Feast of All the Saints Who Shone Forth in Crete Celebrated in Sitia
On the Fifth Sunday of Matthew, 5 July, when the Church commemorates All the Saints Who Shone Forth in Crete, His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Ierapytna and Sitia presided over the service of the Matins and subsequently celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Saint Catherine in Sitia. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, he offered memorial services for the repose of the souls of the late Nikolaos Pathiakis (one-year memorial) and Despina Sakkadaki (forty-day memorial).
In his homily, delivered immediately after the Gospel reading, Metropolitan Kyrillos reflected on the Gospel passage of the day, stating, among other things: “Today’s Gospel reveals Christ’s power over evil. The demoniacs of the Gadarenes lived in fear, isolation and destruction, yet the Lord set them free, restoring to them their peace and human dignity.
It also teaches us that evil and the demonic powers are not myths but realities. Nevertheless, they should not become objects of fear, curiosity or unhealthy fascination. In our own time, many are drawn into a demonology filled with terror, fantasies, superstitions, sorcery and unfounded stories, all of which darken the soul and lead it away from the true faith.
Christ did not call us to fear the devil, but to remain close to Him. The strength of the believer is not found in curiosity about darkness, but in repentance, prayer, Holy Communion, spiritual struggle and trust in Christ. Wherever Christ is present, evil loses its power.”
Concelebrating during the Matins and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy were the Very Reverend Protosyncellus, Archimandrite Ambrosios Skarvelis, Protopresbyter Nikolaos Pathiakis, parish priest of the Cathedral, and Deacon Themistoklis Beinas.
A large number of faithful from the city participated in the services, including the Mayor of Sitia, Mr Georgios Zervakis.
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