On 17th June 2012, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, conducted the Divine Liturgy on his own at the Holy Patriarchal Church of St Savvas the Sanctified in Alexandria, on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of his consecration as Bishop of Cyrene (17th June 1990).
During the Liturgy as well as during his homily, His Beatitude, who was visibly emotional, commemorated the late Parthenios III, his predecessor, spiritual father, teacher and benefactor, by whose hands he received his consecration to the hierarchy, as well as those who served with him that day, the late Hierarchs Barnabas of Pilousion, Chrysostomos of Zimbabwe, Irenaios of Carthage, Nektarios of Leros and Solomon of the Thebaid and the late Archimandrite Keladion. He also mentioned in appreciation those who on that day prayed also with him, the Venerable Elder Metropolitan Paul of Memphis, then Metropolitan of Johannesburg, and Elder Metropolitan Petros of Aksum.
The Venerable Primate of the Throne of St Mark was addressed by the Very Reverend Archimandrite Meletios Koumanis, Hegumen of the Holy Monastery of St Savvas, who gave His Beatitude a silver reliquary which His Beatitude dedicated to the Patron Saint of the Monastery of St Savvas, for his hierarchal consecration.
His Beatitude also gave a pectoral cross to Hierodeacon Hezekeil who was returning to Malawi and awarded a distinction to the departing educationist Olga Papadopoulos, who taught Information Technology at the Patriarchal Academy “St Athanasios”, as well as gifts to students with distinction from the Hellenic Schools. A festive reception followed.
Present at the spiritual synaxis were the Honourable Consul General of Greece in Alexandria Mr Christos Kapodistrias, representatives of the Greek Community, of Greek Associations and Societies, teaching staff from the Greek Schools, students from the Patriarchal Academy of Alexandria, and others.
