The Relics of Saint Barbara arrive in Greece

For the first time in a thousand years, the largest portion of the sacred relic of Saint Barbara is returning to Orthodox hands, even if it is only for a few days. In a highly symbolic move, the Roman Catholic Church decided to respond positively to the request of Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece, by giving the entire relic of this great Saint, which resides in Venice, for two weeks.

A silver casket containing the earthly remains of Saint Barbara, which has been kept in Venice for the last thousand years, was flown to Athens airport on Sunday afternoon, on May 10, 2015 and escorted to a church in a grimy district of the city by a government minister, senior officers of the Greek armed forces, a naval band and a lot of bishops of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

An influx of a great multitude of faithful gathered to see and venerate the holy relics of Greatmartyr Barbara.

The sacred relic is coming to Greece as part of the celebration of 80 years since the founding of Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece in 2016, and it will be hosted in Athens by the Sacred Shrine of Saint Barbara in the municipality of Agia Varvara, which received its name in honor of Saint Barbara. This sacred church dedicated to Saint Barbara is a small chapel from the seventeenth century, built on the spot where a wonderworking icon of Saint Barbara was found.

Source: johnsanidopoulos.com (Мystagogy); Pravoslavie.ru; The Economist; photo: Romfea, AP