UPDATE: 29/06/2024 13:05
As part of his visit to the Metropolis of Nikopolis and Preveza, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the Monastery of the Holy Apostles in Lithari on the afternoon of Friday, June 28, 2024. During his visit, he inaugurated the newly constructed Sanctuary of the Apostle Paul, which is located at the traditional site where the Apostle of the Nations is believed to have preached the Gospel in Nicopolis. Following the inauguration, the Ecumenical Patriarch presided over the Great Vespers for the feast.
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his deep emotion at returning after 25 years to the Apostolic Metropolis of Nikopolis and Preveza, referring to it as the “beloved Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne in the so-called ‘New Countries.'”
Previously, the Ecumenical Patriarch was addressed by the Metropolitan of Nikopolis and Preveza.
On the morning of the same day, the Ecumenical Patriarch visited the Archaeological Museum of Nikopolis and then toured the ancient city of Nikopolis, with a focus on the sites where archaeological excavations have uncovered the ruins of the impressive early Christian basilicas. At the Early Christian Basilica of I Dometiou, the Ecumenical Patriarch was briefed by Dr. Evgenia Chalkia, an archaeologist and fellow compatriot, who is the Honorary Ephor of Antiquities. Dr. Chalkia has conducted excavations at this site and throughout Nicopolis. During his visit to the archaeological site, the Ecumenical Patriarch had the opportunity to talk with young archaeology students from the USA who are working on the excavations, as part of an educational program.
Immediately afterward, the Ecumenical Patriarch, accompanied by his entourage, visited the Holy Monastery of the Prophet Elijah in Flamboura. There, he was warmly received by the Abbot Archimandrite Ephraim and the monastic community, as well as by nuns from a nearby convent, in the presence of a large number of believers.
At noon, the Ecumenical Patriarch visited the Center for Environmental Interpretation and Interactive Digital Information, located within the Maritime Museum. There, the staff provided an overview of the Amvrakikos Gulf’s protected ecosystem, including details about its marine life, as well as the flora and fauna of its coastal areas.
Following the farewell dinner, the Ecumenical Patriarch and his entourage departed for the Metropolis of Arta, together with the local Metropolitan, Kallinikos.
Photos: Nikos Papachristou
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
