Patriarch of Jerusalem presided over funeral for Hagiotaphite Archimandrite Eusevios Dagalas

On Saturday morning, January 15, 2022, the Hagiotaphite Archimandrite Eusevios Dagalas reposed in the Lord. The blessed brother was found dead in his cell by the Elder Dragoman Archimandrite Mattheos.

Prior to this morning, the departed had gone to the monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen and led the Byzantine chanting for the feast of the Apodosis of Christmas, and on Thursday night he was seen at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Liturgy of the Lord’s Circumcision and of Saint Basil the Great.

His funeral service was held at 15:30 on Saturday afternoon at the chapel dedicated to Saint Thecla, by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and the co-celebration of all the Archbishops of the Patriarchate and many Hagiotaphite Fathers. The service was attended by the Nuns of the Patriarchate and laity from the Russian and Arab-speaking flocks and the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem, Evangelos Vlioras.

The obituary was delivered by Geronda Secretary-General, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina as follows:

“Your Beatitude, Father and Master,

Your Eminences Holy Archbishops,

Your Excellency Mr Consul General of Greece,

Dear Fathers and Brethren in Christ,

Having recently celebrated the Metropolis of the feasts, the feast of Christmas, in Bethlehem and in our Hagiotaphite Brotherhood, and yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Lord’s circumcision and the commemoration of Saint Basil the Great, along with the beginning of the new civil year, it is with great sadness and sorrow of heart that today, Saturday, as we commemorate Saint Silvestros Pope of Rome and Saint Seraphim of Sarov, we found our brother, Archimandrite Eusevios to have suffered a sudden death in his cell. The last time we saw him, he was chanting at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen on the feast of the Apodosis of Christmas.

Our sadness on this sudden departure and separation can be comforted by our Lord Jesus Christ though, Who died as a man on the Cross and was risen from the dead. It is only in Him and His teaching that we find the healing of our broken hearts.

Thus encouraged, we offer our departed brother the established by the Church funeral service and the honour our Brotherhood attributes to him. Archimandrite Eusevios was born in Achladochori of Siniki in Serres by a pious family and came to the Patriarchal School at a very young age. After his graduation, he joined the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood as a Monk and diligently studied and excelled in the Greek language and the Byzantine Tradition of Music. After his ordination to Deacon and later to Priest, and having received the title of the Archimandrite, he was sent to study Theology at the Theological School of Leningrad in Russia, where he excelled in the Russian language.

When he returned to Jerusalem, he served with zeal and devotion in various ministries of the Brotherhood, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, at the Secretariat Office, the Holy Monastery of Capernaum, the Holy Monastery of Saint Charalambos, the Holy Monastery of the Holy Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna and at the Archives office.

He served as the left Byzantine singer at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and for many years as the leading Byzantine singer at the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen. Through his sweet voice and the precision of Byzantine music, he delivered the hymns in a manner that brought joy, contrition to our souls, and communion with God.

“But death came, and made all these disappear”. We will not hear him again rejoicing our hearing and softening our hearts in this time, but in the future to come, at the Resurrection of the dead.

In this faith and hope, we pray to the One Who has the power over life and death and of the remission of sins, to pardon him for any sins he committed as a man, voluntarily and involuntarily and receive him to praise Him in His heavenly dwellings, along with the righteous, where the Light of the One God in Three Persons shines abundantly and His perfect Love and unmeasurable and infinite compassion comforts and reigns.

Everlasting his remembrance!”

The funeral procession was led by Archbishop Aristovoulos of Madaba, to conclude the service with the departed’s burial at the cemetery of the Patriarchate in Holy Zion.

Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem