Metropolitan Bartholomew of Smyrna presided over the holy services during the week of Pentecost in Smyrna.
On Saturday, before Pentecost, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was performed, with the participation of believers, after which a Trisagion service took place for the repose of the soul of the orthodox Christians.
On the Sunday of Pentecost and the Monday of the Holy Spirit, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the Kneeling prayer were performed. During the Holy Service, the Metropolitan of Smyrna invited the faithful to use in their lives the opportunities of personal sanctification given by our Church, whose institution is formed by the Holy Spirit. He mentioned, in fact, in view of All Saints’ Sunday, that thousands of people over the centuries have become Saints of our Church as they passed through the stage of their earthly life, praising the Name of God in the midst of difficulties they endured and accepted from God in obedience as a rule of life.
Metropolitan Bartholomew added, in fact, that these are, above all, the people of toil, the simple, honest and pious bio-wrestlers, the loving and pious mothers and honest wives, who are so many, and only the Lord knows their names, the rest of us will learn of their existence during the Second Coming. This, of course, does not mean that distinguished or talented persons are excluded from holiness, as long as they use the given talents according to the word of the Lord. He even assured that the known and honored Saints, recognized by our Church, are much fewer compared to those who are in the memory of God.
Metropolitan Bartholomew presided over the Holy Services on the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist along with Hieromonk Vladimiros Rusannen, a clergyman of the Holy Diocese of Pisidia.
Finally, the Metropolitan presided over the Divine Liturgy along with Protopresbyter Sergiou Vlad, Head of the Romanian-speaking Parish of the Holy Archdiocese of Constantinople, on Saturday, June 26, 2021.
After the Dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Bartholomew received the Consul General of Romania in Smyrna, from whom he was informed about the Romanian Orthodox living in the Holy Diocese of Smyrna.
Finally, the Archbishop of Smyrna also celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of All Saints.