The Celebration of the Dormition of the Theotokos on the Coast

    Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania, Anastasios, led the Divine Liturgy of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary at the Holy Monastery premises in St. Theodore’s, near the village Dhërmi, in the coastal area. Hundreds of faithful believers lined the premises of the monastery and took part in the holy mystery with emotion, because Archbishop Anastasios was with them on this day. The Divine Liturgy was conducted in the open air, because the church of the monastery and other facilities have not yet been restored, after they had been turned into a military base during atheist persecution. Taking advantage of this fact, Archbishop Anastasios during his speech before the believers said that he had chosen this location to celebrate the Virgin’s Feast for two reasons: first, to highlight, with all the symbolism, the fact that Orthodoxy was the religion of all the believers of these areas, and second, that the injustice still continues that holy places of worship have not yet been returned to the Orthodox Church and are the subject of the seizing of the immovable property. Addressing the faithful that were present following very attentively, the Archbishop analyzed the phenomenon of the economic crisis that afflicts the region, in particular Greece, where a large number of believers live, but impacts also our country.

    Specifically, the crisis is the result of corruption, said the Archbishop, which always begins with the person and then becomes a social phenomenon. Corruption is fueled by three roots: greed and lust for wealth, the lie and the avoidance of the claim of truth, as well as from self-centeredness. These three roots need to be plucked, and the Orthodox Christian believers can find strength through the teaching of the Gospel to do so, in order to revive optimism and overcome leave uncertainty and the fear of tomorrow.The Archbishop stressed the need for the optimism and hope that we find precisely in the person of the Theotokos.
    The Archbishop conveyed that the effort to rebuild this ancient monastery will begin, but he asked everyone of the believers to restore the temple of the soul, which, he said, throughout the last twenty years has remained often in a dilapidated condition, even as the monastery where we are. Believers in the area had long anxiously waited to greet the Archbishop, to express in anyway their gratitude for all that he does for our Church. The fact should be emphasized that during these past twenty years unremitting effort, under the direct care of Archbishop Anastasios, has been made to rebuild the Orthodox Church in the province of Himara for the needs of the believers. Specifically, the Church of “All Saints” in Himara and the Monastery of St. Demetrios in Qeparo (as well as six other central churches that underwent radical restoration). A school building in the territory of the Church of All Saints was also established, for the needs of the community there. The Archbishop visited also the beautiful new church that is being completed in the village of Lukovë that honors the memory of St. Athanasius and St. Nifoni, who originated from this village. In the village of Pllakë of Vurgu, the Archbishop had a cordial meeting with the inhabitants of this village, where they all decided to rebuild the church from the foundations for the needs of the parish. On this occasion, he urged the believers for more self-criticism and repentance. The visit of Archbishop Anastasios will remain unforgotten by the believers in all these areas.

Korresp. “Ngjallja”

 


 

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