On the eve of the celebration a cross was raised in the place where the saint was martyred
On August 24, the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the hieromartyr, St. Cosmas of Kolkondas (or of Aetolia). St. Cosmas abandoned the tranquility of life in the Monastery to light the candle of the Orthodox faithful which was fading in the areas which had been long under the Ottoman darkness. His feast day is celebrated with relevant services in the churches of the Archiepiscopate and all the Metropolises.
The vigil of the celebration, on Thursday, August 23, 2018, was exceptional. The Vespers took place on the bank of the Seman River, near the village of Mujalli, where the saint was hanged on August 24, 1779. The service was preceded by the rise of a large wooden cross to commemorate the saint’s martyrdom. The Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Anastasios together with the Metropolitan of Apollonia and Fier, His Eminence Nikolla, the clergymen of the metropolis and dozens of faithful, mostly young people, participated in the vespers and on the rise of the cross ceremony. In the end, the Archbishop spoke about the importance of the saint’s work and the messages it conveys to us.
The monastery area of St. Cosmas was full of faithful who had come the evening before on the 23rd. They came from Myzeqe where the saint is highly venerated, as well as from the other parts of Albania and from abroad.
On Friday, the Panegyric Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All of Albania, Anastasios, and the Metropolitan of Berat, His Grace Ignat; the Metropolitan of Fieri and Apollonia, His Grace Nikolla; the Metropolitan of Elbasan, His Grace Andon, and the Metropolitan of Amantia, His Grace Nathanaiel. At the end of the liturgy, Fr. Kozma Prifti spoke about the meaning of this celebration and referred to the life of the saint.
After the Divine Liturgy, the litany with the icon and the relics of the saint followed while believers had the opportunity to venerate the honorable relics.
In honor of the memory of Saint Cosmas of Aetolia, who is so well-known and beloved for the faithful, Archbishop Anastasios has made possible the complete reconstruction of the Monastery and the church.
“Resurrection” Newspaper Correspondent
