In the blessed Abu Bakr of Alexandria, Egypt, where the Wonderworking Unmercenaries, Saints Cyrus and John, lived, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and All Africa officiated at the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries on January 29, 2021. The church is associated with the history of the parish of the city of Alexander the Great.
Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria, Metropolitan Narcissus of Naucratis, and Bishop Germanos of Tamiatheus also attended the service. The Patriarch thanked them for their great contribution, but mainly for their unwavering efforts in renovating the Church of the Unmercenaries in Abukir under the supervision of Metropolitan Narcissus.
After having completed the second phase of the renovation of the church, the Patriarch paid tribute to the Financial Supervisor of the Greek Community of Alexandria, Paris Pefanis Makris, and the President of the Community of Arabic-speaking Orthodox Greeks of Alexandria, Markos Vassilis.
“May the gratitude of the Patriarchate of Alexandria to Paris Pefanis Makris and his family and the President of the Community of Arabic-speaking Orthodox Greeks of Alexandria, Markos Vassilis, be eternal,” stressed Patriarch Theodore, thanking both of them for their contribution.
At the same time, speaking from the Church of Wonderworking Unmercenaries, Patriarch Theodore hoped that the saints, who were physicians, would protect the world from the pandemic: “May Wonderworking Unmercenaries visit our parish and our people and give consolation, which will be like an oasis in the period of the pandemic. May they make the fear go away from the hearts of the people (which was caused by the second and will be also caused by the third wave of the pandemic?). The Light of Christ casts out the darkness of the germs and the fear of death,” the Patriarch pointed out.