Giannitsa: The first Church dedicated to the Saints of the Holy Metropolis of Edessa was consecrated
On Saturday morning, 17 June 2023, the first church dedicated to the Saints of the Holy Metropolis of Edessa, Pella and Almopia was consecrated in Giannitsa. This is the Chapel of All the Saints of the Holy Metropolis of Edessa, Pella and Almopia, which is located below (ground floor) the Church of Saint Paraskevi in Giannitsa.
The service of consecration and the first Divine Liturgy were conducted by His Eminence Metropolitan Joel of Edessa, Pella and Almopia, who during the service explained to the faithful that the consecration of a church is similar to the baptism of a person. That is, first the new Holy Altar Table is cleaned and then it is anointed with holy Myrrh.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Joel praised Protopresbyter Ilias Avgerinos, parish priest of the church, for the preparation of the holy church, the organisation of the consecration and especially for his insistence on the consecration of the holy chapel.
His Eminence Metropolitan Joel also thanked the clergy who were present, Archimandrite Cherubim Tsinoglou, preacher of Holy Metropolis, the Hierarchal Vicar General of the Holy Metropolis and director for the organisation of all consecrations, Protopresbyter George Zoumis, the Hierarchical Vicar of Giannitsa, Protopresbyter Ioannis Spyridis, the Protopresbyter Eleftherios Charalambidis, Director of the Media Office of the Holy Metropolis and the four deacons.
He also thanked the representatives of the local authorities and all those who helped establish the holy Chapel. Finally, visibly moved, Metropolitan Joel expressed his joy for the first church dedicated to the Saints of the Holy Metropolis and commemorated the most recent of them, Saint Kallinikos, Bishop of Edessa, who with great reverence invoked the local saints and took special care to establish their memory.
A large number of believers attended the holy service, while it was announced that according to the decrees, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in the new chapel for seven days.
The celebration of the memory (the Synaxis) of all the Saints of the Holy Metropolis of Edessa, Pella and Almopia was announced to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October by His Eminence Metropolitan Joel of Edessa, Pella and Almopia, who composed the Holy Service of their Synaxis. The Feast was celebrated for the first time with special splendour and a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 2, 2022, at the Holy Cathedral of ‘Agia Skepi’, in Edessa. During this feast, the Panagia Eleousa, patron of the Metropolitan residence, the holy hierarchs Hilarion, bishop of Meglin and Kallinikos, Metropolitan of Edessa, Pella and Almopia, the holy martyrs Vassa and her three children Theognius, Agapios and Pistos, the holy martyr Parthena of Edessa and the holy great-martyr and new-martyr Chrysi of Almopia, were all honoured and commemorated.
More photos:
