Name day celebrations of Archbishop Evgenios of Crete

In an atmosphere of liturgical brightness, on Tuesday, 13 December 2022, the day on which the memory of the Glorious Martyrs Evgenios, Efstratios, Auxentios, Mardarios and Orestis is honoured, the venerable Name Day of His Eminence Archbishop Evgenios II of Crete was celebrated for the first time since his election to the throne of Crete.

On Monday, 12 December 2022, the Great Hierarchical Vespers were held at the celebratory Holy Parish Church of Saint Evgenios in Heraklion, Crete. His Eminence Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteicho, Orestia and Soufli officiated over the Vespers and blessed the offered breads, while also present joined in prayer were His Eminence Archbishop Evgenios of Crete and His Grace Bishop Methodios of Knossos.

At the end of the Hierarchical Vespers, Archbishop Evgenios thanked Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteicho, for the love and effort he underwent while making the long journey to Crete and emphasised that he considers his prayerful presence a support and staff in his Archiepiscopal work. Then His Eminence Metropolitan Damaskinos responding to His Eminence Archbishop Evgenios of Crete’s address, with heartfelt words wished the celebrating Hierarch the very best for his name day.

On the main day of the Holy Feast, the Matins service was held, during which His Eminence Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteicho officiated. This was then followed by a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy presided over by the celebrating Archbishop of Crete and concelebrated by Their Eminences Metropolitans: Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteicho, Orestia and Soufli, Metropolitan Kyrillos of Ierapytna and Sitia and Metropolitan Prodromos of Avlopotamos, Their Graces: Bishop Theodoros of Babylon, Bishop Damaskinos of Dorylaion and Bishop Methodios of Knossos, and a multitude of clergy of the Holy Archdiocese of Crete and other Holy Metropolises.

Also, praying from the Holy Altar were: His Beatitude, Pope and Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and All Africa, Their Eminences: Metropolitan Irinaios of Lambi, Syvritos and Skafia, Metropolitan Damaskinos of Kydonia and Apokoronas, His Grace Bishop Irinaios of Evmeneia and Grand Protosyncellus of the Patriarchates, Archimandrite Theodoros, Professor of the Patriarchal High Ecclesiastical Academy of Crete, accompanied by a delegation of Professors and students of the Academy.

Before the dismissal,  His Eminence Archbishop Evgenios of Crete was appropriately addressed, on behalf of the Holy Clergy of the Holy Archdiocese of Crete, by His Grace Bishop Methodios of Knossos,  and on behalf of the Union of Clerical Associations of the Church of Crete, Protopresbyter Father Zacharias Adamakis, who expressed their sincere love, the profound respect and filial devotion of the clergy of the Holy Archdiocese to the pious Person of His Eminence Archbishop Evgenios of Crete.

Then, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and All Africa, who after he first expressed his great joy for the opportunity given to him to participate in this Feast of the local Church, wished the Archbishop of Crete to have a lot of strength to continue for many years his blessed ministry to the proud and noble Cretan people, exclaiming with a stentorian voice “Axios”.

Afterwards, the celebrating Archbishop, who was visibly moved, thanked the speakers for their kind words and expressed his joy and emotion at their presence. He particularly referred to the blessed and very honourable presence of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, who “in words and deeds” supports at all costs the Primate Mother Church of Constantinople and honours and loves his birthplace of the Great Island of Crete.

Then addressing the Grand Protosyncellus of the Patriarchates, he once again expressed the faith and devotion of the Church of Crete to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, characteristically saying that “…the Church of Crete does not belong to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but it is Ecumenical Patriarchate…”.

He also addressed words of thanks to Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteicho, whom he asked to convey his love and gratitude to His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and all Greece, for the kind cooperation and solidarity that the Church of Greece has with the Church of Crete in matters of common interest.

Finally, after first thanking once again the Holy Hierarchs of the Church of Crete, who, united and supporting each other, tirelessly and humbly minister to the pious Cretan people, He then tonsured to Cross-bearing Protopresbyter Father Nektarios Zaharioudakis, and Deacon Nektarios Mastrogiannakis and Deacon Evgenios Mandelenis to Archdeacons of the Holy Archdiocese of crete, and then accepted the wishes of the officials,
of the holy Clergy and the faithful, who came together to pay their respects and wishes to their Archbishop.

In the above Sacred Services, both Vespers and the Divine Liturgy, Memorial Trisagion Services were held in memory of the Late Archbishop Evgenios of Crete, of the Late Metropolitan Evgenios of Ierapytna and Sitia and the blessed nun Evgenia, sister of the Late Archbishop Evgenios.

The Archbishop’s Name day was celebrated with the presence: of the Chief Secretary and the Under-Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Church of Crete, Chancellors, Abbots, Archiepiscopal Vicars, monastic brotherhoods and clergy, not only of the Holy Archdiocese of Crete and the Holy Metropolises of the Church of Crete, but also of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and the Holy Metropolis of Didymoteicho.

Also present, among others, were the Archons of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Mayor of Hersonissos, Members of Parliament from Heraklion, the President of the Regional Council, Deputy Regional Governors, Deputy Mayors, Regional and Municipal Councillors and other representatives of Local Authorities and Agencies.

Source: Archdiocese of Crete

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