Metropolitan of Demetrias: On Thursday, August 13, the Metropolitan of Demetrias, Ignatios, presided over the Service of the Holy Paraklesis in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Holy Church of Evangelistria in Nea Ionia.
Following the conclusion of the Service, a cultural event of speech and music took place in the courtyard of the Holy Church, as part of the "August Paraklesis" series, which is organized by the Cultural Body of the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias and Almou "Magnates Kivotos, for the preservation of the cultural stock."
With the "August Paraklesis" at the Holy Church of Evangelistria in Nea Ionia, the cycle of cultural events of speech and music dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos was completed for this year as well.
The Metropolitan of Demetrias, Mr. Ignatios, emphasized that "every year we close the cycle of the 'August Paraklesis' at the Holy Church of Evangelistria in Nea Ionia. And I am sure that the souls of your ancestors, your fathers and mothers, your grandfathers and grandmothers, who built this famous Church 100 years ago, are rejoicing. And they will see with delight that this Church is flooded with the faithful.
Those fathers, those refugees, took with them the sacred and the holy, the icons and the relics. That is why today, throughout Greece, the icons of the refugees are honored with great panhellenic pilgrimages. These are the icons we called 'refugee girls' (prosfygopoule), because they remind everyone exactly what is sacred and holy, what the Panagia means for the life of the Orthodox, and indeed, for the Greeks. And I mention this because this year is special due to the significant and substantial participation of the faithful in the Paraklesis. These are the reports we receive from the priests from the city and the villages." Subsequently, he noted that "we found Christ from our grandfathers and grandmothers. And my great anxiety is: where will our children of today find Christ and the Panagia? Therefore, it is a great task to give the icons again to our children and to our children's children. And believe me, whoever gives this icon—that is, the experience of the Church—gives a cross to our children. I have many examples from our contemporaries.
Some reached the point of wanting to end their lives, and at that moment, their mind went to the camp where they went as children, to a Paraklesis they sang, to a Divine Liturgy they attended with their school. And they understood again the meaning of life, which is not the earthly and the ephemeral, but something more substantial. This is the treasure we must give to our children. And it is the family that can give this meaning. Within the family we will be saved, and it will save.
And when we become one large family, as tonight, the children who go to Church with their grandparents will keep within them that there is another family, the one embraced by the Panagia." Furthermore, the Metropolitan emphasized that "the Easter of Summer unites all Greeks, everywhere on earth. And, with the grace of God, our priests will be in all the villages. This is our Nation. This is how we will save our homeland, our history, and our Orthodoxy."
After the conclusion of the Holy Paraklesis, the tenth and final event of the "August Paraklesis" cycle for this year followed, in the presence of a multitude of faithful. The audience had the opportunity to enjoy a special musical program with songs dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, performed by the "IONIA" orchestra.
The Metropolitan also referred to the institution of the "August Paraklesis," which began twelve years ago with the presence of the late Nikos Tsoukas and the participation of many other contributors. "We walked with the 'August Paraklesis' to bring to people hope, faith, consolation, and unity, to sing together and to serve together. This is our homeland," the Metropolitan concluded.
For more photos, click the link HERE