The appearance of the Resurrected Lord to his disciples in the Cenacle, where Thomas “saw and believed that this is my Lord and God” was celebrated by the Patriarchate in Kana, Galilee, near Nazareth.

In the same town, the Lord, had turned water into wine for guests to a wedding.

The feast was led by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem.

In the entrance to the town, His Beatitude was warmly received by the faithful, then walked to the Church accompanied by Boy Scouts, the Hegoumen of the Monastery of Kana, Archimandrite Chrysostomos, Metropolitans Kyriakos of Nazareth and Isaiah of Tamassos, on a visit from Cyprus, and Timotheos of Bostroi, Exarch of the Exarchate of the Holy Sepulcher in Cyprus. Accompanying the Patriarch was also the Municipal Council of the Kana Rum Orthodox Community and Orthodox priests and faithful.

Matins and the Divine Liturgy were held in the Church, led by Patriarch Theophilos. Co-officiating were the Metropolitans of Nazareth and Bostroi, and Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, and the Hegoumens of the Monasteries of Tiberias and Mount Tabor.

During Communion, the Patriarch preached the Word of God in Greek.

After the apolysis, local community officials congratulated the Patriarch in the forecourt to the church. A brief performance of traditional dances followed, courtesy of the Kana Catechizing School.

His Beatitude and retinue were then hosted to festive lunch, after which the Patriarch visited old man Abu-Daud in his house, and a faithful from Kana who had fallen ill during the divine liturgy.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/F_64f0S7-AE

On the 6^th/19^th of April 2015, the first Sunday after Easter (Antipascha) or Sunday of St Thomas, the Patriarchate celebrated the appearance of the Resurrected Lord to His disciples in the Cenacle, eight days after His Resurrection, when Thomas believed and said “My Lord and God” (John 20, 26-31).

1. On the eve of the feast

On the eve, at 3:30 pm, the feast began with the Ninth Hour of the Resurrection at the Monastic Church of Sts Constantine and Helen.

Procession followed to the Church of the Resurrection where the officiating Primate, Patriarchal Commissioner, Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, venerated at the Holy Apokathelosis, as did the other Primates.

The Great Vespers was then held, as well as the Great Entrance and the Breaking of Bread, led by Metropolitan Isychios.

1. On the day of the feast 

On the morning of Sunday the 6^th/19^th of April 2015, a procession began to the Church of the Resurrection.

There, the Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias. Co-officiating were the Assistant Dragoman, Archimandrite Bartholomew, and the master of ceremonies, Archimandrite Porphyrios. Several pilgrims participated with joy and piety.

At the end of the service, the Primates returned to the Patriarchate, where the Patriarchal Commissioner distributed Jerusalemite blessings to all.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/Zy9P0jpXCmY

httpv://youtu.be/a7A_rvUOGVw

On Easter Monday, the 31^st of March/13^th of April 2015, a panegyric Divine Liturgy was held at the Monastic Church of Sts Constantine and Helen, led by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, as almost all members of the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood and a crowd of pilgrims from Orthodox Churches concelebrated with Him.

On the conclusion of the service, His Beatitude proceeded to the Patriarchates wearing a mantle, as Primates wore engolpiya (chest icons) and Archimandrites wore a cross.

There, following a supplication and a reception accompanied by Russian hymns for the Resurrection, the fraternal embrace took place and distribution of Easter eggs to all pilgrims.

At noon, Hagiotaphites were hosted to a festive Easter Lunch.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/EUK4NYYAIiU

In a spirit of piety and piousness, the flock of the Holy Bishopric of Qatar participated in the Sacraments of the Church and the Services of the Holy Week that preceded our Lord’s Resurrection.

The participation in the Holy Services of Orthodox faithful, both from the capital of Doha and from other cities in the Emirate but also in Saudi Arabia, was larger than previous years.

