Patras, Greece, October 1, 2024
Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr
The Orthodox faithful of Greece festively celebrated the precious relics of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle over the weekend.
60 years ago, on September 26, 1964, the skull of St. Andrew was returned to Patras after centuries of being enshrined in the Vatican. Thus, this relic is again venerated in the city where St. Andrew was martyred by being crucified upside down, and the Patras cathedral is one of Greece’s main pilgrimage sites today.
Anniversary celebrations began on Saturday morning, when St. Andrew’s skull was carried in and placed in the center of the church for the veneration of the faithful, reports Vima Orthodoxias.
That afternoon, Great Vespers was presided over by Bishop Christophoros of Amphipolis, concelebrated by the local hierarch Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras and six other hierarchs:
The next morning, Matins was presided over by Metropolitan Pavlos of Servia and the Divine Liturgy by Metropolitan Panteleimonos of Veria, concelebrated by the same hierarchs. The church was full of Orthodox faithful from all over Greece.
In his sermon, Met. Panteleimonos emphasized the importance of holy relics in Christian tradition, explaining how the saints’ relics serve as a source of blessing and spiritual strength for the faithful. Through the presence of holy relics, believers can come closer to the saints and draw spiritual support. He noted that the return of Apostle Andrew’s relic serves as a reminder of the saint’s continuous presence in Patras and his ongoing protection of the city and its inhabitants.
The celebrations concluded with a procession with the holy relic of St. Andrew and a moleben of thanksgiving. “The atmosphere was filled with reverence and gratitude toward Apostle Andrew, who continues to serve as a source of inspiration and spiritual guidance for the city and its faithful.”
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Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr
The skull of St. Andrew has a long and complex history of movement.
The Apostle was martyred in Patras in the 1st century. His relics were taken to Constantinople during the reign of Constantius, the son of St. Constantine the Great, while his skull either remained in Patras or was returned there in the 9th century.
It was taken from the city in 1462 by Thomas Palaiologos to protect it from Turkish invasion. Palaiologos brought the skull to Rome, where it was received with great ceremony and enshrined in St. Peter’s Basilica. For approximately 500 years, the skull remained in Rome until 1962, when the religious and civic leaders of Patras requested its return. Pope Paul VI agreed to this request, and on September 26, 1964, the skull was officially returned to Patras in a grand ceremony. It was received by Metropolitan Constantinos and then taken in procession to the Church of St. Andrew, where it remains to this day.
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