The Feast of the Divine Ascension at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem
On Thursday, May 31/June 13, 2024, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Ascension, that is, the memory of the glorious ascension into heaven of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection while His disciples watched this happening in joyful morning at the Mount of Olives, according to the Gospels and the book of the Acts of the Apostles, (Acts 1,1-11).
This feast was celebrated with a Divine Liturgy in the Holy Monastic and Patriarchal Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem.
The feast was also solemnly celebrated on the Mount of Olives, in the place where the Ascension of the Lord took place.
Vespers was celebrated on Wednesday afternoon presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia.
A litany followed to the pilgrimage site of the Monastert of the Men of Galilee (Galili Viri), the former residence of the blessed Patriarch of Jerusalem Benedictus. In the Holy Church of this Monastery, His Beatitude was waiting with the Elder Arch-Secretary, His Eminence Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina and after hearing the First Gospel from Matthew, he blessed the Episcopal Entourage.
The litany returned to the Pilgrimage at the place of the Ascension, where the reading of the Small Compline and the chanting of the Canon of the Ascension were completed.
In the morning, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated in this place, presided over by His Eminence, Archbishop Theodosios, concelebrated by Holy Sepulchre Fathers, the first of whom was Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios, along with the Archimandrites, Meletios, Makarios, Stephanos, Christodoulos and Dionysios, the Priests of Saint James Cathedral and Hierodeacon Evlogios. The chanting was delivered by Hierodeacon Simeon, Priest Ioannis and the students of the Patriarchal School of Zion in Greek and by the choir of Saint James Cathedral in Arabic, as the service was attended by local believers and pilgrims, in the presence of the Consul of Greece, Ms. Anna Mantika.
During the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem with the members of the Holy Synod visited the Holy Shrine for veneration.
Afterwards, His Beatitude paid a visit to the Sheikh, the resident of the nearby Mosque and to the Monastery of the Ascension, which is overseen by the hard-working monk Achillios, then he supervised the ongoing work in the newly built Holy Church of the Pantocrator and sat down for refreshments.
His Beatitude then visited the nearby magnificent Church of the Ascension of the Russians of the Diaspora (ROCOR), where He was received by the Hegoumen Archimandrite Romanos and blessed the congregation.
Afterwards, His Beatitude visited the Monastery of the Men of Galilee, where he was greeted with compliments by the nun Danielia, who diligently supervises and maintains the Monastery.
From the General Secretariat
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem
