THE FEAST OF ST SPYRIDON THE WONDERWORKER, BISHOP OF TRIMYTHOUS, OBSERVED AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Friday the 12^th/25^th of December 2015, the feast of St Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous, was observed at the Monastery dedicated to his name in the Old City of Jerusalem, near the Gate of Damascus.

As is well-known, St Spyridon was a married shepherd of mindless sheep and, owing to his great virtue, after becoming a widower he was appointed to the rank of Bishop of the Holy Bishopric of Trimythous, Cyprus. As a Bishop he participate in the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD, where he defended the homoousion, the same substance of the Son and the Father and became a worthy shepherd of mindful sheep. God graced him with the gift of prescience and wonderworking, hence why he transformed the snake into a golden rod and then back into a snake, talked to his dead daughter, resolved the drought and stopped the flooding. As a Primate, he had angels concelebrating with him.

Vespers and the divine Liturgy were led by Archbishop Dorotheos of Avila. Co-officiating where the hegoumen of the Monastery of the Shepherds-Beit Sahour, Archimandrite Ignatius, f. Farah-Charalambos Bantour, vicar at St James, and Hierodeacon Markos. Archimandrite Eusebius, head cantor at Sts Constantine and Helen Church, sang for a pious congregation of nuns, local Greek-speaking and Arabic-speaking faithful, and pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Ukraine and Romania.

During the d. Liturgy, His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, proceeded to venerate accompanied by Hagiotaphite Primates and Hieromonks.

The Patriarchal and Primatial entourage were hosted to a reception by the hegoumen, Archimandrite Sergios.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/yT90B_lYWiQ

httpv://youtu.be/xgGtslU7nsU