In a spirit of celebration and unity, the Divine Liturgy and official Te Deum to mark the National Day of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg were held on Sunday, 21 June 2026, at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Weiler-la-Tour.
The Divine Liturgy and Te Deum were presided over by Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium and Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He was joined by priests from the cathedral, as well as clergy from Serbian, Romanian, and Bulgarian parishes in the wider region. The Archdeacon of the Holy Metropolis also participated, and the service was enriched by the voices of the Byzantine and Bulgarian choirs.
A distinctive feature of the Divine Liturgy was the multilingual rendition of the hymns, chanted in Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Arabic — a natural expression of the universal nature of the Orthodox Church, and of the peaceful coexistence of faithful people from different backgrounds and traditions.
In his homily, the Metropolitan expounded the meaning of the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Matthew with clarity and theological simplicity, underscoring the importance of trust in Divine Providence and the primacy of the spiritual life amid the demands of everyday existence.
The event was attended by representatives of civic, diplomatic, and ecclesiastical life in the Grand Duchy. Among them were the Representative of H.R.H. the Grand Duke, Mr Tim Kisseler; the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mr Claude Wiseler; the representative of the Roman Catholic Cardinal, Monsignor Georges Hellinghausen; the Greek Ambassador to Luxembourg, Mrs Christina Alexopoulou; the Belgian Ambassador to Luxembourg, Mr Charles Delogne; the representative of the Romanian Embassy, Mrs Silvana Bolocan; the Bulgarian Consul, Mr Dimitrios Zois; the President of the Hellenic Community of Luxembourg, Mrs Eleni Foteinea; Minister Plenipotentiary (Second Class) Mr Andreas Gouras; and Greek officers serving at NATO, as well as a large number of faithful people.
A particularly moving moment during the Te Deum was the performance of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg’s national anthem by a choir of young Greek women. Their polished and expressive rendition stirred deep emotion among the congregation and was met with warm appreciation.
A festive reception followed in the hall beneath the church, offering those present the opportunity to gather in a more informal setting, exchange greetings, and strengthen bonds of communication and cooperation.