On the night of the Holy Saturday, the Ambassadors of Greece, Romania, and a representative of the Embassy of Russia and Moldavia in Qatar attended the Resurrection ceremony. Also, the Vespers of Love was conducted in the presence of Serb Foreign Minister, Mr Dacic.

Services were held in Greek, Arabic, Slavic, Serbian, Romanian and English in order to facilitate the participation of a multilingual congregation. Similarly, cantors performed the Hymns and choirs sang the Lamentations of Holy Friday in various languages.

From the Holy Archbishopric of Qatar

On Easter day, the 30^th of March/12^th of April 2015, at noon (13:0 0 pm), the ceremony of the Second Resurrection or ceremony of Love took place at the katholikon of the Church of the Resurrection.

This ceremony, considered to be the most glorious held at the Patriarchate, began at the Hall of the Throne, as Patriarch Theophilos, Primates and Hagiotaphite Fathers, dressed in their celebratory sacerdotal vestments, listened to the Ninth Hour and the melodious “Christ Has Risen”.

From there, they walked to the Church of the Resurrection, flanked by joyous faithful.

Before entering the Church, the Patriarch made a supplication in the presence of the Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem, Mr Georgios Zacharoudiakis, and a crowd of pilgrims.

In the katholikon, the Vespers of the Resurrection was performed, including the reading of the Evangelical pericope of the Resurrection according to John, in Greek, Arabic, Romanian, Hebrew, Russian, German and English.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/g7OumnnFQIs

On the night of Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday, the 29^th to 30^th of March/11^th to 12^th of April 2015, the Easter Matins and Divine Liturgy were conducted to commemorate Our Lord’s life-giving Resurrection.

To observe this feast of feasts, the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood, led by Patriarch Theophilos, proceeded to the Church of the Resurrection where a crowd of faithful awaited.

After venerating at the Holy Apokathelosis and the Holy Sepulcher, the Patriarch entered the katholikon and rose to the Throne as cantors sang the Canon “On the waves of the sea”.

Dressed in celebratory vestments, the Patriarch and Primates passed through the Beautiful Gate before a procession began thrice around the Holy Sepulcher.

Then, the Evangelical pericope of the Resurrection was read, followed by the crowd’s exclamation “Christ has risen!” in Greek, Russian, Romanian and Arabic.

On the completion of Matins, the Divine Liturgy began, led by Patriarch Theophilos with co-officiating Primates, in the presence of the Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem, Mr Georgios Zacharoudiakis, and Consul Koinis.

After the apolysis of the Liturgy and while Priests were still offering Communion to the faithful, His Beatitude and the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood proceeded to the Patriarchate, where they enjoyed eggs and cheese in celebration of the feast.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/uFVT0RHZkZM

httpv://youtu.be/DD5ZshOXJvE

httpv://youtu.be/8AThKvo1Xkc

At noon of the Holy Saturday the 29^th of March/11^th of April 2015, the Holy Light ceremony was performed at the Church of the Resurrection.

The days leading to the ceremony had been marked by thorough, at times exaggerated, preparation in terms of safety measures taken by the Israeli Police of Jerusalem.

According to the instructions of the Police, the Patriarchate reported all sites of accommodation of Greek pilgrims, arranged into groups in order to proceed to Sts Constantine and Helen Church, accompanied by the Police, from where they walked to the Church of the Resurrection.

Similarly, pilgrims of other nationalities arrived at the Church following the instructions of the Israeli Police.

At 12:00 pm Patriarch Theophilos walked to the Bema of the Katholikon.

He was joined by Priests of the Armenians, Copts and Syrians, assigned to receive the Holy Light.

Then the procession began from the Katholikon towards the Holy Aedicula, led by the Greek Patriarch and a crowd of faithful of various denominations.

At the conclusion of the third procession around the Holy Sepulcher, the Greek Patriarch was followed by the representative of the Armenian Patriarch until the Angel’s Stone.

Praying within the Holy Aedicula on the Sepulcher, His Beatitude offered the Holy Light to the Arab-speaking priest of St James Church, who carried the Light to the Bema of the Katholikon.

