The Feast of St. Melani celebrated in Jerusalem

The commemoration of Saint Melani from Rome was celebrated by the Patriarchate at the underground chapel dedicated to her, in the Nunnery of Megali Panagia adjacent to the south-west side of the  Hagiotaphites’ Central Monastery, on December 31, 2017/ January 13, 2018.

Saint Melani of Roman descent, departed to Egypt after the death of her husband and two children, where she fed 5.000 monks and defended the persecuted Christians by the followers of the Arian heresy. Then she moved to Jerusalem of Palestine and founded a Nunnery in which she lived a noble life until the year 410 A.D. when she died.  

At the chapel built on the place of her hermitage, Vespers in the evening and the Divine Liturgy in the morning were celebrated by the Hegoumen of the Monastery of the Shepherds Archimandrite Ignatios with co-celebrant the Priest of the Monastery Archimandrite Makarios. Archimandrite Aristovoulos and the nuns of the monastery formed the choir, while the services were attended by the 20 nuns of the monastery, local faithful and pilgrims.

The Priests and the congregation were offered a reception after the Divine Liturgy by the good keeper of the Monastery, Reverend Nun Melani.

Source: Orthodox Church