On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the Feast of Theophany, the Orthros, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, and the Great Blessing of the Waters were solemnly celebrated at the Church of Saint Stephen of the homonymous community in Yeşilköy, presided over by Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi.
Following the conclusion of the Great Blessing of the Waters, clergy and faithful proceeded in procession, in the presence of local authorities and believers of various Christian denominations, to the marina of Saint Stephen. There, the traditional Blessing of the Waters took place with the immersion of the Holy Cross into the sea.
Those who took part in retrieving the Cross from the waters were Ioannis Basmatzis, Iosif Araz, Ilias Gioural, Atan Erol, Nikolaos Aslaner, Garen Dambanian, and Marios Zymaridis, who handed the Cross to the Metropolitan. The Metropolitan then bestowed his blessing upon all participants.
After the conclusion of the sacred services, a meal was offered by the Metropolitan at a nearby restaurant in the area, bringing the celebrations to a warm and festive close.
