THE APODOSIS OF THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION & THE RETURN OF THE ICON OF THE THEOTOKOS AT THE GETHSEMANE DEPENDENCY

On the morning of Tuesday, August 23/September 5, 2023, the Patriarchate celebrated the Apodosis Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, i.e. the completion of eight days from the day of the feast, and the return of this icon, which was placed in Gethsemane before the feast.

Therefore, on the morning of that day, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Tomb of the Theotokos, presided over by the Master of Ceremonies, Archimandrite Bartholomew.

The Procession of the return of the icon of the Dormition began after the Liturgy, as the icon was carried in great reverence by His Eminence the Hegoumen, Metropolitan Joachim of Hellenoupolis, surrounded by priests and followed by many pilgrims, chanting the hymns of the Dormition

The procession went up passing through the Monasteries of Saint Stephen, Saint Anna, Praetorio, Via Dolorosa, the Monastery of Saint Charalambos and the Monastery of Sayda Naya, where local believers stood on the right and left of the decorated way and venerated in reverence, asking for the help of Theotokos.

When the Procession reached the intersection of the streets of the Patriarchate and the streets of the Christian Quarter, there was a short prayer and H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, the Holy Sepulchre Fathers and local believers venerated the icon. The Procession continued through the Christian Way, stopped in the Court Yard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and there was a prayer.

Finally, the procession concluded at the chapel of the Dependency of Gethsemane, a prayer was offered, the Polychronion of His Beatitude was chanted and the icon was placed for safekeeping and veneration in its place until the end of the next year, by the intercessions of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

On this occasion, His Eminence Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis offered a refreshment.

From Secretariat-General