Astoria, New York, July 30, 2025
The Holy Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovalantou in Astoria, New York, hosted its annual celebration honoring its wonderworking patron from July 23-28, drawing pilgrims from across the United States and Canada.
The festivities began Wednesday, July 23, with the Mystery of Holy Unction, followed by Great Vespers on Thursday, July 24, presided over by the abbot Archimandrite Meletios, with participation from monastery clergy and visiting priests from Greece, reports Romfea.
The abbot subsequently celebrated the blessing service in front of the Katholikon to mark the beginning of the four-day festival.
Friday evening, July 25, featured Great Vespers for the feast of St. Paraskevi and an All-Night Vigil, led by Metropolitan Athanasios of Ilia.
Saturday, July 26, began with a Festal Hierarchical Liturgy in the morning, continuing in the evening with Festal Vespers led by Met. Athanasios, with participation from numerous priests, including the traditional blessing of apples and the artoklasia service.
Sunday, July 27, featured Festal Matins and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy presided over by Met. Athanasios. The abbot thanked the Metropolitan for honoring the monastery’s annual celebration.
A procession followed including the holy relic and miraculous icon of St. Irene Chrysovalantou, with thousands of faithful participating. Worshippers lined the boulevard where the monastery is located, waiting for the miraculous icon to pass over them while praying to receive the grace and blessing of the healing saint.
The procession passed before the Church of Sts. Catherine and George, where a prayer service was held in the presence of His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, who accompanied the procession along with many faithful to the saint’s shrine.
The celebration continued that afternoon with Great Vespers for the feast of St. Irene, and concluded the next day, July 28—the actual feast day—with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Great Vespers with a paraklesis service to St. Irene in the evening.
Cultural events were held alongside the religious services as part of the annual Greek festival, featuring traditional Greek dances by the Folklore Association of Greek Americans, exhibitions of ecclesiastical items and paintings, and acrobatic demonstrations.
The abbot thanked all priests, faithful who honored the celebration with their presence and participation, and monastery volunteers who contributed to the success of the feast and festival. He emphasized that from his experience, “St. Irene lives among us, giving the mark of her presence through the miracles she performs daily for the Christian population of America.”
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