The Feast of the Holy Ethno-Hieromartyr Gregory V in His Birthplace
With splendour and Paschal joy, a festal Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Bright Monday in honour of the memory of the Holy Ethno-Hieromartyr Gregory V of Constantinople at the Metropolitan Church of Saint Kyriaki in Dimitsana, the Saint’s birthplace.
The service was presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikiphoros of Gortyn and Megalopolis, with the participation of Archimandrite Iosif Angelidis, General Hierarchical Vicar; Archimandrite Damaskinos Paganos, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Aimyaloi; Protopresbyter Emmanuel Petrakis, Dean of the Metropolitan Church and Hierarchical Vicar of Dimitsana; and Hierodeacon Dimitrios Polychronopoulos.
During the Divine Liturgy, faithful from Dimitsana and the surrounding region participated prayerfully, experiencing the joy of the Lord’s Resurrection and paying tribute to the illustrious Ethno-Hieromartyr of Dimitsana.
In his sermon, His Eminence expounded the profound theological meaning of the Resurrection, emphasising that Christ’s victory over death is a source of hope and life for every person. At the same time, he referred to the life and martyrdom of Saint Gregory V, underlining that his sacrifice stands as a living testimony of faith and self-offering.
He particularly noted that Saint Gregory, remaining faithful to the Church and the Nation until the end, revealed through his life and martyrdom the power of the Resurrection, which transforms fear into courage and trial into hope. As he characteristically stated: “On the very day of Pascha, while the Church was chanting ‘Christ is Risen,’ he was led to martyrdom. On the day of life, he was led to death. On the day of joy, he endured suffering. And yet, this is not a contradiction—it is a revelation. For Saint Gregory did not die as one defeated, but as a witness of the Risen Christ. His death was not defeat, but the seal of faith, a testimony of the Resurrection. For only one who truly believes that Christ is risen can stand with such strength before death.”
He called upon the faithful to draw inspiration from his example and to live their faith with consistency and boldness in the modern age, adding: “Especially for you, the inhabitants of Dimitsana, this day is a reminder of a great inheritance. This land gave birth to saints. This land gave birth to a Gregory V, and justly takes pride in its child. Yet this inheritance is not merely to be admired from afar, but to be continued. You are therefore called to prove worthy of this spiritual heritage: to keep alive the faith he confessed with his life, to pass it on to your children, and to make your own lives a testimony to Christ.”
Finally, His Eminence wished that the Paschal joy may remain alive in the hearts of all as a source of spiritual strength, and he invoked the intercessions of Saint Gregory the Hieromartyr for the strengthening and enlightenment of the faithful.
Representing the local authorities, those in attendance included the Mayor of Gortynia, Efstathios Koulis; former Mayor Anastasios Vlachos; Deputy Mayor Dimitrios Kazas; and the President of the local Community of Dimitsana, Angeliki Biri.
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