On Sunday, July 19, 2026, all the parishes of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia solemnly celebrated the Synaxis of Saints who have shone in Pisidia, Side and Antalya. This feast is celebrated every year on the Sunday closest to July 16, when the Church commemorates the 15,000 holy martyrs of Pisidia.
In the church of Saint Alypios the Stylite in Antalya, His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, on the eve of the feast, presided at the festive vigil and on the day of the feast at the Divine Liturgy, with the participation of the clergy and many faithful of the local Church and from abroad.
In his homily, the Archpastor emphasized that “the land of Pisidia became that good land, which is spoken of in the well-known evangelical parable of the Sower and which depicts the heart of those who hear the Word of God, put it into practice and with patience and perseverance bear spiritual fruit”. He also reminded that “the two thousand year history of our holy Church has shown that Pisidia is a “Saint-bearer” land, since it has produced an abundant harvest of saints”.
The Metropolitan concluded by emphasizing: “This numerous multitude of saints from different eras unites the historical past of our land with our present, with our everyday life. In this land of Pisidia, regardless of the circumstances we live in, whether we are alone or going through various trials, we are never alone, because around us there is a “cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1), who remind us with their lives of the main thing: Christ and the essence of the Gospel, calling us to overcome the difficulties of life and follow Christ.”
