Pilgrimage to Greece
With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe, under the guidance of Father Spasimir, our parish of St. Alexander Nevsky made a pilgrimage to Greece in the autumn of 2022.
On September 21, we arrived at the airport of Thessaloniki. From there, we immediately went to the hotel in the town of Ouranoupoli, located about one kilometre from the foot of the holy Mount Athos.
On September 22, we had a free day.
On September 23, immediately after breakfast, the men went to the holy Mount Athos. Upon arrival, we registered at the Xenophontos monastery. On the same day we visited Zograf monastery. On the way to the Docheiariou monastery, the pilgrims confessed to Father Spasimir and prepared for Holy Communion. In the monastery of Docheiariou, they bowed to one of the most revered and beloved icons of the Holy Mountain, the icon of the Mother of God “Quickly Hearing”, drew water from a miraculously appeared well (13th century), called “sacred” on the territory of the monastery.
Upon returning to the monastery of Xenophontos, in the centre of his courtyard, water was drawn from the healing spring of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer and the well located behind the source. The pilgrims participated in the evening service of the monastery, and then ate the monastery meal.
September 24
From 5:00 to 9:00 in the morning, the pilgrims were present at the morning service on Athos, partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. After the meal, we went by minibus to the capital of the monastic state – Karyes. On the way, we visited the cenobitic skete of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called and honoured the main shrine of the skete – the ark with the frontal part of the head of the Apostle Andrew.
In the Karyes’ Dormition Church, we venerated the prototype of the miraculous icon of Mother of God “It is Truly Meet”. After that we visited the Iviron monastery, where we venerated the miraculous icon “Iviron Theotokos” and rested before the further journey. On the way, we met a pilgrimage group from the parish of our diocese in honour of the Righteous Job the Long-Suffering in Brussels, led by Father Vasily Orekhov. It was an unexpected and pleasant meeting.
Further, the pilgrims visited the Holy and Great monastery of Vatopedi, where they venerated the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, miraculous icons of the Vatopedi monastery “The Tsaritsa”, “Consolation” and others, as well as sacred relics: the head of St. John Chrysostom, the head of Gregory the Theologian, the head of St. Andrew of Crete, the foot of St. Apostle Bartholomew and many other holy relics.
On the same day, the pilgrims visited the monastery of St. Panteleimon. It was a short visit, because it was the time of the evening service, but this traditionally “Russian” monastery left an unforgettable impression and a desire in the hearts of the pilgrims to return and visit it again. At 5pm the pilgrims attended the evening service and after the meal, visited the workshops of the monastery, woodcarving and others.
September 25
The next day after the Liturgy, the male group of pilgrims, having once again visited the workshops and the small church of St John the Baptist, started their travel back to Ouranoupoli. On the morning of the same day, a female group of pilgrims attended the Sunday service in the church in honour of Saints Constantine and Helena in Ouranoupoli and received Holy Communion.
September 26
On the way to Thessaloniki, we visited the stauropegic monastery of St. Anastasia of Sirmium (also known as St. Anastasia the Pharmakolytria, i.e. “Deliverer from Potions”), where the relics of St. Theona, who restored the monastery (16th century) and the martyrs who were among the founders of the monastery, are kept.
Having arrived to Thessaloniki, we visited the church of St. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, patron saint of Thessaloniki. The pilgrims honoured the shrine with his relics, as well as the relics of St. Anysia of Salonika and St. Gregory Kallides of Herakleia, and also got acquainted, by themselves, with the central part of the city. In the evening, we checked into a hotel in Paralia Katerinis. During an evening walk around the city, we visited the Church of the Holy Martyr Photinia.
September 27
We moved to central Greece through the canyon of Tempi to the city of Kalambaka, located at the foot of the very rocks where the monasteries of Meteora were built. We first visited the convent of the First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen and the observation deck located there, and went down to another monastery of St. Barbara Roussanou. After that, we visited two monasteries “Saint Varlaam” and “Saint Nicholas Anapafsas”. We stopped for the night in the town of Kalambaka near Meteora.
September 28
The next day after breakfast we went to the island of Euboea. On the way, we visited the Kato Xenia monastery, where a part of the great relic of the Orthodox world is kept – the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, which was donated to this monastery by the Vatopedi monastery of Athos in the early 16th century. We also bowed to the icon of the Mother of God “Xenia” of the 8th century, which means “foreigner”, saved during the iconoclasm.
Then we sailed on the ferry to the island of Euboea.
We drove through the town of Epipsos, where there were hot springs, and visited the monastery of St. David of Euboea, where the head of the founder of the monastery, St. David (16th century), is kept. There was also the tomb of St. James Tzalikis, 20th century. We venerated it, visited the temple and its cell, which was opened to us by its cell-attendant, monk Nikodim.
From there we moved to the village of Procopius, to kneel before the relics of St. John the Russian. We stayed at the church hotel. We got acquainted with the pious and hospitable locals, as well as with the main icon painter of the church of St. John the Russian, Dmitry and his family. The father of the icon painter Dmitry, Archpriest Ioannis Vernezos served for more than 50 years in the church of St. John the Russian.
September 29
On the next day, the pilgrims participated in the Liturgy in the church of St. John the Russian, where Father Spasimir served Proskomedia in the altar and performed a commemoration of the living and the dead of our parish. After the service, the pilgrims were shown a relic of the temple, stored in the altar – the plate of the Saint. A plate with food was once miraculously sent by St. John the Russian from Prokopion in Asia Minor to Arabian Mecca. This was one of his first miracles. The pilgrims kissed the plate and went to the capital of Greece, to Areopagus in the Acropolis of Athens, which is the place where the Apostle Paul preached.
Through the agora, the old city square of Athens, through the library of Hadrian, we came to Plaka square, the ancient district of the capital. Then we visited the Cathedral of the Greek Church.
There were the relics of Gregory V, Patriarch of Constantinople, who was hung on the gates of the Patriarchy of Constantinople in the 19th century, and St. Philothea, the first martyr who suffered from the Turks in the 16th century. St. Philothea is the patron saint of Athens.
Then there was free time. We met at the parliament and went to a hotel in Athens.
September 30
On the next day, we went to the city of Piraeus and sailed on the ferry to the island of Aegina. We visited the monastery of the Holy Trinity, where the relics of St. Nektarios of Aegina, his cell and his tomb are kept. Father Spasimir served the Akathist at the tomb of the saint. We returned to the capital of the island and sailed back to the hotel in Athens.
