On Friday evening, December 24, 2021, the Services of Vespers with the blessing of bread for the Feast of Saint Spyridon were observed at the Chapel of the Dormition, in Arabic, Greek, and English languages.
On Saturday morning, December 25, 2021, Matins and the Divine Liturgy of Christmas were celebrated at the Holy Church of Saint Isaac the Syriac, in Arabic, Greek, English, and Romanian languages, in the presence of the Deputy Head of the Greek Embassy in Doha George Zafeiris and the Defence Attaché Colonel Kyriakos Dimitrakoulas. Due to the covid-19 restrictions, only one hundred and fifty faithful are allowed to participate in the Divine Liturgy in Saint Isaac’s Cathedral. The rest of the faithful who came that day attended Matins and the Divine Liturgy observed by Priest Demetrios at the Dormition Chapel.
On Thursday morning, January 6, 2022, Matins and the Royal Hours of Christmas were observed. Vespers, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy were held in the evening in the Slavonic and Serbian languages, at the presence of the Ambassador of Moldavia in Doha Victor Tvircun, the Deputy Head of the Serbian Embassy in Doha Slobodan Radeka, and many faithful from Doha and fewer numbers from Riyad. After the Divine Liturgy, there was the inauguration of a member of the Serbian community Mijodrag Tepavcevic’s exhibition of paintings, which was followed by a reception at the reception hall.
The services were officiated by Archbishop Makarios of Qatar with the co-celebration of Priest Demetrios. Instead of a Sermon, the Christmas message of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem was read in the languages used for each service. The Byzantine choir also chanted in these languages.
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem