Today, January 25, 2026, the 15th Sunday of Luke and the day honoring the great Hierarch, Saint Gregory the Theologian, at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana, the Orthros Service and Divine Liturgy were celebrated, presided over by His Beatitude Archbishop Joan, together with the Metropolitan of Central Germany, His Eminence Isaak, and all members of the Holy Synod of our Church: the Metropolitan of Fier, His Eminence Nikolla; the Metropolitan of Elbasan, His Eminence Andoni; the Metropolitan of Gjirokastër, His Eminence Nathanail; the Metropolitan of Berat, His Eminence Asti; and the Metropolitan of Korçë, His Eminence Anastasi, as well as numerous clergy from within the country and abroad.
In these Holy Services of this Sunday and the anniversary of our Blessed Archbishop, leaders of religious communities, ambassadors, high-ranking officials from the World Council of Churches, the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Christian Missionary Center in America, and numerous faithful participated.
His Beatitude Archbishop Joan, in his address in honor of the memory of the Blessed Archbishop Anastasios, emphasized that the annual commemoration is a spiritual necessity—to pause, to reflect, and to thank the Triune God with gratitude for everything and to draw strength from His grace. The departure of a great person always leaves sadness and emptiness, but for us who believe in God, in the Resurrection of Christ, and in the eternity of the soul, there is consolation.
“The memory of the Blessed Archbishop Anastasios is not a nostalgic return to the past, but a conscious choice to keep alive the legacy he left us. …Those we love and have lost are not where they were before; they are now everywhere we are. We feel his presence, and this gives us hope, courage, and relief,” emphasized Archbishop Joan.
After the Divine Liturgy, a Memorial Service (Trisagion) was held in the crypt where the body of the Blessed Archbishop Anastasios rests.
May the memory of our Father and Chief Shepherd, Anastasios, be eternal!
📝 Translation: AI
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