Φωτογραφίες: Ι. Τεβεκέλης, Κ. Κούκουρας, Α. Καλαφάτης

On Friday 6 and Saturday 7 February 2026, the Male Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos Makrimalle Psachna celebrated with splendour and ecclesiastical order the feast of Saint Parthenios, Bishop of Lampsakos the Wonderworker, a portion of whose holy skull has been preserved for centuries in the Holy Monastery.

At the service of the Great Festal Vespers on Friday, the Divine Liturgy was presided over and the homily delivered by His Grace Bishop of Skopelos Mr. Nikodimos, with the participation of clergy and lay pilgrims from Euboea and many other parts of our homeland.

During the night and until the early morning hours, a sacred vigil was celebrated, presided over by the preacher of the Holy Metropolis of Corinth and abbot of the Holy Monastery of Panagia “Panton Chara” Kalentzi, Archimandrite Anthimos Papalexopoulos.

On the feast day, Saturday 7 February 2026, His Grace Bishop of Skopelos Mr. Nikodimos chanted the Orthros, and His Eminence the Metropolitan of Chalkida Mr. Chrysostomos presided and delivered the homily at the Hierarchical Concelebration, during which a large number of faithful received Holy Communion.

Also, before the dismissal, His Eminence Mr. Chrysostomos blessed the kollyva offered in honour of Saint Parthenios, and subsequently performed the six-month memorial service for the late Metropolitan of Corinth, the blessed Dionysios.

During the celebration, the Mayor of Dirfys-Messapia Mr. Antonios Spyropoulos and other elected officials attended, while a choir of chanters, under the direction of professors of the School of Byzantine Music of the Holy Metropolis of Chalkida, Archimandrite Anargyros Stouraitis, Mr. Dimitrios Papavassiliou and Kyriakos Stantzou, rendered the hymns of the feast with excellence and fidelity to the Byzantine tradition.

On Saturday evening, during the Resurrectional and after-feast Vespers, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Chalkida presided, and in the presence of His Eminence the Metropolitan of Karystia and Skyros Mr. Seraphim and His Grace Bishop of Skopelos Mr. Nikodimos, he performed the monastic tonsure of the novice monk Sotirios Lekkas, originally from Chalkida and final-year student of the School for Clergy Candidates in Athens, giving him the name Parthenios.

Spiritual exhortations were addressed to the new monk in turn by His Eminence the Metropolitan of Chalkida Mr. Chrysostomos and His Eminence the Metropolitan of Karystia Mr. Seraphim.

All the sacred services were broadcast live by the Radio Station of the Holy Metropolis of Chalkida (97.7 fm).