On Monday, September 22, 2025, Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi presided over the Divine Liturgy in commemoration of Saint Phocas at the namesake church in the Mesachori community (Ortaköy).
The Patriarchal Overseer of the Bosphorus Region, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Kydonia, welcomed the Commissioner to the community and thanked him for conveying the prayers and blessings of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is currently in the United States.
In his homily, Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi discussed the life of Saint Phocas, his martyrdom, and the significance of his sacrifice for the Church. He then expressed his joy at being present in the magnificent Church of Saint Phocas, which holds special significance for the Greek Orthodox community.
“This splendid church, located in the ancient, God-pleasing seaside neighborhood of Mesachori, where we have gathered to glorify the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and to honor the memory of Saint Phocas, testifies to the enduring presence of the Orthodox people in the city. The community of Romioi continues to preserve the flame of tradition and its spiritual treasures even today. The existence of such holy churches in Constantinople is an expression of religious worship and safeguards our people’s identity, culture, and spiritual heritage. They strengthen the sense of belonging, collective memory, and spiritual continuity of Romiosyne.”
He then thanked Metropolitan Athenagoras of Kydonia, saying, “At this point, I would like to express my gratitude to His Eminence, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Kydonia, the archiepiscopal overseer of this region, for his loving and tireless pastoral care, which he carries out with inspiration, prudence, and noble humility.” In closing his address, he spoke of the Orthodox Church as Light and Witness in the modern world: “The Orthodox Church, my beloved brothers, under the leadership of His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch, is not confined today to a single geographical space, but extends throughout the world as the Church of truth, reconciliation, and peace. She calls all people to partake in life in Christ, offering the light of the risen Lord within the manifold and often contradictory reality of contemporary society.”
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
