The feast of the Saints of Crete at the Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens, Greece
On Sunday, 7 July 2024, at the historic Church of Saint Nicholas of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens, for the first time, the Synaxis of all the Saints of Crete was celebrated. A celebration that was established by a synodal decision of the Church in Crete and its approval by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for every first Sunday of July.
This particular celebration took place by the initiative of the president Mr. Georgios Vlatakis and the members of the Board of Directors of the historical association of Rethymno in Attica “TO ARKADI”, in the context of the events for the 200th anniversary of the miraculous martyrdom of the Four Holy New Martyrs of Rethymno (1824-2024).
His Eminence Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, Director of the Representative Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens, presided over the Divine Liturgy and was joined in concelebration by His Grace Bishop Nikiforos of Amorion, Abbot of the Holy Royal, Stavropegic and Patriarchal Monastery of Vlatadon in Thessaloniki, with the participation of Archimandrite Simeon Avgoustakis and other Clergymen and Hierodeacons.
With the ringing of bells, the talanto but also with a lot of reverence, emotion and obvious devotional love they welcomed for the first time the holy relics of Holy Four New Martyrs of Rethymno, both His Eminence Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea and the Cretans of Athens, showering flowers and myrrh, while they spread rugs for the Saint’s relics to pass over.
The Church of Saint Nicholas of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was filled with the presence of Crete, by young men and women in Cretan costumes, thus honouring all the Saints of Crete and at the same time the Holy Four New Martyrs of Rethymno.
After the Divine Liturgy, the blessing of the five loaves took place (Artoklasia), as well as the blessing of the Holy Kolliva of the Saints, which the president had duly overseen. His Eminence Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea duly expressed his thanks for this brilliant celebration of the Cretans, singling out the initiative of the president, Mr. Georgios Vlatakis, Archon Nomofilakos of the Great Church of Christ, and the members of the Association of Rethymno in Attica, with the participation of many Cretan associations.
As a blessing, Metropolitan Theodoritos distributed to the whole congregation a small box with on both sides the icons of the Saints of Crete and the Holy Four New Martyrs, which contained incense, kindly sponsored by Mr. Georgios Vlatakis. After the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a rich Cretan meal was offered to all who were in attendance.
