Orthodox Churches

Polyarchieratic Divine Liturgy on the name day of the Archbishop of Crete

On Friday, August 23, 2019, feast day of Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, and the Apodosis of the Dormition, Archbishop Irenaeus of Crete presided over the Divine Liturgy in the Agios Minas Cathedral in Heraklion.

Metropolitans Andreas of Arkalochori, Kastelli and Viannos, Gerasimos of Petra and Hersonissos, Kyrillos of Hierapytna and Siteia, and Bishop Paisios of Apameia participated in the Divine Liturgy while Metropolitans Amfilochios of Kissamos and Selino and Damaskinos of Kydonia and Apokoronas were prayerfully attending in the altar.

Brilliant celebration at St. Cosmas Monastery in Kolkondas, Albania

Archbishop Anastasios of Albania officiated the Divine Liturgy at St. Cosmas Monastery in Kolkondas, Fieri county, Albania, where his tomb is situated, on the day of the Saint’s martyrdom.

Orthodox Ordinariate of Polish Army holds annual pilgrimage to holy Mount Grabarka

The 24th annual pilgrimage of the Orthodox Ordinariate of the Polish Army for soldiers and officers of uniformed services to holy Mount Grabarka was held from August 18 to 20. The event was organized together with the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Poland, reports the press service of the Boryspil Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Romanian Church hopes to open monastery in Ireland

The Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Southern and Western Europe has published an official appeal to faithful Orthodox Christians to offer their prayers and funds towards purchasing property to open a new monastery in the heart of Ireland.

The monastery will be dedicated to the Mother of God and its patronal feast will be the Life-Giving Spring, celebrated every year on Bright Friday.

The property that the metropolis hopes to buy was a retreat center belonging to a Catholic religious community. It is located in the heart of Ireland in the village of Shannonbridge, just a few miles away from where St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise had labored in asceticism in the 6th century. The entire area was home to a number of monasteries and monastics in the first millennium of Christianity.

The request reads:

Our appeal is all the more urgent and necessary as we are trying to buy the property as soon as possible. As nothing is impossible with God, and as God works through people, please, could you become collaborators in this undertaking, be co-workers with God and with us founding the monastery to the glory of God and to the honour of the Mother of God and the Celtic saints of Ireland, who, let us not forget, did a great deal for Europe in the first ten centuries. We think it is about time we remembered them and knotted our loving relationship with them, as, isn’t that so, “God is wondrous in His saints.”

“Even if you cannot immediately help, please join us in prayer, this is a very precious help that can work wonders and without which we cannot achieve anything,” the appeal continues.

Donations can be made using the following account details:

Beneficiary: Romanian Orthodox Church in Ireland
Address of the beneficiary: St. John the Baptist Missionary Centre, Drimnagh Castle, Long Mile Road, Dublin 12
Bank: Bank of Ireland
Bank address: 6 Lower O’Connell Street, Dublin 1
IBAN: IE98BOFI 9000 3324 4356 07
BIC: BOFIIE2D
Contact: sr. Iosifia ( m.iosifia@yahoo.co.uk; Tel: 00353894831802)

Source: Orthochristian.com

Embodying the Truth in Montana

The summer feast day of St. Herman was especially marked this year at St. Herman’s in Kalispell, Montana, with a remarkable visit by His Grace, Bishop Maxim, and the very special guests Fr. Stamatios and Presvytera Marina Skliris of Athens, Greece.

The four-day visit was crowned with a glorious Liturgy on Sunday, August 11th, with a full temple of many joy-filled faithful. The Liturgy was preceded the evening before by a special Vespers and Liti in honor of St. Herman, in which the wheat, wine, and oil were blessed and distributed to the faithful. As Sunday Liturgy came to a close the Slava bread was lifted aloft. And as the celebrants and faithful chanted the hymns the community truly felt the blessings and joy of her holy Orthodox Faith and the presence of Appa Herman and the choir of the saints.

Orthodox Church is most trusted institution in Bulgaria

While there are problems with its public image, the Orthodox Church is nevertheless the most trusted institution in Bulgaria, according to a new Gallup International poll dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the democratic change in Bulgaria, when Communist party leader Todor Zhivkov stepped down after more than 30 years.