THE FEAST OF SAINT CATHERINE AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Thursday, November 25/December 8, 2022, the feast of the glorious great martyr Catherine the all-wise was celebrated by the Patriarchate.

On this feast, the Church commemorates that Saint Catherine lived in Alexandria under Maximian, the oppressive and implacable tyrant of Alexandria and that she was a young lady of great beauty, most prudent and highly educated. She confessed Christ and put to shame the philosophers who worshipped the twelve gods of Olympus. Due to her confession, she was subjected to various tortures and attracted many to the faith in Christ; finally, she was crowned with the crown of martyrdom in the year 305, and for this, she was called by the Christian believers as the “bride of Christ”.

In honour of this, Vespers in the evening and Divine Liturgy on the morning of the feast were held in the Holy Monastery of the Old City, presided over by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Capitolias, with the co-celebration of the Archimandrites Dionysios, Makarios, Priest Nektarios and Hierodeacon Dositheos. The chanting was delivered by Mr Vassilios Gotsopoulos and the students of the Patriarchal School of Zion, with the participation of believers from Jerusalem, Greek-speaking, Russian-speaking and Romanian-speaking monks, nuns and pilgrims.

The Episcopal Entourage and the congregation were offered a reception at the hegoumeneion and in the courtyard of the Holy Church by the Hegoumen and conservator of the iconostasis of the Holy Church of the Monastery, Archimandrite Stefanos.

From Secretariat-General