The Feast of the Restoration of the Holy Icons holds particular significance for the Orthodox Church of Albania, as the sacred icons were removed and desecrated during the years of state-imposed atheism. Even today, many of these icons have not yet been returned to the Orthodox Church of Albania, a matter that remains a standing and persistent request of the Church.
This year, the celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy was marked with festivity throughout the country. Following the Divine Liturgies in the churches, processions of the holy icons took place, bearing witness to the triumph of Orthodoxy and the enduring faith of the people.
In the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fier, Metropolitan Nikolaos presided over the Divine Liturgy and led the procession of the icons around the church, accompanied by clergy and a large number of faithful.
In Elbasan, at the Church of Saint Athanasios, Metropolitan Antonios celebrated the Divine Liturgy, and the procession of the icons was held in the courtyard of the church.
At the Church of Saint Demetrios in Berat, Metropolitan Astios officiated, and toward the end of the Divine Liturgy the icons were carried in procession around the church.
The Metropolitan of Korçë celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Gjirokastër, where the procession of the icons took place in the outdoor area of the cathedral.
A procession of the icons was also held in Korçë, where Metropolitan Anastasios celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection.
By Fr. Ilias Makos
