The 100th Anniversary of the Holy Unmercenaries Cyrus and John in Abukir, Alexandria, was celebrated today by the Hellenic community in the presence of Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria.
With splendor and spiritual rejoicing, conducted by His Holiness Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, a century of life of a Church that is inextricably linked with the history of the Alexandrian Church and the Greek Community of Alexandria, was celebrated today, October 30, 2020.
This is the Church of the Holy Unmercenarie Cyrus and John, a small but historic church located on the seaside of Abukir.
This area where the church was built was the ancient Canopus, but according to tradition it was renamed Abukir, from the union of the two words ‘Abu Kir’ (Father Cyrus), as the current Saint of our church from Alexandria there lived in the 3rd century AD.
During the Divine Liturgy, which was attended by the Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria, Metropolitan Narcissus of Naucratis, whom His Beatitude thanked for all his care of the first phase of the renovation of the church, as well as the Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo His Eminence Germanos Bishop of Tamiathus, who also preached the Homily, the Patriarch of Alexandria prayed for the healing of those suffering from the Coronavirus.
At the same time, the Primate of Alexandria thanked the Communities that came to celebrate the great anniversary, the Hellenic Community of Alexandria in the person of its Second Vice President, Mrs. Mary Pavlidou, and the Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox Community of Alexandria, in the person of its President Mr. Markos Vasili; also present the President of the Lyceum of Greek Ladies of Alexandria Mrs. Aliki Antoniou.
He also warmly thanked the Financial Supervisor of the Hellenic Community of Alexandria, Mr. Paris Pefanis Makris, who offered his own expenses to bear the cost of the entire second phase of the renovation of the holy church, which already begins next week.
Finally, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Africa referred to the man who no longer exists but was for decades the guardian and protector of the church, the late physician of the area Pericles Tsaparis, who had come from Ioannina to Abukir and in parallel with his business , the famous ‘Abukir” restaurant , which hosted dozens of celebrities, was dedicated to the promotion and maintenance of the church, which has been visited by all Alexandrians who lived in the city.
The Patriarch of Alexandria stressed that Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in gratitude for the miracle they performed for him, recorded their life and the miracles they performed, because, while in Alexandria, he suffered from an eye problem and called on the Holy Unmercenaries.
