Orthodox Churches

The Feast of Epiphany at the Patriarchate

On Friday January 6/19, 2018, the Patriarchate celebrated the Feast of Epiphany, as the commemoration of the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist in the river Jordan. At that time the humankind experienced the Trinitarian Theophany; the Son being baptized, the Father witnessing with a heavenly voice “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 17.5) and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove confirming the truthfulness of the word. This was done for the remission of our sins and our rebirth through the baptism of the sinless God-man.

Statistics published on Finnish Orthodox Church for 2017

Statistics on the Finnish Orthodox Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for 2017 have been published, indicating a continued decline in Church numbers, reports the site of the Finnish Orthodox Church.

The recently-published statistics show an unfortunate decline for the fifth year in a row. At the end of 2017 there were 60,186 parishioners, which is 380 fewer than at the end of 2016.

Georgian monk tonsured to Great Schema on Mt. Athos for first time in 75 years

The Georgian monk Fr. Hilarion took his vows into the Great Schema at Gregoriou Monastery on Mt. Athos on January 14, the day of the commemoration of the Circumcision of the Lord and St. Basil the Great, reports karibche.ambebi.ge.He is the first Georgian monk to take the Great Schema vows on Mt. Athos in 75 years. The Great Schema is the highest level of monasticism in the Orthodox Church.

“This is a very important event, worthy of high praise and attention for Georgia and every Georgian,” said Schemamonk Jerome (Katamadze) of St. Paul’s Monastery on Mt. Athos. “I congratulate the hieromonk Fr. Hilarion with this important mission of historical significance. I wish him to bear this cross diligently and without murmuring,” Fr. Jerome added.

Fr. Hilarion served on Mt. Athos for 15 years already before his tonsuring into the Great Schema.

556 baptized in Congo in two days

Another mass Baptism was celebrated recently in the Metropolis of Katanga (Congo), in the city of Kolwezi, uniting 556 people to the Body of Christ in the Holy Orthodox Church, reports Romfea.

Улица на Кипру добила име по руском митрополиту Никодиму (Ротову)

2018 marks 40 years from the repose of the well-known hierarch of the 20th century Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad and Novgorod. Representatives of the Russian-language parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Limassol, Cyprus addressed the municipal authorities with an initiative to rename in honor of Met. Nikodim the street on which their church is being built, reports the site of the Russian Orthodox Church.

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.