– A Warm Reception by the Clergy, the Faithful and the Authorities –
– Participated in the worshipping services of the celebration of the Dormition of Theotokos Feast and the memory of St. Gerasim, the patron saint of the island –
Very emotional and full of multidimensional messages was the blessed visit of Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, His Beatitude Anastasios, on the island of Cephalonia. The island is the home country of his family and the reception of the believing people, the clergy, the state and local authorities was worthy of the personality of the Archbishop. This visit took place at the height of the orthodox celebrations of the Feast of the Dormition of Theotokos or the Summer Easter as it is called by the believing people, but also of the largest fair in Cephalonia, which is held on the occasion of the memory of St. Gerasim, the patron saint of the island.
It is worth noting that during this period the island was crowded not only with tourists but also with ‘the exiled sons of it’, who are called pilgrims, but are closely related to their hometown; a tradition that is consistently preserved by the Cephalonians.
In the afternoon of August 14, many faithful and clergymen of the Holy Metropolis of Cephalonia, together with their Metropolitan His Grace Dhimitri, had come to the island’s aerodrome to receive the Archbishop. There was also the Prefect of the Ionian Islands District, Mr. Theodhoros Galiatsatos and the Mayor of Qefalonia, Mr. Alexandros Parisis, who would accompany the Archbishop during his visit and worshipping services. Archbishop Anastasios thanked His Grace Metropolitan Dhimitrios for the warm reception. His Grace had been a student of Archbishop Anastasios at the Faculty of Theology, as he also reminds and claims in his life as a clergyman and hierarch. In his word, Archbishop Anastasios talked about love, pointing out that the rich man is the one who gives and offers wherever there is need. His words made a special impression and were delivered by the local media. In response to the journalists’ inquiries, Archbishop Anastasios made a brief presentation of the great and blessed work that is being done throughout these years for the re-establishment of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. Various media portrayed directly all the activities of Archbishop Anastasios in their news broadcast.
In addition, His Beatitude Anastasios visited the famous church of Panagia Fidousa where he attended the service of the Vespers of the Dormition of Theotokos, which was headed by the Metropolitan of Amantias, His Grace Nathanail who was also Archbishop’s companion during his visit. The next day, August 15, on the day of the celebration of the Dormition of Theotokos, the Archbishop presided the Divine Liturgy, which was concelebrated by the Metropolitans Dhimiter and Nathanail and many other clerics of Cephalonia. In his sermon, Archbishop Anastasios talked about the personality of Theotokos, the way she faced the events in her life, highlighting three basic qualities of the Mother of our God: her patience, her hope and her dedication.
There was a massive participation of the faithful people in the Liturgy. They also insisted to meet Archbishop Anastasios in the end and express their love and respect for such a person and show their gratitude about what he has done for Orthodoxy.
In the afternoon of the feast day, Archbishop Anastasios was in St. Gerasim Monastery in Omalo, just above Argostoli, the capital of Cephalonia, where the service was headed by Metropolitan Nathanail. The monastery was packed with thousands of believers since early in the morning.
On 16 August, on the occasion of the celebration of St. Gerasim Feast, Archbishop Anastasios celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with the Metropolitan of Ioannina, His Grace Maksim, His Grace Dhimitri of Cephalonia and His Grace Nathanail of Amantia.
During his stay on the island, Archbishop met many of his distinguished patriots from Greece and the USA as well as local authorities and deputies such as Mrs. A. Theopeftatou, Mr. K. Tzavara etc.
All in all the celebrations and the worshipping services on the island of Cephalonia brightened this summer even more due to the blessed presence of Archbishop Anastasios and the reception of his word, which was not only heard attentively by the believers, but also warmed their hearts and would be preserved for a long time as a fatherly advice inside their souls.
