Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew concludes his visit to the city of Preveza, Greece
As part of his visit to the Metropolis of Nikopolis and Preveza, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the Monastery of the Holy Apostles in Lithari on Friday afternoon, 28 June 2024. During his visit, he inaugurated the newly constructed Sanctuary of the Apostle Paul, which is located at the traditional site where the Apostle of the Nations is believed to have preached the Gospel in Nicopolis. Following the inauguration, the Ecumenical Patriarch presided over the Great Vespers for the feast day of Apostles Peter and Paul.
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his deep emotion at returning after 25 years to the Apostolic Metropolis of Nicopolis and Preveza, referring to it as the “beloved Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne in the so-called ‘New Lands.’” Previously, the Ecumenical Patriarch was addressed by His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Nicopolis and Preveza.
On the morning of the same day, the Ecumenical Patriarch visited the Archaeological Museum of Nicopolis and then toured the ancient city of Nicopolis, with a focus on the sites where archaeological excavations have uncovered the ruins of the impressive early Christian basilicas. At the Early Christian Basilica of Dometiou I, the Ecumenical Patriarch was briefed by Dr. Evgenia Chalkia, an archaeologist and fellow compatriot, who is the Honorary Ephor of Antiquities. Dr. Chalkia has conducted excavations at this site and throughout Nicopolis. During his visit to the archaeological site, the Ecumenical Patriarch had the opportunity to talk with young archaeology students from the USA who are working on the excavations, as part of an educational program.
Immediately afterward, the Ecumenical Patriarch, accompanied by his entourage, visited the Holy Monastery of the Prophet Elijah in Flamboura. There, he was warmly received by the Abbot Archimandrite Ephraim and the monastic community, as well as by nuns from a nearby convent, in the presence of a large number of believers.
At noon, the Ecumenical Patriarch visited the Centre for Environmental Interpretation and Interactive Digital Information, located within the Maritime Museum. There, the staff provided an overview of the Ambracian Gulf’s protected ecosystem, including details about its marine life, as well as the flora and fauna of its coastal areas.
Following the farewell dinner, the Ecumenical Patriarch and his entourage departed for the Metropolis of Arta, together with the local Metropolitan, Kallinikos.
Photographs: Nikos Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate
Source: orthodoxtimes.com
