Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Fotini, Nea Smyrni
On Sunday, 29 September 2024, a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Metropolitan Church of Saint Fotini in Nea Smyrni, Athens. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived shortly before 9:00 a.m., accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Bartholomew of Smyrna, His Eminence Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos, and Grand Ecclesiarch Archimandrite Aetios.
His All-Holiness presided over the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, and was joined in concelebration by Their Eminences Metropolitan Bartholomew of Smyrna, Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos, Metropolitan Dorotheos of Drama and the Local Shepherd, Metropolitan Symeon of Nea Smyrni. The Matins Service proceeded the Divine liturgy and was officiated by His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos. Also present and joined in prayer were Their Eminences, Metropolitan Joseph of Proikonnisos, Metropolitan Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, and Metropolitan Chrysosytomos of Vereniki.
His All-Holiness was welcomed by Metropolitan Symeon of Nea Smyrni and a large crowd of faithful. The Ecumenical Patriarch is visiting Nea Smyrni for the naming of a city square and the unveiling of a monument dedicated to Imbros and Tenedos.
The event was broadcast live by Orthodox TV’s Foreign Broadcast Unit 1.
In the Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated with due Byzantine magnificence, both the Municipal Authority of the city, led by the Mayor Mr. Georgios Koutelakis, and political leaders participated. From early on, the Metropolitan Church was packed not only with parishioners of Saint Fotini, but also with faithful believers from other Parishes who went to receive the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Before the end of the Divine Liturgy, His All-Holiness proceeded to tonsure the President of the Association of Imbrians, Mr. Georgios Papatheodoros, as Archon Eutaxias of the Holy Great Church of Christ.
