On Monday, 29 June, the Feast of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul, His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Symi, Tilos, Chalki and Kastellorizo honoured with his archpastoral presence the centuries-old feast celebration held on the island of Teutlousa (Seskli), a dependency of the Holy Monastery of Panormitis, where the early Christian tradition of Symi preserves the memory of the passage of the Heaven-soaring Apostle Paul, most likely during his Third Missionary Journey between the years 53 and 56 AD.
According to tradition, the Apostle Paul, while travelling by boat from Kos to Rhodes, was forced by a violent storm to disembark briefly on the islet of Seskli. Although no written record of this event has survived, the Evangelist Luke, in the Book of Acts, records that Paul indeed passed through the neighbouring islands of the southern Aegean on a route that would have taken him directly past Teutlousa: “When we had torn ourselves away from them and put out to sea, we sailed straight to Kos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara” (Acts 21:1).
His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos presided at the Matins and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the sanctuary dedicated to the Apostle Paul, situated outside the small historic church bearing his name. Concelebrating with him were His Grace Bishop Antonios of Rhodostolos, Assistant Bishop and Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Panormitis, the Presbyters Fr Antonios Mania, Fr Georgios Kakakios and Fr Nikolaos Karmaniolos, together with the feast-day celebrant, Hierodeacon Fr Pavlos Terezakis, a member of the brotherhood of the Holy Monastery of Panormitis. The sacred chanters, Mr Eleftherios Xyrakis, Mr Evangelos Lagos and Mr Merkourios Giannaras, served beautifully at the Holy Analogion (chanting stand).
Among those participating in the liturgical gathering were Archon Dikaiophylax Theodore Papageorgiou, Legal Adviser to the Holy Metropolis, and Archon Laosynaktis Athanasios Stamos of Rhodes, both Archons of the Great Church of Christ; the Deputy Regional Governor of the South Aegean, Mr Nikolaos Nikolis; the majority of the supervisors and staff of the Holy Monastery of Panormitis; and the Commander of the Symi National Guard Battalion, Colonel Nikolaos Vlastoudakis. Hundreds of devout pilgrims also attended, having been transported free of charge from both the harbour of Panormitis and the port of Symi aboard the vessel Poseidon, kindly provided by the Symian shipowner Mr Ioannis Giannikos.
Drawing inspiration from the Apostolic reading of the day, His Eminence extolled the extraordinary person of the Heaven-soaring Apostle Paul, who was deemed worthy by Christ not only to hear His voice during the divine revelation on the road to Damascus, but also to be caught up “to the third heaven,” to hear the “ineffable words” of divine love, and to behold “what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man,” the rewards prepared for all who love God.
He went on to speak about the foremost spiritual experiences of the Chief Apostle and his priceless contribution to the local Church as the planter of the faith in the hearts of the inhabitants of Teutlousa during his brief stay on the island, according to local tradition, during his Third Missionary Journey. His Eminence concluded by invoking the Apostle’s grace and blessing upon all present.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the customary festive refreshments were offered to all the faithful in attendance. Thereafter, the Holy Monastery of Panormitis hosted a festal luncheon for the pilgrims, at which His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos was present and offered the blessing beneath the shade of the trees along the seashore. Thus, the atmosphere of spiritual joy and gladness was crowned by the shared meal of Christian love, providing yet another blessed opportunity for fellowship and personal communion among all those gathered.
