This very day, the 3rd of February, 2021, marks the 25th anniversary of the consecration of the Chapel of St. Georgios at Brussels Airport. On February 3, 1996, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew officially consecrated the chapel. Let us not forget that this was the first orthodox chapel in the world inside an airport.
Metropolitan Panteleimon found the donors, Georgios Petros and his family, who would give the entire funding for the creation of the interior decoration of the chapel and would dedicate it to the patron Saint and Great-Martyr Georgios. Following the proposal of the Metropolitan of Belgium and by the decision of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Georgios Petros was awarded the offikion of Archon of the Great Church of Christ.
After that day, thousands of travellers visited it, venerated the images, prayed and wrote down their impressions in the guest book. Among the many visitors was Prince Philip of Belgium (in 1996) and in December 2001, after an Interfaith Meeting, the Blessed Patriarch of Serbia Pavle, who performed the Divine Liturgy there.
Over time, the airport authorities provided the Orthodox Church with an office with a telephone line and a computer to facilitate contact with the airport staff.
Since then, orthodox chapels have been created inside Athens and Bucharest Airports. These chapels, together with that of Brussels, guarantee the presence of God as travellers fly to their destinations daily. It is also a way to highlight the beauty of the Orthodox Byzantine tradition.
Source: Holy Metropolis of Belgium
