Convinced that the Virgin Mary, even after her Dormition, has not abandoned the world but continues with the same motherly care to intercede before her Only-Begotten Son, the Orthodox faithful of Albania celebrated the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
At the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Boboshticë, Korça, Archbishop Ioannis of Albania presided over the Divine Liturgy.
In his homily, Archbishop Ioannis emphasized that “it is not enough merely to hear the words of God; we must also treasure them in our hearts. The Virgin Mary did not only fulfill her role as a mother but also preserved the words of God within her heart. Unless we listen to and live by God’s words in our daily lives, we will not experience true spiritual healing.”
He also made special reference to the devastating wildfires currently affecting Albania, urging the faithful: “Let us pray to the Virgin Mary to help us in the face of the great dangers caused by these fires. Every genuine prayer can be heard by God. Therefore, let us pray not only for relief from life’s hardships but above all for the salvation of our souls.”
For their contribution to the renovation of the Monastery, the title of Oikonomos was bestowed upon Fr. Evangelos Terez and Fr. Michael Sanellar.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the icon of the Virgin Mary was carried in procession around the Monastery, while prayers were offered as a sign of solidarity with the Albanian people for the extinguishing of the numerous wildfires—something that took place in all churches throughout Albania.
On the Feast Day itself, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Fier celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the historic Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos within the archaeological site of Apollonia. On the eve of the feast, he presided at the Vespers with Artoklasia in the celebrating church of Sekista.
Metropolitan Antonios of Elbasan celebrated at the Church of St. Athanasios in Elbasan.
Metropolitan Astios of Berat presided over the Vespers at the Monastery of Panagia in Vodicë, while on the Feast Day he celebrated at the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Rrupaj, Lushnjë.
The Church of Panagia Vlacherna in the Kala neighborhood of Berat also celebrated, where there is a renowned iconographic depiction of the Dormition of the Theotokos painted in the 14th century by Nikolaos, the son of the famous iconographer Onoufrios.
Metropolitan Nikolaos of Apollonia and Fier also celebrated at the historic Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, located within the archaeological site of Apollonia, where many young children attended and the atmosphere was deeply spiritual.
The church of the Monastery of the Panagia, within ancient Apollonia, is built with finely cut stone material originating from this Doric colony. Its construction is dated to the first half of the 13th century and belongs to the type of cross-in-square churches, with the dome supported by four columns and a distinct sanctuary attached to the main nave.
The Dormition of the Theotokos was also honored at the Monastery of St. Blasios in Durrës and in the Metropolis of Gjirokastër.
Fr. Ilias Makos
