Historic, spiritual, and deeply moving moments were experienced on Sunday, October 19, 2025, by the faithful of the Greek Orthodox Community and from abroad, at the newly renovated Holy Church of the Nativity of St. John the Forerunner of Upper Bosporus – Nea Synoikia (Genimahalle), as well as at the Holy Spring, located in the narthex of the church. The Service of the Consecration was presided over by His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, the senior hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne, due to the unexpected indisposition of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
During the Divine Liturgy, present were Their Eminences Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, Shepherd of the Holy Metropolis; Metropolitan Nektarios of Anthidon, Representative of the Holy Sepulchre in the City; Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia; Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra; Metropolitan Andreas of Saranta Ekklisies; and Metropolitan Theodoros of Seleucia; together with Their Graces Bishops Adrianos of Halicarnassus, Kassianos of Arabissos, and Paisios of Xanthoupolis. Also in attendance were Archimandrite Petros, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St. Dionysios of Mount Athos; His Excellency Mr. Konstantinos Koutras, Ambassador and Consul General of Greece in the City; Professor Kyriakos Anastasiadis, Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, accompanied by several Vice-Rectors from various faculties of the same University; Mrs. Dimitra Vourdoglou, Education Coordinator in the City; Mr. Philippos Papageorgiou, Municipal Councillor of Patras, together with two physicians from Patras; Fr. Antonios Boulai, head of the Franciscan Brotherhood of the City and of the Middle East; representatives of the municipal authorities of Megalopolis and Sarıyer; the Chairmen of the Boards of Trustees of the Holy Metropolis and other Communities of the City; as well as numerous faithful from the City and abroad.
The restoration of the historic Church of the Nativity of St. John the Forerunner, situated high above the Bosporus in the district of Sarıyer—the last and frontier Community of the Holy Metropolis of Derkoi—is owed to His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, who, throughout his pastoral ministry in the Metropolis, has restored from the ground up yet another Holy Church, preserving with utmost reverence its original form and the historical identity of this sacred edifice. The work was accomplished through the collaboration of the Metropolitan with Archimandrite Petros, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St. Dionysios of Mount Athos, and the shipowner Mr. Pelopidas Haji-Ioannou.
His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi was visibly moved as he spoke of the great work of the church’s restoration, declaring that “today’s occasion marks not merely the restoration of a building, but the resurrection of the memory and soul of Romiosyne.” Following him, Archon Primikirios of the Great Church of Christ, Mr. Diamantis Kombopoulos, Treasurer of the Community’s Board of Trustees, noted that they began their efforts without financial resources—armed only with faith and perseverance—and that today they see the church shining once again as a beacon of faith and hope for the Romiosyne of the Bosporus.
Finally, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, representing His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, addressed the faithful, praising His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi for the remarkable work he has carried out throughout his years of ministry in service to the Mother Church and to Romiosyne, emphasizing that “each such renewal is not merely an act of restoration—it is a testimony to the living Romiosyne that continues to illumine the Bosporus.”
Subsequently, gifts were exchanged between the Committee, the Shepherd of the God-protected Eparchy of Derkoi, and the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, while commemorative items of the renovation and the historical record of the Holy Church were distributed.
After the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a rich reception followed in the Community Hall and its surrounding areas, graciously organized by Mr. Grigorios Kyriakidis, a devoted son of the Holy Metropolis, together with a festive luncheon at a Bosporus restaurant—both generously offered by the Community’s Board of Trustees.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
