On Sunday, October 17, 2021, Metropolitan Dimitrios of France presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Paris, accompanied by the Protopresbyters Fr. Panagiotis Xenitellis and Fr. Anton Gelyasov.
The Divine Liturgy was attended by Lords Offikalioi of the Great Church of Christ, the president of the Greek Community of Paris and Surroundings and a large number of believers.
In his speech, the Metropolitan referred to the Synaxis of the Holy Physicians, which has recently been established by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and is celebrated for the first time this year.
Also, referring to the Holy Fathers of the Second Council of Nicaea, he pointed out the importance of holy icons for the Orthodox faith.
At the end of the Liturgy, during which the Gospel passage of the Parable of the Sower was read, the sanctification rite was performed for the beginning of the lessons of the Sunday School of Saint Stephen’s Cathdral.
The Metropolitan blessed the children and wished them a happy catechism year. He pointed out to the faithful that children do not only benefit from the Church but their presence in the church spreads joy and hope to all.
This was followed by an artoklasia, offered by the employees in the medical field.
Finally, the ordination of the doctor Pavlos Panayotopoulos took place and in this way, the Metropolitan honored the medical field and rewarded the reader’s ministry in the Cathedral from a very early age.
