With majesty and splendor, and in the presence of many faithful, the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God was celebrated again this year in Messenia. The center of the celebration were the historic Holy Monasteries of the Dormition of the Mother of God: Vulkano, on Mount Ithomi, and Dimiovis, on the mountain massif of Taygetos.
At the Holy Monastery of Vulkano, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Carthage, Mr. Meletios, presided over the Orthros service. At the end of the Orthros, he proceeded with the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Messenia, Mr. Chrysostomos, leading the holy procession to the Monastery's Phiale, where, according to ancient custom, he received the Holy Icon of the Panagia of Vulkaniotissa as it descended from the old Katholikon of the Monastery on the summit of Mount Ithomi. Subsequently, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated, presided over by the Most Reverend of Carthage and co-celebrated by the local Shepherd, Metropolitan of Messenia, Mr. Chrysostomos. The hierarchs were accompanied by the Abbot of the Monastery, Archimandrite Prokopios Smyrnis, one of the monastery's brothers, Archimandrite Alexios Sarantopoulos, and the Deacon Theofilos Kyriakos.
Upon the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Carthage, Mr. Meletios, expressed his gratitude for his participation in the celebration, emphasizing that he is “flesh of the flesh” of the Monastery. He wished that the Most Holy Mother of God would be the Help, Protection, and Perception of all Her children, especially the Messenians wherever they may be in the world. He addressed the large congregation and the representatives of the Authorities, namely the Deputy Minister of Digital Governance, Mr. Io. Lampropoulos, the Mayor of Messini, Mr. Georgios Athanasopoulos, the Member of Parliament, Mr. Miltos Chrysomallis, and the present members of the Regional Council of Peloponnese and the Municipal Council of Messini.
Following the blessings and thanks, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Messenia, Mr. Chrysostomos, presented the Supreme Honorary Distinction of the Holy Metropolis of Messenia, the Gold Cross “Panagia i Hypapanti,” to the Commander of the 9th Infantry Regiment of the city of Kalamata, Colonel Mr. Georgios Charitos, expressing the local Church's gratitude to the Commander, who since his first day in Kalamata has been a supporter and ally to the work of the Church. Finally, he thanked the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Nikos Dendias, for accepting the proposal for the Honorary Distinction for the Commander.
At the historic Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Dimiovis, on the mountain massif of Taygetos—where Saint Vissarion of Agathoniti, originally from Petralona, received the monastic habit—the Divine Liturgy was presided over by the Protosyncellus of the Holy Metropolis of Messenia, Archimandrite Filippos Hamargias, accompanied by the Abbot of the Monastery and Hierarchical Commissioner of Alagonia, Protopresbyter Ioannis Parthenios, and the President of the Monastery's Management Committee, Protopresbyter Sotirios Papadopoulos.
Before the conclusion, Father Filippos consecrated the new Holy Icon of Saint Vissarion of Agathoniti, which will now adorn the northern part of the iconostasis of the Katholikon. After the Divine Liturgy, a procession of the Holy Icon of the Panagia of Dimiovitissa followed, and subsequently, the customary blessing of the loaves was performed in the courtyard due to the large crowd.