LAST UPDATE: 18:10
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America was warmly welcomed to the historic temples; the Church of Holy Archangels in Mesta, the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Mesa Didyma and the Holy Monastery of Saint Minas, and in the ossuary of the martyrs of the Chios Massacre, as reported by anamniseis.net.
Archbishop Elpidophoros’s tour began on Monday afternoon with a visit to the women’s Monastery of Saint Minas, where the ossuary of the martyrs of the Chios Massacre is located.
The Archbishop of America and Metropolitan Markos of Chios, Psara and Oinousses, the priests and the expatriates who accompanied them visited the church and the ossuary which will be turned into a museum and shouted together “Never again massacres.”
This was followed by a visit to the Mastic Museum of Chios.
The visit to Mesta was impressive and extremely moving as the inhabitants had taken to the streets, which had been paved with palms to welcome the Archbishop, the Greek diaspora of America, and the Metropolitan of Chios.
The reception was attended by the priest of the church, Fr. Konstantinos Thyrianos, the Deputy Mayor, Giannis Xenakis, the President of the community, George Argyroudis, the former president of the Chian Federation, Giorgis Almyroudis, the President of the Cultural Association of Mesta, Nikolas Scholiadis, and members of the church committee.
Metropolitan Markos of Chios welcomed Archbishop Elpidophoros and the expatriates by making special reference to the traditional friendship between Greece and the USA and the contribution of the Chians diaspora in the development of these relations.
In his reply, the Archbishop referred to the love of the Chians for their place. The Chian expatriates refer to their island and cry because they adore their birthplace, he said. Besides, he added, the Greeks, wherever they are, do not just settle down, they create.
Immediately after, they went to the square of Mesa Didyma, where the residents waited patiently to receive the Archbishop and the expatriates. The road to the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary was paved with palm leaves and for the first time after sixteen months of the pandemic, the women’s room was opened so that as many believers as possible could attend the Archieratical Vespers.
Both the Metropolitan of Chios and the Archbishop of America referred to the contribution of Stylianos Zervoudis to the Greek community and to the Church and to his donations for the renovation of this church.
The first day of Elpidophoros’s visit to Chios ended with the dinner hosted in honor of the Archbishop and the expatriates by Minister of Immigration Notis Mytarakis at the Military Club.
The minister welcomed Archbishop Elpidophoros and made special reference to the difficult task he has undertaken and the opening of the historic Church of Saint Nicholas that will be performed on November 2, 2021, by Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew,
Elpidoforos referred to the challenges he was called to face two years ago with the enthronement and assumption of his duties and focused his attention on the offer of the expatriates in America and Chios and their generosity.
The Archbishop of America visited the “Ark of the World”
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America visited the “Ark of the World” where he was welcomed with great honor and joy by Father Antonios, his wife, and the children of the “Ark of the World”.
The Archbishop of America after hearing the song of the Ark greeted and blessed one by one the children, who symbolically offered a flower or herb from the children’s village and had a short discussion with them.
Then they all headed to the square, where the children had prepared a small artistic program. Little Noah with the choir opened the program with the song “Alleluia”.
Father Antonios, after welcoming Archbishop Elpidophoros and the attendees, referred to the work of the “Ark of the World”.
Then the stage was taken by the theatrical team of the “Ark of the World”, which managed to move the Archbishop of America and the other attendees with the theatrical event that he presented on the theme of the “Ark of the World”.
The Archbishop of America invited all the children to sit next to him and spoke to them about his past and how he himself had been a refugee from Constantinople.
He likened the Ark to an eagle’s nest through which leaders will emerge, as well as that just as Noah’s old Ark hid the most precious thing in it, so the children of the Ark are precious and will determine the future.
His heartfelt and paternal speech really touched and moved the children.
After the speech of the Archbishop of America, the children offered a handmade boat and received each one, a cross, and the icon of the Virgin Mary.