THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Thursday, 24 June / 7 July 2022, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.

On this feast, the Church commemorates that Gospel narrative according to Saint Luke (ch. 1, 1-25), according to which Saint John the Baptist is God’s gift to the barren Elizabeth and her husband Prophet Zacharias. According to the vision Zacharias saw on the Altar when he was offering incense, Elizabeth gave birth the following year to the “man that is greater than all men born of a woman” and regained his speech when he wrote down that the child’s name shall be John.

The celebrating Church of Jerusalem on the occasion of Saint John’s Nativity celebrated the feast at the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in his hometown, Ein Karem.

Vespers was held on Wednesday afternoon, and the Divine Liturgy on Thursday morning was officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Philoumenos of Pella, along with Archimandrite Klaudios, Fr Nikolaos Koulinsky and Archdeacon Mark. The chanting was delivered by Mr Gotsopoulos and the service was attended by many Greek, Romanian and more Russian faithful Christians, as this is the Russian-speaking community of the Patriarchate, under Fr Nikolaos Koulinsky.

The caretaker of the Monastery Monk Chariton hosted a reception for all at the end of the services.  

From Secretariat-General