THE FEAST OF THE HOLY GREAT MARTYR CATHERINE AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Friday, November 25/December 8, 2023, the feast of the holy glorious martyr Catherine the All-wise was celebrated by the Patriarchate in her Holy Monastery, located a stone’s throw northeast of the Patriarchate.

During this feast, the Church is reminded and strengthened in its faith in Christ, commemorating that Saint Catherine came from Alexandria, the daughter of Constus, “virgin, beautiful, chaste and glorious in wealth and birth and education”. Saint Catherine, “constant with her mind, conquered the passionate soul of Maximinus, tyrant of Alexandria, and through her eloquence, she silenced the idolatrous orator and was crowned with the crown of martyrdom around the year 305 AD”. For these reasons, after her baptism, she was called the Bride of Christ.

Her memory was celebrated in the above-mentioned Monastery with Vespers on Thursday afternoon and the Divine Liturgy on Friday morning, presided over by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, and Holy Sepulchre Hieromonks, the first of whom was the Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nektarios and the Archimandrites Claudius and Amphilochios, Fr Nectarios and Hierodeacon Eulogios. The chanting was delivered by Hierodeacon Simeon, Mr Angelos Gianopoulos and the Patriarchal School students, as the service was attended by monks, nuns and laity from Jerusalem, as well as members of the Greek Consulate General in Jerusalem.

After the Divine Liturgy, the good keeper of the Monastery, Hegoumen Archimandrite Stephen hosted a reception for the Episcopal entourage and the congregation at the Hegoumeneion and the courtyard of the Monastery.

The feast of Saint Catherine was also celebrated at the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem was represented by the Exarch of Athens Archimandrite Raphael unlike previous years when a delegation from the Patriarchate was sent over, due to the ongoing hostilities in Gaza.

From Secretariat-General