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

On Friday, January 7/21, 2023, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist John.

By the word “Synaxis”, the Church means the gathering of its members, in order to honour Saint John, the Forerunner, because of his special ministerial work in the Baptism of the Lord.

This feast was celebrated in the Holy Monastery named after him, which is located to the west of the Jordan River in the place where the Lord was baptized. The Monastery was fully and decently restored, as befits it, under its Hegoumen Archimandrite Bartholomew, after the damages suffered from the six-day war of 1967.

The solemn Divine Liturgy in the midst of many faithful Orthodox Christians was presided over by the Most Reverend Archbishop Filoumenos of Pells, with the co-celebration of the Hagiotaphite Archimandrites Onoufrios (Hegoumen of the Monastery of Sarantarion Mount) and Meletios (Hegoumen of the Monastery of Joachim and Anna) Priests from the Orthodox Churches of Russia and Romania, Archdeacon Markos and Deacon Stavros. The chanting was delivered by Mr Vassilios Gotsopoulos and monk Joseph from Mount Athos, with the participation in prayer of the Hegoumen of the Monastery of Abba Gerasimos of the Jordan Archimandrite Chrysostom.

After the Divine Liturgy, the Hegoumen Archimandrite  Bartholomew offered a reception to all.

From SecretariatGeneral