On 26 October the Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Great Martyr Dimitrios, the Myrrh Bearer.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Romanian Patriarchate on a podium specially arranged near the Patriarchal Cathedral by a group of hierarchs headed by His Eminence Dionisie, Metropolitan of Corinth, together with His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Grace Siluan, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary, His Grace Timotei, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal, His Grace Macarie, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Northern Europe, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, His Grace Paisie Lugojeanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timisoara, and His Grace Iustin Sigheteanul, Hierarch vicar to the Diocese of Maramures and Satmar.
After reading the evangelical pericope His Eminence Efrem delivered a speech for the many pilgrims present at the Joy Hill, where from we render a fragment: “I bring you all the blessing of the Saints Emperors, miracle workers, of Saint Constantine the Great, through a particle of the Holy Wood of the Holy Cross on which Christ was crucified and through the particle of the holy relics of Saint Helen. I bring you these holy things to venerate them, from the famous apostolic Metropolitanate of the Corinthians, where they are preserved with devotion and honesty, as a priceless treasure. I call the saints to prayer, as well as the prayers of Saint Great Martyr Dimitrie and of Saint Pious Dimitrios of Basarabi so that you, all of you, our brothers in faith, have good health, long life, journey with spiritual growth in your life and help from heaven. I also ask you to pray the Lord for the Greek people, a peaceful quiet people who passes once again in its history through hard trials. I ask you to say prayers for the Greek people at the same time with the blessings of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, whom we respect a lot and of their Eminences and Graces with whom we serve together, with love and honesty, and of all the clergy as well”.
The liturgical answers were given by “Nicolae Lungu” chorus of the Romanian Patriarchate conducted by Rev Stelian Ionascu.
