THE FEASTS OF THE CIRCUMCISION OF THE LORD AND OF ST. BASIL AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Monday, January 1/14, 2019, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of the Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, and the commemoration of St. Basil the Great at the all-night Vigil at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and at the All-holy and Life-giving Tomb.

For this Feast, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Thephilos came down to the Temple along with the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood at midnight.

The Festivity began there with the Service of Matins at the Catholicon and with the Divine Liturgy afterward at the All-holy Tomb, officiated in Parresia by H.H. Beatitude with co-celebrants the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, and the Most Reverend Archbishops; Aristarchos of Constantina, Demetrios of Lydda and the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, Hieromonks and Priests, among whom the first in rank was Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios. The chanting was delivered by the choir leader of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Mr. Constantinos Spyropoulos and the service was attended by the Consul General of Greece Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos and a large congregation of local faithful and pilgrims from various countries.

The Divine Liturgy was followed by the litany three times around the All-holy and Life-giving Tomb and the Shrines with the sacred relic of the right hand of St. Basil.

After the litany His Beatitude cut the New Year Cake at the Office of Geronda Sacristan Most Reverend Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis.

In the morning, He cut the New Year Cake at the Epitropikon for the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood, and at noon at the common meal of the Hagiotaphite Fathers where the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos was an invited guest.

From Secretariat-General