St. Andrew’s Cathedral is a metochion, or glebe, of the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos.
The celebration of the feast day was transferred due to a traffic ban in Turkey on the specific weekend.
After the Divine Liturgy, His All Holiness received a salutation by Archimandrite Panaretos, who oversees the Holy Metochion. The Archimandrite referred to the historic presence of the monastery glebe in the ancient city and its ministry to Constantinople’s Slavophone Orthodox community.
In his response, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the extraordinary situation this year due to the pandemic.
In conclusion, His All Holiness conveyed his patriarchal blessing and thanks to the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St. Panteleimonos, the Elder Archimandrite Eulogios, and to the abbot of the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi, the Elder Archimandrite Ephraim, for allocating the chapel to serve the liturgical needs of the specific community of Orthodox faithful.
