On Thursday, January 7, 2021, the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Molenbeek celebrated its patron saint. The Divine Liturgy was performed by Bishop Ioakeim of Apollonia, Assistant Bishop to Metropolitan Athinagoras of Belgium, who attended prayerfully the service, in compliance with all the COVID-19 restrictive measures in Belgium.
In his sermon, the Bishop referred to the saint’s courage, who through his faith in God and his love for God and people, taught the value of repentance and return of man to God.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, following the decision of the priest in charge of the parish, Protopresbyter Zacharias Malliarakis, to retire and return to his homeland, Crete, Metropolitan Athinagoras of Belgium thanked him for his 21-year pastoral work in the parish and his 6-year pastoral ministry in the area of Limburg. Years during which he served with zeal and self-denial, always having as his assistant his good and active Elder.
On his part, Father Zacharias thanked the Metropolitan for his love all these years and his associates for their help in meeting the needs of the parish.
