The visit by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew I, to the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi this week was his first in 30 years, with the last time coming when His All Holiness was the Patriarchate’s Metropolitan of Philadelphia and Chalcedon.
On Monday, the Ecumenical Patriarch also toured the Monastery’s renowned organic cultivations and its well-known olive oil press, in order to observe the process that yields the organic and highly prized olive oil annually produced by the Monastery, the second in the Athonite hierarchy.
A special edition of this year’s olive oil production, in fact, will be circulated in a commemorative bottle, on the occasion of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s visit to Vatopedi and bearing the name of His All Holiness.
The special edition olive oil line was overseen by Fr. Eudokimios, especially for the Patriarch’s visit.
At the end of the tour, the Archbishop of Constantinople was gifted one of the commemorative bottles by Vatopedi’s monks.
