The Feast Day of Panagia Mavromolitissa in Megalo Revma, Constantinople
At the lighthouse on the Bosphorus, at the exit of the waters towards the Black Sea, from the 12th century there was situated the monastery of Panagia, which received the name Mavromolitissa from the settlement of the same name. The monastery was named after Saint Nicholas for the sailors and the Virgin Mary on the outer side of the Monastery which took the name from Pantanassa to Mavromolitissa. The Monastery in 1713 was destroyed by troops, so the monks moved the icon to Mega Revma which was a more populous and safer suburb.
As is historically known, the safe keeping of the icon in the Church of the Holy Archangels and its placement in the main Church showed the respect for the Icon of the villagers, for which until 1922 the community organised an excursion with boats owned by the seafarers, people from Mega Revma, fishermen and sea captains to Mavro Molo on the feast day of the Panagia Mavromolitissa which since 1675 was celebrated on the leave-taking of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, that is on the 23rd of the month of August.
It was a festive excursion with a strong ecclesiastical spirit, but at the same time a communal one, since after the service and the consecration of the waters (Agiasmos) on the hill and in the Sacred Spring, a gathering was held and the Virgin Mary was honoured. Hundreds of believers participated from the settlement and the surrounding areas of the City.
This celebration where the Virgin Mary was honoured in her normal location by the people of Mega Revma continued until 1922, until when the transition of the Icon was prohibited, and was celebrated every year at the Church of the Holy Archangels and then the Community would host the faithful who celebrated after vespers and the liturgy. Just like this year where His Grace Bishop Benjamin of Tralee who is a local of Mega Revma, will officiate over the feast day.
It is worth reading some articles from the Regulations of the Brotherhood of “Our Lady of Mavromolitissa” of the year 1921 which was founded on September 13 and approved on October 27 by the Church Council while it was ratified on October 29, 1921 by the Locum Tenens of the Throne, Metropolitan Nicholas of Caesarea. The Regulation is noted by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra in the series of Regulations he has published.
And it is worth noting, because the articles show the importance and respect of the members towards the Panagia, as well as the fact that its members are working for the cohesion and construction of a Girls’ School from which they request that a room in the building be allocated with the name “Mavromolitissa room » to be used in official ceremonies. In the first article it is noted “the uninterrupted celebration of the established annual festival (August 23). The seal of the Brotherhood has in the middle the image of Panagia Mavromolitissa while the first Presidency of the Brotherhood consisted of members G.A Kovvas, F. Skanavis, V. Nikolaidis, Chr. Vassiliadis, C. Vlachopoulos, A. Kosmadis, M. Spyropoulos. The Archiepiscopal Vicar was Bishop Gennadios of Skopelos.
After a century, may there be a procession held to honour the Virgin Mary even on the beach, outdoors areas, and to revive her celebration once again.
Source: fosfanariou.gr / Dr Symeon Soltaridis
