Ecumenical Patriarch: United as one, we will succeed in rebuilding our Nursing Home

09/08/22 - 10:54 am

Published by VEMA

In a solemn atmosphere, the great Feast of the Divine Transfiguration of Christ the Saviour was celebrated in the island Proti of the Princes’ Islands, where His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy held in the namesake Patriarchal Monastery of the island on Saturday, August 6, 2022.

A representative of the Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan of the Armenians in Turkey, Metropolitan Maximos of Ioannina, Archons of the Ecumenical Throne, the Consul of Greece in Constantinople, Mr. Stavros Christodoulides, and a large number of faithful were present. The Divine Word was preached by the Great Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Patriarchal Office.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch blessed, according to tradition, the grapes, and immediately afterwards he performed a Trisagion Service for the repose of the soul of the Great Benefactor of the Nation, Simeon Siniosoglou, in front of his tomb, which is located in the courtyard of the Monastery. On the occasion of the completion of the renovation works of the Monastery’s Katholikon, he unveiled a commemorative marble wall inscription.

Afterwards, a small festive event was held with the children of the patriarchal camp as the main participants, during which the Patriarch was welcomed by Mrs. Maria Apostolidou, President of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Village and the House of the Young Women Workers, and by the Archon Adamantios Komvopoulos, Director of the Camp.

Afterwards, the Ecumenical Patriarch delivered a speech in which, among other things, he referred to the extensive damage caused by the devastating fire at the Valoukli Nursing Home, which, he said, is a new test for the Greek Community of Constantinople.

In particular, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said the following:

“We also wish to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt praise to the Lord for the prevention of casualties, as well as our sincere thanks to all those who rushed from the very first moment to the scene of the fire, to contribute in any way they could to limit its spread and extinguish it, from the representatives of the state and local authorities to the simple, but truly heroic, volunteers.

Their concern, their love, in a word, their humanity, have deeply moved us and have demonstrated in practice the importance of creating a culture of solidarity, one of the fundamental precepts of our humble Patriarchate.

And to the beloved inmates of the Nursing Home, whom we visited yesterday at the public hospital “Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmemer”, where they were immediately transferred, we express with one more time our unconditional support and the unswerving care of the Mother Church, as well as the assurance that, with the grace and help of God we will all together, united as one, manage in a short time to rebuild our Nursing Home and put it back into operation!”

Photos: Nikos Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate

Source: orthodoxtimes.com

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