I.M. DIDYMOTEICHO: In the aftermath of the great Theotokos feast of the Dormition, the Metropolitan of Didymoteicho, Oresteiada, and Sufli, Mr. Damaskinos, served the Divine Liturgy on the day after the feast, Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Holy Parish Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Sitochorio, accompanied by the Hierarchical Exarch of Didymoteicho, Archimandrite Kyrillos Koltsidis, the parish priest, and the deacons.
On the occasion of the preceding feast, His Eminence, preaching the divine word, emphasized: "The Dormition of the Mother of God, which we celebrated yesterday, is a matter of universal spiritual joy. This most holy feast becomes the Pascha of our faith, that is, a spiritual passage into the land of endless hope. The Dormition of the Mother of God is vivifying, as through Her most blessed person, the conditions of fallen nature have been defeated and 'life is remembered instead of death.' By celebrating Her light-bearing Dormition and Her Assumption into the Heavens, we experience, as members of the All-Holy Body of Christ, the Church, the power and the hopeful prospect of the mystery of the Resurrection; and we confess the 'in body' all-luminous and glorified presence of our Panagia in Heaven, near Her Only-Begotten Son, from whom She remains inseparable through the ages, as Saint John Damascene writes...
This is precisely the source of the joy of the preceding feast. The exalted position of the Lady Theotokos in the 'triumphant Church in heaven' ensures for the earthly militant Church Her constant mediation and maternal protection. For this reason, the feast of the Dormition is the crowning of all Theotokos feasts. We all know from experience Her philanthropic and unchangeable affection and mediation, which is why we call Her 'Mother' and 'Mediatrix.'"
Before the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence praised the piety of the quiet residents of Sitochorio, who with reverence observe the traditions, customs, and habits of their village, and which they pass down to the younger generations.
In attendance on the occasion were the Member of Parliament for Evros, An. Dimoschakis, the Mayor of Didymoteicho, Rom. Chatzigiannoglou, the Commander of the 30th Division, Colonel Kon. Ganidis, and the President of the Local Community, Eust. Gatsioudis.
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