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On Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 the Orthodox faithful of Durres gathered in the church dedicated to Apostle Paul and St. Asti for a very special service: its consecration by Archbishop Anastasios. At the end of Matins the Consecration Service began as Archbishop Anastasios, Bishop Nikolla, Bishop Andoni, and other clergy read the special prayers. After this everyone in attendance filed outside and followed the hierarchs and clergy around the church three times, stopping at the front doors each time to make a litany. |
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Then the doors were opened and the relics were placed in the Altar Table. This part of the service is especially important. For a church to be consecrated it must have relics in its Altar Table and, when possible, the relics of a martyr. This dates back to the earliest days when Divine Liturgies were celebrated on the graves of martyrs such as in the Catacombs of Rome. The importance of those who were martyred for the faith can also be seen in Revelations where St. John the Theologian saw that the spirits of the martyrs were placed under the Heavenly Altar.
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Towards the end of the Consecration Service, Archbishop Anastasios wrote the monogram of Jesus Christ “XP” on the four walls of the church. This is done with mhyrr and wax and specific fragrances. After the consecration the Divine Liturgy was celebrated. Archbishop Anastasios spoke to the faithful about the meaning and importance of the day. |
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Then a letter was read which expressed the appreciation and thanksgiving of the clergy, church council, and faithful from Durres for the Archbishop who continuously shows his love and care for their ancient Christian city and its surrounding areas. Several members of the local government also attended this service, including the present and former mayors of Durres.
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* * * At the end of Divine Liturgy the Archbishop said: “With the Consecration Service which was done today, this place now becomes more holy; a center for consolation, prayer, brotherhood, and love. We can renew our hopes and with new strength we can advance in our daily lives. Here we can communicate, not only with God, but with all men, whom by His love He has saved. Every time we offer a Divine Liturgy we pray for the whole city and the world. The church is a center for communion with the present, and with the past since it puts us in contact with martyrs who gave their witness for the faith. But it also connects us to the future.
In this special service, as in the inauguration of all Orthodox Churches, in the center of the Altar Table relics of martyrs and saints are placed. This constitutes an important event for the city of Durres, which after so many efforts and difficulties in recent decades, now has a consecrated and holy place which connects us to Apostle Paul and Bishop Asti themselves.
For this church to become a reality, many people had to help. There were many who worked on this project, but of course there were also many whom we don’t know who gave their donations in order for the church to be completed as soon as possible. Let us thank God for such great gifts, for there are many other churches, about 150 new temples, which await consecration. But in a mystical way there are thousands of other temples, which are the thousands of believers who are waiting to become temples of the Holy Spirit, as it is stressed in the Church, that you, the people, are temples of the Living God. There are also other brothers who do not have this joy and as such we have to transmit this joy and truth so that they too may understand what it means to be a temple of the Holy Spirit.
When we think of the great storm that this country passed through under the communist regime, our minds go to the churches and monasteries that were destroyed. But the destruction that was far worse and more savage was that the faith was eradicated from the people’s very souls. This destroyed the spirit of love and hope and our ability to find the truth for ourselves and our compatriots.
I hope that the Lord will bless the lives of all here, especially the local government figures, who with such love and attention follow all the work that the Church is doing in the light, hope, and expectation of the Resurrection. Thoma Dhima Translated by Georgia Bendo
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Photo: Nathan Hoppe
