Opening of the Chapel of St. Gallen in Switzerland
On the Sunday of the Blind Man, 25 May 2025, the Parish of Saints Constantine and Helen in Eastern Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein honoured the holy memory of its patrons, crowned emperors and equal to the apostles.
The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Switzerland, who was joined in concelebration by Archimandrites, Father Damaskinos Kassotis, the Parish Priest of the celebrating church, and Father Gabriel Baratashvili from Geneva.
During the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Maximos performed the tonsure as Readers for Mr. Benjamin of the parish council, Mr. Konstantinos Palangas, of Imbrian origin, who also serves with Godly zeal in the holy altar of the church.
After the dismissal, His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos performed the service of the Dedication of the parish chapel in the name of Saint Gallen, the illuminator of northeastern Switzerland and the patron saint of the same city and canton of St. Gallen. The holy chapel was formed in the area of the Gynaeconitis, within the holy church, and is the first pan-Orthodox altar dedicated to the memory of the great saint of the West of the 7th century AD.
It should be noted that the dedication of the chapel is the culmination of the parish’s efforts to promote the patron saint of the region and to pay him due honour. In October 2021, on the eve of the feast of Saint Gallen (†16 October), the pious congregation of the parish officially welcomed his holy icon, which was placed on a wooden carved iconostasis in the narthex of the church and by decision of Metropolitan Maximos, his feast day has become the second feast of the parish. Subsequently, the experienced hymnographer and eminent hierarch of the Mother Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes, was asked to compose the dedicated feast day services of the Saint, which was approved by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Among the large congregation were the Honorary Consul of Zurich, Mr. Dimitrios Papadopoulos, Dr. Kyriakos Vatsikouras, Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Legal Entity (Foundation) of the Holy Metropolis of Switzerland with his wife, Ms. Georgia Nikolopoulou Vatsikoura, Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Pastoral and Philanthropic Foundation of the Metropolis.
After the end of the service of the dedication of the chapel, through the care and efforts of the Parish Priest and his helpers, a great feast was held in the adjacent hall of the church. The areas of the church were filled with hundreds of parishioners and faithful from both the neighbouring parish of Zurich and the distant parish of Geneva, who all enjoyed traditional Greek dishes and hospitality.
From the Press Office of the Holy Metropolis of Switzerland
