On Tuesday the 1st of December, a solemn Vigil was held commemorating St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia for the first time in our Archdiocese. Served at St. John the Baptist Church in Croydon Park, the service was presided over by His Eminence, Metropolitan Basilios, with the assistance of Fr. Elias Albaba, Fr. Ephram Abbassi, Fr. Isaac Zghaib and Dn. Theophan Nahas.
The Vigil was held in English and was targeted towards the youth of the Archdiocese. Despite limited attendance due to Coronavirus restrictions, the faithful youth came from parishes across Sydney to honour the 20th century Saint, who reposed in the year 1991.
During the service, His Eminence spoke about St. Porphyrios’ virtues as well as the many gifts which God granted him. One of those was the gift of discernment, which is why he is referred to as “St. Porphyrios the Visionary” in Arabic.
The faithful also received the rare blessing to venerate the Saint’s relics, as well as the prototype of his icon which was written 20 years before his canonization. Both of these were gifted to the archdiocese by the nuns of St. Jacob the Persian monastery in Deddeh, Lebanon.
May we all have the blessings and intercessions of St. Porphyrios.
A blessed feast day to all!