"Orthodox ethos and complacency: Brilliant celebration of Saint George in the historic chapel of Tourlos, Mykonos"
Konstantina Gridella writes – Proto-Eagle
In the brilliant climate of the spring season, there where the eternal light of the Resurrection meets the purple of the martyr's blood, our Orthodox Church celebrates it Pansept memory of the Holy Glorious Great Martyr George the Trophy Bearer. In this operating system "now", where heaven comes down to earth and the earthly glorifies the heavenly, the island of Mykonos proved once again that beneath its cosmopolitan surface, a deeply Greek Orthodox heart beats, faithful to her ancestral roots.
In the picturesque and proud old chapel of Agios Georgios, in its idyllic area Tourlou, with its distinctive crimson dome standing out as a spiritual beacon of wisdom, a great one took place again this year eucharistic gatheringthe. This temple, which is a venerable property and concern of the Marina and Georgiou Michalovits Families, it is not just a place of prayer, but an ark where our authentic insular and ecclesiastical identity is preserved. The Michalovic family, with excess of filocallia and nobility, organizes this special celebration every year, offering believers an oasis of spiritual upliftment.
The Hierarchy of the Divine Mystagogy
He presided over the solemn Divine Liturgy, with due dignity, functional precision and profound immersion, the Most Reverend Archpriest Fr. Emmanuel Galanakis, vicar of the Holy Church of Agia Kyriaki. His movements within the Holy Step, the modesty of his style and the purity of the utterance of the liturgical discourse, they transmitted to the crowded congregation the pulse of heavenly worship.
The small but five-sept temple was overwhelmed by a crowd of Mykonians, who came with reverence to offer their embrace to the Saint of the poor, of the persecuted and the soldiers. The prayerful presence of the lords of the place was special, who were incorporated together into the Body of the Church. They attended Mykonos Mayor Christos Veronis, Deputy Mayor Dimitris Koutsoukos, as well as the Municipal Councilor and President of DEVAM Dimitris Lazaridis, proving in practice the inseparable bond of local institutions with the ecclesiastical life of the island.
Artoklasia and the Chalice of Life
A peak moment of spiritual harmony was the sequence of Artoklasia. In front of the toasted breads, symbol of divine providence and blessing of material goods, ο π. Emmanuel sent the wish to him "they blessed the five loaves in the desert". Shivers of emotion ran through the congregation when, in one mouth and one heart, clergy and people sang it "Mother Of God" and the overwhelming hymn "The rich went bankrupt and starved…». At that moment, common chanting made the little temple an antechamber of Paradise.
The climax of the liturgical experience came with the attendance of most of the congregation – young children and the elderly, young people and family heads – in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Participating in the Body and Blood of Christ amply confirmed that the festival is not a simple ceremonial gathering, but the essential union of man with the Life-giving God.
The Litany of the Trophy Bearer and "Love"
After the end of the Divine Liturgy, under the sounds of festive bells and with the sea breeze accompanying the steps of the faithful, took place the procession of the famous Holy Icon of Saint George around the chapel. Adorned with an elaborate wreath of red and white flowers, the image endured in the hands of pious Mykonians, blessing the air, the land and waters of Tourlos, sealing the presence of the Great Martyr as a vigilant guard of the island. The blue and white and Byzantine flags flew proudly, composing a frame of incomparable Greek Orthodox aesthetics.
The Glorious Festival of the Trophy Bearer through the Lens of Mykonos Ticker TV
With the dismissal, the liturgical gathering was transformed into a society of persons. The family of Georgios Michalovits, as excellent hosts and continuers of the paternal tradition who wants the Liturgy to extend into everyday life through "Love", had taken care of offering a traditional treat to all present.
It is a debt of honor to express warmest thanks to the Michalovic family. Their noble hospitality and their tireless care for this Holy Chapel, they keep the candle of faith and tradition unextinguished on our island.
May Saint George the Trophy Bearer think of Mykonos, bestowing peace, health and spiritual trophies to every fighting believer! Happy Birthday and Blessed!
Faces, Faith and Tradition: See photo snapshots of the Lambras Panigireos in Tourlos
