THE FEAST OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
On Sunday, 13/16 September 2021, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of the consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
On this feast the Church glorifies God, commemorating that after the construction of the Church of the Resurrection at the place of Horrendous Golgotha by Saint Helen, the Emperor Constantine the Great called all the Bishops who had participated in the 3rd Ecumenical Synod to come to Jerusalem and officiate the Consecration of the beautiful Church which had been built within the years 326 to 336.
The Bishops consecrated the Church on 13 September 336, an event that was worthy of the Church whose beauty according to the hymnographer can be compared to that of the heavenly firmament.
One day after the Consecration Service, the Archbishop of Jerusalem Saint Makarios and Saint Helen displayed the Precious Cross for veneration to the gathered crowds of the faithful Christians.
For the commemoration of this event, the Divine Liturgy was officiated on Sunday morning the Catholicon of the Church of the Resurrection by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of Lydda with the co-celebration of Archimandrites Porphyrios and Nicodemus, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Simeon. The chanting was delivered by Mr Gotsopoulos and the Patriarchal School Students, as the Service was attended by faithful Christians and the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras with the Consulate staff.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Episcopal Entourage returned to the Patriarchate Headquarters to pay their respects to His Beatitude.
From Secretariat-General