On Tuesday, June 24, the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, a delegation from the Metropolis of Italy honored an invitation from Archbishop and Metropolitan of Genoa, Marco Tasca, with an official visit to the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Genoa.
The delegation was warmly received at 10:00 a.m. by Monsignor Gianluigi, who guided them in paying their respects to the sacred relics of St. John the Baptist housed within the cathedral. Following this, they visited the sacristy where the Canons and Archbishop personally welcomed them.
A solemn ecclesiastical procession then proceeded to the designated seats near the episcopal throne for the formal celebrations.
In the afternoon at 5:00 p.m., the festive Vespers took place, during which the Archbishop delivered an official address to the city, attended by religious, political, and military dignitaries. He paid heartfelt tribute to the late Father Michael, a long-serving spiritual figure in Genoa who maintained strong ties with the local community.
The Archbishop also expressed gratitude to the Orthodox delegation for accepting the invitation and warmly welcomed Father Konstantinos as the new priest of the Greek Orthodox Community of Genoa.
The celebrations culminated with the procession of the sacred relics through the old town to the harbor, where the Archbishop blessed the faithful and the city’s sailors.
