“We are all struggling together to keep our noble churches and institutions open and to pass them on to future generations,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said in his address after Vespers, which he celebrated on Thursday, December 5 at the Church of St. Nicholas in Ypsomatheia, reflecting with emotion, “how many generations of generations of Romans have passed through this Church, praying, being blessed, and moving on to heaven. We are grateful to them for what they did for the survival of our Diaspora, and we pray for the repose of their souls and we promise them who are in heaven that we who are still on earth will keep them all open, all our noble Greek churches and institutions, until we pass them on to the next generations, to the younger ones who will follow us.”

His All-Holiness congratulated Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria, Supervisor of the District of Ypsomatheia, as well as the Governor of the DXE, Antonis Parisianos, President of the Community Commission, and his associates, on their daily struggle, their daily struggle, despite various difficulties, to support the communities and institutions of this Region, and wished for all protection and strength from Saint Nicholas, the guardian and patron of the celebrating community.

Earlier, Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria addressed His All-Holiness, and referred to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, and noted that he is not only an ecumenical saint, but the saint of prayer of the heart.

The President of the Community Commission then welcomed His All-Holiness, and referred to the work done in the community in the past year.