THE FEAST OF SAINT MELANI OF ROME AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Monday, December 31, 2019/ January 13, 2020, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of Saint Melani of Rome at the underground chapel dedicated to her in the Holy Monastery of Megali Panagia, which is adjacent to the Patriarchate on the south-west side.

Saint Melani belonged to a rich family, and lived in Rome during the reign of Onorius. She took a husband while still very young and bore two children, who died. Her husband and parents also died and then she sold all her belongings, went to a monastery in Egypt and fed thousands of monks and Christians. Then she came in the Holy Land, in Jerusalem and remained in this Monastery living in ascesis and turned the Monastery into a Nunnery, where many Nuns found refuge, and she reached great statures of ascesis.

Her commemoration was honoured with Vespers in the afternoon, led by Archimandrite Ieronymos with the co-celebration of Priest Nikitas and Hierodeacon Simeon and with the Divine Liturgy in the morning, led by Dragouman Archimandrite Mattheos, with the co-celebration of Archimandrite Ignatios and Hierodeacon Simeon. The chanting was delivered by the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristovoulos of Madaba and Monk Raphael, as the services were attended by the fifteen Nuns of the Monastery, Nuns of other Monasteries and local faithful and pilgrims.

After the Divine Liturgy the Abbess Nun Melani hosted the Fathers and the congregation at the hegoumeneion.

From Secretariat-General