His Eminence Metropolitan Demetrius of America, and His Eminence Metropolitan Moses, representing our Church in North America, took part in the service of Holy Thursday at the Cathedral Church of Saint Athanasios in Athens, Greece. On this day, the members of the Holy Synod gathered together to consecrate the Holy Chrism. This service takes place once every few decades.

 

Pictures can be found here:

 

 

For the Matins service of Holy Friday, our bishops were at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Menidi, Attica, serving with the Chief Hierarch of the Cathedral, Metropolitan Chrysostomos.

 

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The three hierarchs attended the service of the Royal Hours of Holy Friday at the same Cathedral followed by the Vespers service. The Ruling Hierarch of Attica asked our Metropolitan to preside for that service. 

 

 

In the evening of Holy Friday, each of the hierarchs went to one of the three Churches of Aspropyrgo where many Pontian Greek refugees live. Metropolitan Chrysostomos was at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Metropolitan Moses at the Church of Saint Eleutherios, and our Metropolitan presided at the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael. The three congregations met during the procession of the Epitaphios and the three bishops all returned together to the Church of The Holy Trinity to conclude the Matins service of Holy Saturday. It was very moving to see many thousands of Orthodox Christians, as far as the eye can see, following their hierarchs in the procession.

 

On Holy and Great Saturday, our Metropolitan served the Vespers Resurrectional Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Menidi, Attica, together with the priest of the parish, Father Michael.