On May 29, the Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Ukraine, Bishop Michael of Koman, with the blessing of His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Archbishop Jerome of Athens and at the invitation of Archimandrite Seraphim Dimitriou, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the St Marina Church in Athens.
This was reported by the Stauropegion Mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine.
After the Liturgy, a prayer service and consecration of the parish charitable assistance center were performed. The service was held as part of the celebrations in honor of the Ostrobram Icon of the Mother of God.
The Ostrobram festivities have been organized for many years by the Hagia Marina Foundation, chaired by Patrick Panasyuk, and are actively attended by members of the Polish-Greek parliamentary group Poseł Daniel Milewski, Tomasz Szymański, and Tomasz Kostuś. Important ceremonial events in honor of significant events in the history of Poland and Greece take place every year.
This year, the Ostrobram festivities are dedicated to the missions of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, thanks to which Christianity spread among the Slavic peoples.
The Ostrobram Icon of the Mother of God, originally in Vilnius, Lithuania, is also revered in Athens. This example of living piety is reminiscent of the permanent ties of the Orthodox Commonwealth with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Along with this year’s festivities, Polish and Ukrainian folk music charity shows are also scheduled, during which funds will be raised for refugees from Ukraine, as well as for the Ukrainian military.
The events are held under the auspices of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, the Minister of Defense of Poland, and the Minister of Education and Science of Poland.
