Nafpaktos, Greece, June 28, 2021
Photo: googleusercontent.com
Following the Divine Liturgy on Monday, June 21, the feast of the Holy Spirit, Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos of the Church of Greece consecrated a new altar in honor of St. Kallinikos of Edessa, a 20th-century hierarch of the Greek Church who was canonized last year, at the Church of St. Paraskevi in Nafpaktos.
On Wednesday, on the one-year anniversary of the canonization, Met. Hierotheos celebrated the hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Chapel of St. Kallinikos. The precious right hand of the saint was present for all to venerate, reports the Metropolis of Nafpaktos.
Photo: googleusercontent.com
The Metropolitan blessed a festive kollyva for the occasion and spoke about how moved he was to consecrate a chapel in honor of his late elder, whom he greatly revered.
He also explained to those present that there would be two chapels in the Church of St. Paraskevi—that of St. Kallinikos, and another to be consecrated in honor of St. Sophrony of Essex next month.
In his sermon, the Metropolitan referred to his relationship with St. Kallinikos, emphasizing the importance of the canonization of a bishop of Greece for our times. The Holy Hierarch of Edessa possessed great ecclesiastical wisdom, Met. Hierotheos said, which he passed on to others.
Met. Hierotheos thanked Metropolitan Joel of Edessa for preparing the file for the canonization of St. Kallinikos and for composing the hymns in his honor. He also thanked the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece for approving the file and the Holy Synod of Constantinople for officially canonizing St. Kallinikos.
In October, Met. Hierotheos released an archival recording of a speech St. Kallinikos delivered at a conference in 1970, so all could hear the voice of the saint.
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