The Second Youth Conference of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia took place during the weekend of November 8–9, 2025, in Side (Manavgat) under the theme “Christ as the Way to an Authentic Relationship.”
Around 100 people from the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia, the Holy Archdiocese of Constantinople, and the Holy Metropolis of Kalamaria and Nea Krini took part, as did three seminarians from the Rizareios Ecclesiastical School’s Candidate Clergy Training Program (S.M.Y.K.). On Saturday morning, November 8, the participants attended the Divine Liturgy, which included explanatory commentary, celebrated in the Church of the Apostle Paul. Afterwards, during breakfast, they watched Fr. Ioannis demonstrate how to prepare the prosphoron, or holy bread. Metropolitan Job of Pisidia presided over the service and introduced the keynote speaker later that afternoon. Hieromonk Nikolaos Zacharov, from the Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Essex, England, presented and analyzed the conference’s theme.
In the opening part of his address, Fr. Nikolaos introduced the topic and then discussed the significance of the Sacrament of Marriage as the restoration of the image of God in humankind, who were created male and female. After the lecture, participants discussed the topic in small groups before reconvening for a plenary session. The first day concluded with Vespers and Matins for Sunday, followed by a festive dinner.
The following day, the local bishop presided over the Sunday Divine Liturgy together with the clergy of Antalya, Alanya, and Side. They were joined by Hieromonk Nikolaos Zacharov and Rev. Fr. Nikodimos Saudam from the Holy Trinity Parish of Constantinople. That same day, Mr. Elias Kriaz was ordained as a reader. Breakfast was then served with music performed by the youth of the Side parish. This was followed by an iconography workshop presented by Ioakeim Koumousis, a student of the Athens School of Fine Arts.
The youth conference began with a patriarchal message for the young delegates and ended with a visit to the archaeological site of Side, where Christianity first spread through the preaching of the Apostle Paul. The conference came to a close in a joyful and uplifting atmosphere. The young participants expressed their hope that the Holy Metropolis would organize more gatherings like this one in the future.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
