With respect to the invitation of Metropolitan Athanasios of Sisaniou, His Beatitude, the Pope and Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria was joyfully received in the city of Siatista in Macedonia on Friday, July 4, 2025.
Accompanied by his blessed entourage, the Alexandrian primate was officially received at the ancient Holy Monastery of Saint Athanasios in Eratyra, where hierarchs, clergy, and faithful welcomed him with respect and joy. Then, with great devotion, the Vespers of the Inauguration of the Holy Table of the Katholikon of the Holy Monastery was celebrated.
The visit of Patriarch Theodoros sealed the spiritual blessing and sanctification of the Alexandrian Church to the deeply historic and much-suffering land of Macedonia.
In the morning hours of the next day, Saturday, July 5, the clergy and people congregated to attend the Matins and the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy during which the consecration of the Holy Table of the Catholicos of the Holy Monastery took place.
Towards the end of the Divine Liturgy, the enthronement of the Abbot of the Holy Monastery, Archimandrite Mr. Nikiforos Mitroudis was conducted, followed by the awarding of honorary distinctions to the benefactors of the Holy Monastery by His Beatitude the Patriarch.
The honorees were awarded to: His Excellency Mr. Georgios Amanatidis, Regional Governor of Western Macedonia, His Excellency Mr. Eleftherios Avramopoulos, Mayor of Meteora, His Excellency Mr. Georgios Konstantinidis, businessman, His Excellency Mrs. Zacharoula Vagianou, and Mr. Nikolaos Mantziaris, businessman, who all warmly thanked His Beatitude, emphasizing the importance of giving and service to the Holy Church.
The Alexandrian entourage of Patriarch Theodoros comprised His Eminences Metropolitans of Leontopolis, Mr. Gabriel and Mr. Stefanos of Hippo, as well as Protopresbyters, Mr. Pavlos Nzalambi and Mr. Nikolaos Koulianopoulos.
Homily by Patriarch Theodoros in Macedonia
In his homily during the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Theodore expressed his deep joy in visiting “the land soaked with the blood of heroes of the faith and the homeland, a land often wronged, yet glorified in song, Macedonia.” He thanked Metropolitan Athanasios for the invitation and praised the faithful for their unwavering devotion to the Church and to their spiritual heritage.
“…I come from the city of the Macedonian Alexander the Great, the beautiful Alexandria, for us to meet, to give you my humble blessing, urging you to continue the great struggle of life. I come from the Great City where the Great Father of our Church, Athanasios the Great, lived. Brethren, we are called to become namesakes with the patron Saint of this Holy Monastery and the Bishop of this local Church, who strives tirelessly.
I come from the God-forsaken Egypt, carrying the scent of the desert. Where the Great ascetics Anthony the Teacher of the Desert, Paul the Theban, Makarios and Paisios lived and so many others who, with their ascetic sweat, their tears of repentance and supplication, watered the Thebaid, Nitria and Mount Pelusium. The connection of Saint Athanasios with the inspirer and guide of the Monks, Saint Anthony, is self-evident. The truly Great Theologian Athanasios ran like a thirsty deer to quench his thirst from the clean and cool water that his spiritual teacher Anthony offered him.
This year, in which the Orthodox Church celebrates together 1700 years since the convening of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in Bithynia, we, as the Patriarchate of Alexandria, have dedicated to Athanasios the Great. His theological thought and teaching contributed substantially to the decisions of the First Ecumenical Council. The celebration of 1700 years is not simply a formal anniversary, but an occasion for reflection on the decisions of the said Council and for reflection on whether we are consistent with what it taught.
Your Eminence, Holy Father, Your victorious Monastery, built at the foot of Mount Askio in beautiful Eratyra, bears the scars of a centuries-old life, one that begins before 1797, the year of the burning of its Catholicos and its reconstruction until our days. However, it also bears the good testimony that it is a spiritual beacon in our Western Macedonia. I congratulate you for your admirable and exemplary renovation work, but even more so for the spiritual work that is carried out in this blessed place and offers diverse spiritual support to the surrounding area and beyond. More specifically, to our young people who are the hope of tomorrow. The praise is just and the congratulations are heartfelt!
The Church is not a place for fulfilling religious needs, but the source of grace and the healing center of souls. I am convinced that today we are not inaugurating a simple building, however beautiful. We are officially placing in Divine Worship the place where the Christian will meet in prayer with God and with their fellow men. The walls of this sacred space will hear hymns, confessions, prayers. Above all, they will “see” the Lord himself in the Divine Liturgy, giving himself to whoever wants and desires it. It is the moment when we all become “companions” – what a misunderstood term – and as Christ-bearers we walk in our life’s struggle empowered, optimistic and hopeful, ready to face problems and enjoy vindication.
I would like to remind you in your love and to underline in my speech that I come from the African continent. I try with my collaborators in the Missionary Vineyard of the Lord, day and night to manage the Missionary mandate of the God-man in the best and most efficient way. Adverse conditions and thorns exist. We overcome them with patience and we transcend them with resilience. We carry out our work through the complexities of local prejudices and social challenges. Finally, I request you, do not cease to pray for the Church of St. Mark. We rely on your prayers; we lean on your love. Facing war and reaction not only from enemies but also from friends, not only from non-believers but also from fellow believers. We are embittered, we are not disappointed. We stand upright and we are right. We pray, we hope, we endure and we wait until justice prevails, normality prevails, unity shines. I request everyone to have you as fellow travelers on our missionary ascent.
I thank you for allowing me to address your kind heart, to express my simple thoughts, to ask for your prayers and to thank you for the invitation to be among you.”
