On Thursday, 23 May 2019, took place the 11th Meeting of the representatives of Ecclesiastical Regions and Monasteries at the Synodical Office of Pilgrimage Tours of the Church of Cyprus, at the Cultural Center of the Holy Monastery of Agios Georgios Kontos in Larnaca.
Representatives of the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus, Metropolises, Bishoprics and Monasteries as well as partners of the Pilgrimage Tours Office attended the meeting. At the meeting were invited and attended representatives of the Department of Secondary General Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture for mutual information and promotion of the issue of Student Religious Tours, i.e. the fruit of cooperation between the Office of Pilgrimage Tours of the Church of Cyprus and the Department of Secondary General Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The President of the Office of Pilgrimage Tours, Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria, welcomed the participants and informed them about the actions that have taken place over the last few months to promote Pilgrimage Tours and the Religious Tourism in general. Afterwards, the representatives briefed on the activities, the projects promoted or completed, as well as the problems they faced in their regions. It is a general finding that Religious Tourism is developing in Cyprus quite a lot, with the possibility of further development and that the investments in it are very efficient.
His Grace, the representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the collaborators of the Pilgrimage Tours Office informed about the Schedule of the Student Religious Tours, which is being applied for the fourth school year with great success. During the school year 2018-2019, it was noted a participation of 38 lyceums, technical schools and gymnasiums, which presented 43 papers in seven workshops. Overall, both the content of the work and the presentation were of a high standard. The Program will be implemented in the next school year, so it will be evaluated for any improvements.
Afterwards, took place a briefing on the collaboration with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and other local tourism agencies, as well as on the planned pilgrimage cruise of the Office and other activities.
Both the Office of Pilgrimage Tours and the representatives of Ecclesiastical Regions informed about their publications, presented them and distributed some of them.
The participants visited the Holy Church of Panagia Chrysopolitissa and the Holy Church of St. John the Theologian in Larnaca, where they were guided by priests of the two churches.
The meeting was hosted by the Metropolis of Kition, with the blessings of Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kition.
Source: Church of Cyprus
