Within the framework of the festive events for the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution of 1821, the Holy Metropolitanate of Lefkas and Ithaca cooperated with the Municipality of Lefkas for the implementation of a three-day-long programme of festive events in the town of Lefkas from Jule 2 to 4, 2021.

During these three days in the hospitable area of the “Anghelos Sikelianos” Garden Theatre, a Scholarly Conference took place on the general topic “In Maghemenos’: where it all started”, in which, among other distinguished guests, Most Rev. Metropolitan Kallinikos of Arta participated as representative of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, a message of which he conveyed, as well as Most Rev. Metropolitan Theophilos of Lefkas and Ithaca.

In the morning of the second day of the Conference at 11h, a Doxology was chanted in the historical chapel of BVM of Vlahernai in Campos of Lefkas, with Most Rev. Theophilos officiating. It is worth noting that at this point the Members of the Society of Friends and the chieftains of Western Central Greece, Epirus and Lefkas were sworn in on the Holy Gospel by M. Protopapas Zacharias Montesanto.

In the afternoon of the same day, among other authoritative speakers, Archimandrite Father Ioannikios Zambelis, Hieropreacher of the Holy Metropolitanate of Lefkas, delivered a paper on “Ignatios of Nafpaktos and Arta – Parthenios II of Lefkas and Saint Mavra: two dynamic ecclesiastical leaders in the defence of Lefkas (1807)”.

In the morning of Sunday, July 4, 2021, a Biarchieratical Divine Liturgy was performed in the Holy Cathedral of BVM Evanghelistria of Lefkas, with Most Rev. Kallinikos officiating and Most Rev. Theophilos co-officiating. State, government, administrative, economic, and diplomatic personalities attended.

Subsequently, at 12h noon, before the memorial of Maghemenos (i.e. “the Enchanted One”, in Greek) in Nikiana, a Memorial Service was chanted by the two Metropolitans accompanied by other clergymen, wreaths were laid and a commemorative event followed. According to tradition, it was at this point that “klephts” and “armatoloi” (i.e. highwaymen and irregular soldiers, in Greek) met with Ioannis Capodistrias and the aforementioned Bishops of 1807 in order to organise the defence of Lefkas during its siege by Ali Pasha. During both the Doxology and the Polyarchieratical Divine Liturgy the Holy Gospel on which, according to local tradition, the Members of the Society of Friends were sworn in was venerated. This Gospel, coming from the holy church of Saint Antonios of Lefkas, belongs to the Cathedral of Lefkas and has been offered as a loan to the Ecclesiastical Museum of the Holy Monastery of Phaneromeni of Lefkas, where it is presented today.

In the afternoon of the same day, the third and last part of the Scholarly Conference was completed, with the two Metropolitans attending, a former President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Prokopios Pavolopoulos, delivering a speech on “The historical course of Ioannis Capodistrias”, and several government, administrative, economic, and diplomatic authorities present.

Related videos:
_ July 2, 2021: Scholarly Conference
_ July 3, 2021: Doxology | BVM of Vlahernai
_ July 3, 2021: Scholarly Conference
_ July 4, 2021: Scholarly Conference
_ Mr Prokopios Pavlopoulos’ speech, Conclusions