Patriarchate of Jerusalem: The Feast Day of the Holy Spirit at Holy Zion
Monday, June 11th/24th 2024, was celebrated by the whole Church, especially by the Church of Jerusalem, as Monday of the Holy Spirit dedicated especially to the Comforter, as the Main Person, acted from the Father through the Son the marvellous event of Pentecost, i.e. the inspiration and enlightenment of the holy disciples and apostles.
This event occurred in the Upper Room on the Holy Sion, where the Apostles were gathered together. For this reason, the Vespers of this feast took place in the Pentecost chapel in Sion, presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina and the Holy Sepulchre Archimandrites Hieronymos, Bartholomew and Christodoulos, who helped him in the service and the reading of the prayers, as well as the ministering Priest of St. James Cathedral Fr Farah Bandour and Hierodeacon Simeon. The service was attended by members of the Church of Jerusalem and pilgrims from different countries.
At the end of the Vespers, the Schoolmaster Archimandrite Mattheos hosted a modest reception for the Episcopal Entourage.
The event of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was celebrated also on Monday morning with the Divine Liturgy at the underground Chapel of the Holy Trinity in the School of Zion, officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis, with the co-celebration of the Exarch of Athens Archimandrite Raphael, Archimandrites Hieronymos, Makarios and Amfilochios, Priests Anastasios, Ioannis and George Baramki and Hierodeacon Simeon. The school students delivered the chanting under Mr Eustathios Tsoumanis, as the service was attended by monks, nuns, many faithful from Jerusalem and pilgrims, as well as the Consul Mrs Anna Mandika and members of the Greek Consulate.
After the Liturgy, the first prayer of the Pentecost kneeling service was read in the Church and the procession marched to the Pentecost chapel in the courtyard of the School (Catacomb), then to David’s tomb where the Archbishop and the clergy along with the Consul read a supplication. They returned to the Upper room with the rest of the congregation where His Eminence read the last prayer of the kneeling service. On the way back to the School, the last supplication was read outside the cemetery door, as it is dedicated to the departed.
The procession returned to the Church to conclude the Liturgy, and then a reception was hosted by the Managing Director of the School Archimandrite Mattheos at the School’s reception hall. His Eminence congratulated the students for their progress in their studies as we have come to the end of the school year.
From the General Secretariat
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem
