Clerics of the Slavic Vicariate celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation with the Archbishop

On March 25, the Greek Church celebrates the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos according to the New Julian calendar.

On this day, the people of Greece also celebrate their independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821. 

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America led the Divine Liturgy at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Manhattan. 

Serving with His Eminence were Bishop Isaiah of Sumperk, Vicar of the Olomouc-Brno Diocese of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzus; Archimandrite Damaskinos Pertikas, Rector of the Basilica of St. Demetrius in Thessalonica; and clergy of the Greek Archdiocese.  At the invitation of the Archbishop, clergy of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate of America took part in the service.  The participating clerics were the Vicar and Rector of the Cathedral of St. Matrona in Miami, Archimandrite Alexander and the Rector of the parish of St. Nicholas in Red Bank, Fr. Rostislav Zadorozhnyy. 

The service included the ordination of Avrilios Mandoras to the holy diaconate by Archbishop Elpidophoros.  Representatives of the Greek Consulate in Manhattan were also present at the service. 

At the end of the Liturgy, they greeted  those present on the 202nd anniversary of Greece’s independence.