By Fr. Elias Makos
In a deeply emotional atmosphere, carrying the message that the Orthodox faithful of the region will never forget their true and gentle Shepherd, the 40-day memorial service for the late Metropolitan Ignatios of Berat was held on Sunday, August 25, 2024.
Metropolitan Ioannis of Korçë presided over the memorial service at the Church of Saint Dimitrios in Berat, alongside Metropolitans Georgios of Thebes, Livadia, and Avlida of the Church of Greece, Nikolaos of Apollonia and Fier (locum tenens of the Metropolis of Berat), Dimitrios of Gjirokastra, and Nathanael of Amantia. They were joined by the abbot of the Greek Monastery of Saint Seraphim in Domvos, Archimandrite Fr. Nektarios Tsekouras—who had offered significant support to the late Metropolitan Ignatios—as well as priests from the Metropolises of Albania and clergymen from the Church of Greece.
Following the memorial service, the clergy and faithful gathered at the tomb of the late Metropolitan Ignatios, situated in the courtyard of the Church of Saint Dimitrios, where they performed a Trisagion service in his honor.
In his memorial address, Metropolitan Ioannis of Korçë reflected on the life and work of Metropolitan Ignatios, highlighting the profound impact of love as the guiding force throughout his ministry.
Speaking at the memorial service, Metropolitan Georgios emphasized: “Let us honor and cherish the memory of your late Metropolitan, who faithfully served as a clergyman in our Metropolis for thirty-two years. He made significant contributions to the ministry of our Church and was renowned for his humility, kindness, unwavering devotion to Christ and His Church, and his deep love for his fellow human beings, whom he served tirelessly.”
He added, “I want to testify that in our conversations, he consistently expressed his profound love for his flock, as well as his trust and unwavering commitment to Archbishop Anastasios of Albania.”
It is worth noting that upon arriving in Berat on Saturday, August 24, 2024, Metropolitan Georgios of Thebes, Livadia, and Avlida—hailing from Thebes, where Metropolitan Ignatios’s funeral service was held—conducted a Trisagion service at the tomb of the late Metropolitan Ignatios.
