On July 12, in the newly built Church of the Apostle Paul in Side (Manavgat), the holy feast was celebrated in memory of the apostles Peter and Paul according to the Julian calendar.
This church was built and inaugurated last year, thanks to the financial support of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos and the Society for Mediterranean Studies of Athens, after approval by the local authorities.
On the eve of the Feast, Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, with the participation of the members of the parish, performed the vigil. On the day of the Feast, he presided over the festive Divine Liturgy, accompanied by Assistant Bishop Ambrosios of Eudokia and the clergy. Choirs and believers who had arrived from Antalya and Alanya also attended the Divine Liturgy.
In his speech, the Metropolitan recalled the passage of the Apostle Paul from Pisidia and Pamphylia, where he took the decision to preach the Gospel to the Nations. He also stressed that our Church continued the missionary work of the apostles throughout the centuries until today: “We continue telling the same sermon without distinction of race or nationality, as we believe in the global dimension of the evangelical message. Following the apostolic tradition, we also constantly convey the same message of salvation in Christ.”
Following the Divine Liturgy, the parish hosted a meal for all the participants. In the afternoon, Metropolitan Job of Pisidia participated in a gathering of the clergy of the Holy Metropolis, where proposals for the catechism of children and young people as well as other pastoral issues were discussed.
