A group of students of Byzantine and traditional music from Athens, joining their music teacher Mr. Chrysovalantos Sarafeidis, Chanter, Professor of Byzantine and traditional music and choirmaster of the Byzantine Choir: “Byzantine Psalmists”, accompanied by Archimandrite Symeon Avgoustakis, Cleric of the Holy Metropolis of Ilion, Acharnes and Petroupolis, visited Constantinople from January 26 to 29.
On Saturday, 27 January 2024, the group was given the blessing to meet with and receive the blessing of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, while afterwards they had the honour to be addressed by the Archon Protopsaltis of the Great Church, Mr. Panagiotis Neochoritis, urging them all to chant with fear of God and with love in the Great Church of Christ.
On Sunday, 28 January 2024, with the exhortation of His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos, Patriarchal Supervisor of the Tataoula District, and with the blessing of His All-Holiness, the pilgrims went to church, and many of them chanted in the Holy Church of Saint Dimitrios Tataoula, where His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Krini, Patriarchal Exarch of Malta, presided over the Divine Liturgy and the ordination to the Diaconate of Fr. Andreas Kravchenko from Ukraine, in order to serve the Patriarchal Exarchate of Malta. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos offered a warm reception to all who were present and lovingly embraced the pilgrims.
