On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, the feast day of Saint Menas, the great martyr and wonderworker who is the patron saint of Heraklion, the Patriarchate of Alexandria welcomed a group of 150 pilgrims from Crete.
Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa greeted the Cretan pilgrims with emotion and paternal love at the historic Cathedral of Saint Mark. He fondly reminisced about his youth in Crete, where his monastic and priestly journey began, and how Divine Grace eventually guided him to the throne of the Evangelist Mark.
On this day, the feast of Saint Menas of Egypt, the Patriarch expressed his devotion to the saint, whose grace has always guided him. He spoke emotionally about the magnificent Church of Saint Menas in Heraklion, Crete, which has been a source of spiritual strength and inspiration for him for many years. “Saint Menas has always been a point of reference for my faith, admiration, and hope,” he emphasized.
The Patriarch informed the pilgrims about the significant work being carried out across the African continent. He highlighted the importance of missionary work and bearing witness to Orthodoxy through the Patriarchate’s charitable, spiritual, and social initiatives. He conveyed his heartfelt thanks to Archbishop Eugenios II of Crete and all the hierarchs of the Church of Crete for their continuous support and tangible love for the work of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
He also addressed the faithful, speaking of the excellent relations between the Patriarchate and the Egyptian leadership. He noted the remarkable fact that, as of tomorrow, the feast of Saint John the Merciful, the Egyptian government had granted the Patriarchate a plot of land in the country’s new administrative capital a few years ago. This gesture attests to the deep respect and esteem that the Egyptian state has for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.
Finally, the Patriarch conversed warmly with the pilgrims, many of whom he knows personally, as well as with people from their families and parishes. This filled the atmosphere with emotion and paternal affection.
The pilgrims received the patriarchal blessing and expressed their deep gratitude for this moving encounter with the Cretan Patriarch of Africa, who carries the flame and devotion to his homeland in his Cretan heart.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
