On Sunday, September 26, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian was held in Litochoro, the historic and beautiful town at the foot of Mount Olympus.
Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico and Central America presided over the service, accompanied by Assistant Bishop Timotheos of Assos as well as Metropolitan Georgios of Kitros, Katerini and Platamonas.
The Mexican Deacon Fr. Filaretos Castro Herrera and Colombian Vice-Deacon Samuel Giraldo Alzate, fellow students of the AUTh School of Theology, who came to meet and receive the blessing of Metropolitan Athenagoras, also concelebrated the service.
Also, clergymen of the Metropolis of Kitros, Katerini and Platamonas participated in the service. The Divine Liturgy was performed in Greek, English and Spanish.
Prior to the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Georgios of Kitros introduced the visiting hierarchs. He also briefed the congregation on the missionary, charitable and cultural work being carried out in Central America by Metropolitan Athenagoras, his assistants.
The Metropolitan thanked the hierarchs and his assistants and asked them to pray for the holy clergy and the faithful of Pieria.
In his reply, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico mentioned the constant and continuous participation of the Holy Metropolis of Kitros, Katerini and Platamonas in the consolidation and development of Orthodoxy in Central America.
He made special reference to the contribution of the former Metropolitan Agathonikos, who baptized two young Colombian Orthodox, Saul Alfonso Perez Galvis and Louis Antonio Torres Esquivel, 24 years ago, who are the current Auxiliary Bishops, Athenagoras of Myrina and Timotheos of Assos.
After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Timotheos of Assos distributed the antidoron, accepting at the same time the wishes and feelings of enthusiasm and love of the faithful.
In the afternoon of the same day, the Metropolitan of Mexico visited the former Metropolitan of Kitros, Agathonikos, at the Metropolitan Mansion of Katerini.
On this occasion, he was shown around the offices and the Ecclesiastical Museum.
Metropolitan Georgios thanked the hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the visit.
