Tbilisi, November 25, 2024
Photo: sazu.ge
The Georgian Orthodox Church festively celebrated the 20th anniversary of the consecration of its main church, Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba), in Tbilisi, on Saturday, November 23, the feast of the torments of St. George, the patron saint of the Georgian nation.
The foundation of the church was laid in the 1990s, though construction soon stopped due to lack of funds. Several years later, through the intervention of His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, wealthy benefactors, and the donations of the faithful, construction was finished in 2000, in time for the 1,500th anniversary of Georgian Church autocephaly.
The cathedral was consecrated four years later, in 2004. The construction was historic not only in its scale but also because it gave great impetus to the subsequent building of many new churches in Georgia, reports the Georgian Church’s Public Relations Service.
“As is known, St. George is a distinguished saint and patron for Georgia. He often visibly led our army in battles against numerous enemies and strengthened them in defending the Christian faith. Therefore, our country is covered with places of worship in his honor.”
The Divine Liturgy for the occasion was celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsqu, Locum Tenens of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Regarding the consecration of the cathedral, he said in his homily:
Dear brothers and sisters, today we mark another wonderful event. Today marks exactly 20 years since the consecration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in which we now stand. I would like, together with you, to congratulate Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II with great love both with the feast of St. George and the 20th anniversary of this church’s consecration, and to thank the Lord that in the most difficult period for our country, in the most difficult decades, He sent us such a wise and spiritual helmsman, and to thank him for this great work, for building this wonderful church, which is one of the wonderful fruits and manifestations of his great work. May his life and Patriarchate continue for many years!
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