As the doors of the Aedicula opened, His Beatitude offered the Holy Light to Copts, Syrians and Ethiopians as well as to the faithful who brought the Light close to their hands, eyes and foreheads for assistance, enhancement, consolation, progress and salvation.

The entire Church was bathed in lit tapers held by the faithful.

The Holy Light ceremony was followed by the divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great, led by Archbishop Theophanes of Gerassa, as the Patriarch and His retinue walked to the Patriarchates. There, they welcomed the Greek delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Metropolitan Pavlos of Glyfada, and the Exarch of the Holy Sepulcher in Athens, Archimandrite Stephanos. Also present was the Cypriot delegation, led by Exarch Timotheos, Metropolitan of Bostroi. Both delegations were charged with carrying the Holy Light to Greece Cyprus via special flights.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/BnvUdbi4hRY\

On the evening of Holy Friday, the 28^th of March/10^th of April 2015, the magnificent procession of the Epitaph took place at the Church of the Resurrection in commemoration of the Burial and Descent into Hades of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The procession was led by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, with co-officiating Hagiotaphite Primates, and Archbishop George of Siemiatycze, Poland, Hieromonks and Hierodeacons. Archimandrite Aristovoulos sang on the right with Monk Joseph of Mount Athos singing on the left, in the presence of a great crowd of faithful from Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Ukraine and Romania, praising God for delivering His Son to death for our salvation.

The service began at the Katholikon. Once the Patriarch, Primates and Priests had put on their mourning vestments, the procession began along the shrines.

From Adam’s shrine, the procession proceeded to the Golgotha, where the Gospel of the Crucifixion was read, after which the “Heileton”, symbolizing the Lord’s deposited body, was placed on the Holy Apokathelosis, where Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus with the Myrophorae had placed the Lord’s body.

From there, Primates carried the “Heileton” thrice around the Holy Sepulcher, after which the three Stases of the Lamentations of the Epitaph were sung as Archbishop Theophanes of Gerassa performed a censing, and Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina delivered a speech in Greek (see video).

At the conclusion of the service, after midnight, the Patriarchal Hagiotaphite Retinue proceeded to the Patriarchates, as surveillance measures had already been put in place by the Israeli Police in view of the Holy Light Ceremony of the following day, Holy Saturday.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/Y0us1mAU1R4

httpv://youtu.be/htYRMWIyBi4

At 2:00 pm (summer time 3:00 pm) of Holy Friday, the 28^th of March/10^th of April 2015, the Vespers of Holy Friday was conducted at the Patriarchate in commemoration of the Lord’s Deposition from the Cross by Joseph and Nicodemus and the Myrophorae.

The service was led by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, who descended from the Central Monastery through the stairs of St James Cathedral, wearing a head covering with a veil (epanokalimmavko) and a cross, whilst accompanying Hagiotaphites also wore an epanokalimmavko.

Participating in this devout service was a crowd of faithful occupying the entire area of the Katholikon, and rejoicing as Archimandrite Aristovoulos and Monk Joseph of Mount Athos sang the theological troparion “You who are surrounded by light akin to cloth”.

At the conclusion of the service, the Hagiotaphites proceeded to the Monastery of their repentance, in preparation for the Engomia (Lamentation) procession.

From the Secretariat-General

On the morning of Holy Friday, the 28^th of March/10^th of April 2015, the Great Royal Hours of Holy Friday were read initially at the Praetorium wherein lies the Prison of Christ.

The Hours Service was followed by a procession from the Praetorium via the Via Dolorosa (Street of Suffering) to the Golgotha, led by Archbishop Theophanes of Gerassa, carrying the Cross on his shoulders, and followed by a crowd.

There, before the Church that had already been opened according to the right of the Orthodox, the Hours of Holy Friday were again read on the Horrendous Golgotha in the presence of a crowd of pious faithful.

From the Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/9co-cigLLUo