On the morning of May 19th, Metropolitan Panteleimon of Maroneia and Komotini celebrated a divine liturgy and a memorial service for the Greeks of the Pontus.
Subsequently, Metropolitan Panteleimon, with the Holy Clergy and a multitude of believers, went to the Metropolitan Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary of Komotini, opposite of which stands the statue of Archbishop Chrysanthos of Athens from Trebizond, where the rememberance service took place.
According to the program, they layed wreaths, observed one minute’s silence and the National Anthem was sung.
In his speech, the Metropolitan said, “Our story is our rule. The rule of our life is our faith and tradition. And nowadays, we, Neo-Greeks, remember our ancestors; the blood of these people is still fresh and sweet-scented to make our life more pleasant.”