Holy Metropolitanate of Ierissos, Mount Athos and Ardamerion: from 1453 to 1821 the Church held a leading part in the enslaved nation. It succeeded in preserving our language and history unharmed and averting Islamisation

On Saturday and Sunday, September 4 and 5, 2021, in the holy church of Saint Nicholas of Ierissos, the Holy Metropolitanate of Ierissos, Mount Athos and Ardamerion celebrated the National Regeneration of 1821, participating in the events of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, and more specifically of its Special Committee on Cultural Identity on the occasion of the bicentenary of the freedom that, with the blessing of our Church, the Revolution of our people ensured for us in 1821!

The protagonists of the event were the forty-member-strong “Byzantine Kypseli” Choir of the Holy Monastery of Kifissia, Amaroussion and Oropos, conducted by Protopresbyter Father Christos Kyriakopoulos and accompanied by traditional string instruments, with children from Ierissos dancing in traditional costumes.

Most Rev. Metropolitans Nikodemos of Cassandreia, Panteleimon of Maroneia and Komotini, Member of the Standing Holy Synod for this year and representative of the Holy Synod in the events, specially invited for this purpose by the local Hierarch Most Rev. Theokletos, along with local government dignitaries, honoured the event by attending.

Most Learned Professor Michael Tritos, Dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, on the subject “What the Neomartyrs offered to the enslaved nation”.

Subsequently, Most Rev. Metropolitan of Kassandreia, revered in Halkidiki, read out a message by HB Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and all Greece, which you may wish to read here in its entirety.

The event, presented by the General Archieratical Commissioner of the Metropolitanate, Very Rev. Archimandrite Father Dorotheos Zervas, was closed by an address of Most Rev. Metropolitan of Ierissos.

On Sunday, September 5, a Vespers was chanted, followed by a Polyarchieratical Divine Liturgy, with Most Rev. Metropolitan Nikodemos of Cassandreia officiating and Most Rev. Metropolitans Panteleimon of Maroneia and the local Hierarch Theokletos co-officiating. Archon Protopsaltis (First Cantor) Mr Ioannis Hassanidis with his associates chanted, and the Service was closed with a sermon by Most Rev. Metropolitan Panteleimon, which you may wish to watch here in its entirety.

During the event all the measures for the protection from the Coronavirus pandemic were observed.