In emotionally charged atmosphere, yesterday, day of the feast of the Epiphany Saints, in the Julian calendar, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for the second consecutive year, preceded the Divine Liturgy, in the old Holy Church of Panagia in Triglia, of the Metropolis of Prousia, which the local Municipality renovated and uses as a cultural center…….
"A generation passes and a generation comes, and we orthodox Christians bear witness to the faith of the Fathers, the culture of faith, of love and hope", noted in his speech, including, His Holiness also emphasized at another point:
"Resources of such experiences and spiritual exhilaration, we congratulate and thank all Triglianians, who are today with us in the hallowed ancestral land, and all you pious pilgrims. They don't exist here among us ”is visiting”.
We are all worshippers. We all feel that we are returning to familiar places, where our ancestors lived and created a high culture, they built magnificent temples and monasteries and chapels, schools and other noble institutions, they left everywhere the stamp of intelligence, of their piety and creativity.
We repeat, dear worshipers, and this moment, what we say in similar circumstances: Do not forget throughout your root. Teach your children our beautiful traditions, to help them realize the importance of their Asia Minor origin.
To accept that ”they have a homeland”, in which, as is happening today in Triglian, and on other festivals of change in the Asia Minor land, it is heard again ”In Jordan”, the ”Christ is Risen” the ”At Birth”, the Gospel of salvation in Christ is read and the souls of those mothers who rest here rejoice, expecting resurrection of the dead.
We thank the God of our fathers who claims us during our humble patriarchy to live these experiences, to kindle an extinguished lamp, to connect past and present. Thank God I still agreed!».
Collaborating with His Holiness were the Metropolitans of Kalliopolis and Madytos Stefanos and Maximos of Silivria, as well as a number of clergy from the City and Greece. It is recalled that working Slavic-speaking Orthodox Christians live in Triglia and the wider area, for the service of which the Diocese of Prousis takes care.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch, the priests, the officials and the faithful in procession and accompanied by many permanent residents of Triglia and the philharmonic band of the local Municipality of Moudania went to the waterfront of Triglia where His Holiness presided over the ceremony of the Consecration of the waters and the immersion of the Cross.
His Holiness was addressed by the bishop of Erythron Kyrillos and then the Patriarch threw the Cross into the sea. He was retrieved by Timotheus Timur, university professor in the City, to whom His Holiness offered a holy cross as a blessing.