In the Church of St. Nicholas in Constantinople (Istanbul), on the occasion of the feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a festive liturgy was held in Ukrainian.
The liturgy was held with the blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, gazeta.ua reports with reference to the Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul.
“Today we prayed for the Ukraine defenders. We are grateful to the Mother Church and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for this opportunity,” said Oleksandr Haman, Consul General of Ukraine in Istanbul.
He congratulated the parishioners on the Feast of the Intercession (Pokrova), Day of Defenders of Ukraine, and Day of the Cossacks, adding that his term in office in Turkey is expiring later this month.
Haman thanked the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the fruitful years of cooperation and presented them with the icon of St. Nicholas.
Istanbul’s St. Nicholas Church was rebuilt in 1837 on the site of what formerly was a temple of the Byzantine period, first mentioned in 1724 (probable time of construction – before 1538).
On November 24, 2019, a memorial service in Ukrainian for the victims of the Holodomor was held in St. Nicholas Church. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew took part in the service.
