THE FEAST OF SAINT MELANI OF ROME AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On December 31, 2023, the last day of the year (Old calendar) / January 13, 2024, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of St. Melani of Rome in the place of her ascesis in the building complex of the Women’s Monastery of Megali Panagia, adjacent to the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood.

On this day, the Church, especially that of Jerusalem, remembers that St. Melani was a noble, wealthy and illustrious mistress, descended from a noble family of Rome. After the death of her husband and her two children, she went to Egypt to visit the monks on Mount Nitria. She dispersed her wealth to those who were there to be helped and to those professing their faith persecuted by the Arians, from whom she fed 5000 in three days. When they were exiled to Palestine, she also came to Jerusalem and built a monastery from her own resources, and died there around 410.

In honour of Saint Melani, Vespers was held in the evening and the Divine Liturgy in the morning by the ministering Priest of the Monastery Archimandrite Makarios, Archimandrite Christodoulos and Hierodeacon Dositheos. The chanting was delivered by Hierodeacon Simeon and monk Joseph, as the service was attended by the nuns of this and other Monasteries.

The priest and the congregation were received by the abbess, nun Melani, who diligently preserved the icons of the Holy Church of the Monastery.

From Secretariat-General