THE MOST REVEREND METROPOLITAN OF THERA VISITS THE PATRIARCHATE
On Thursday the 30th of October/12th of November 2015, a group of 30 Greek pilgrims from the island of Thera and Ioannina, led by the Most Reverend Epiphanios, Metropolitan of Thera, Amorgos and Islands, visited the Patriarchate. They were accompanied by Archimandrite Christoforos Karamolengos.
The pilgrims were warmly welcomed by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers and the Hegoumen of the Monastery of Chozeba, Archimandrite Constantinos. At the meeting, the Patriarch spoke of the significance of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the continuous presence of the Greek parish there since the establishment of the first Apostolic Church of Jerusalem to the present day, the operation of the Highest Theological School of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem and the visits of numerous Greek pilgrims in spite of their country’s adverse situation.
The Metropolitan and accompanying priests thanked His Beatitude for meeting with them and asked for His permission to officiate at Golgotha, the All-holy and Life-giving Sepulcher and the Holy Monastery of Chozeba, to which Metropolitan Epiphanios offered an exact replica of the Holy Icon of Theotokos of Chozeba, the “Hozoviotissa”.
Gifts of love were also offered to His Beatitude, which He reciprocated by offering the Most Reverend Metropolitan an engolpion of mother-of-pearl, an icon of Theotokos Jerusalemite and the “History of the Church of Jerusalem” edition. Eulogias were also offered to all pilgrims.
From the Secretariat-General
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDOvgLUp9dQ