was made possible through a generous donation from Greek-American Archon George Marcus of California.

In his brief address, the Ecumenical Patriarch highlighted that the restoration of the cells serves as a testament to the enduring spirit and resilience of the Greek community in Constantinople.

The Ecumenical Patriarch remarked, “We demonstrate our unwavering commitment to remain here, to preserve the sanctuaries and sacred heritage of our Nation—what we have inherited from our forebears. With enduring optimism and hope, and with faith in God’s providence, we look toward the future, confident that brighter days will come.

We endure, strive, and look to the future with optimism, confident in the providence of God that has sustained the Greek community and, above all, our Ecumenical Patriarchate in this corner of the earth—on the banks of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn—for so many centuries. This demonstrates that it is God’s will for us to remain here and, from this place, to serve the world, the Church, Orthodoxy, and universal culture.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch extended his congratulations to His Eminence Metropolitan Andreas of Forty Churches, the Hierarchical Head of the Stavrodromio District, and the Ephorate Committee of this esteemed Community. Special recognition was given to its diligent President, Mr. Georgios Papaliaris, for the successful completion of the project.

His All-Holiness expressed gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America for his significant contributions and presented an honorary plaque on behalf of the Community to George Marcus, who could not attend the inauguration. The plaque was received by His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco on Mr. Marcus’s behalf.

Earlier, the Ecumenical Patriarch was addressed by Mr. Georgios Papaliaris, who referred to the restoration work of the cells and their history.