In honor of the one year anniversary of the canonization of his Elder, Saint Kallinikos of Edessa, which took place on 23 June 2020, Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos celebrated a Divine Liturgy, preached a sermon, did an artoklasia and blessed a festal kollyva on Tuesday 23 June 2021. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the first chapel dedicated to Saint Kallinikos, which is in the Church of Saint Paraskevi in Nafpaktos. The consecration of this chapel took place the day before, on the Monday of the Holy Spirit. Metropolitan Hierotheos expressed how he was deeply moved to consecrate this chapel as a Bishop to his late Elder, whom he greatly revered and wrote books about.
Metropolitan Hierotheos further explained how the two Holy Altars in the two niches on the north side and the south side of the Church of Saint Pareskevi will both be chapels. The one is the already consecrated Chapel of Saint Kallinikos of Edessa and the other will be consecrated next month and will be dedicated to Saint Sophrony of Essex, another holy Elder whom Metropolitan Hierotheos had many conversations with and authored books about.
Without the efforts of Metropolitan Hierotheos, these two new Saints of the Church would not have been canonized at this time, and the Metropolitan expressed his thanks to Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece as well as the Holy Synod the Church of Greece for approving the file of their canonization to be sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and he thanked the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for making the decision to approve of their canonization. He also thanked Metropolitan Joel of Edessa for preparing the file for Saint Kallinikos and for composing his divine services to honor his memory.
Among those present at the first Divine Liturgy in the Chapel of Saint Kallinikos of Edessa was the Mayor of Nafpaktos, Mr. Vasilios Gizas, who is a relative of the Saint. Everyone venerated the icon of the Saint and the relic of his right hand.
Metropolitan Hierotheos further explained how the two Holy Altars in the two niches on the north side and the south side of the Church of Saint Pareskevi will both be chapels. The one is the already consecrated Chapel of Saint Kallinikos of Edessa and the other will be consecrated next month and will be dedicated to Saint Sophrony of Essex, another holy Elder whom Metropolitan Hierotheos had many conversations with and authored books about.
Without the efforts of Metropolitan Hierotheos, these two new Saints of the Church would not have been canonized at this time, and the Metropolitan expressed his thanks to Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece as well as the Holy Synod the Church of Greece for approving the file of their canonization to be sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and he thanked the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for making the decision to approve of their canonization. He also thanked Metropolitan Joel of Edessa for preparing the file for Saint Kallinikos and for composing his divine services to honor his memory.
Among those present at the first Divine Liturgy in the Chapel of Saint Kallinikos of Edessa was the Mayor of Nafpaktos, Mr. Vasilios Gizas, who is a relative of the Saint. Everyone venerated the icon of the Saint and the relic of his right hand.
