HIS BEATITUDE UNDERTAKES A PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY MONATERY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE THEOTOKOS IN ORMYLIA
On Sunday 17th July 2011, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa visited the Holy Monastery of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Ormylia, Halkidiki.
At the entrance to the Monastery His Beatitude was welcomed by the Venerable Abbess of the Monastery Nikodeme, the Very Reverend Hegumen of the Monastery of Simon Petras Archimandrite Elissaios, the monastics of the Holy Monastery, and many pilgrims. IN the Monastery Church a doxology was sung where His Beatitude was addressed by Hegumen Archimandrite Elissaios, who welcomed him to the Holy Dependency, expressing the joy of the brotherhood on the presence there of the Primate of the Alexandrian Church, emphasizing the close bonds which unite the Patriarch both with the Holy Monastery of Simon Petras as well as with the Holy Monastery of the Annunciation of the Theotokos.
In his reply His Beatitude among other things expressed his joy that God had led his steps again to the Holy Monastery of the Annunication of the Theotokos, this time as Patriarch, spoke at length of the great Prohegumen Aimilianos, spoke of the Missionary work of the Patriarchate in Africa, beginning in Uganda where he founded the first female monastery.
At noon His Beatitude attended the monastic refectory and before he departed he paid a visit to the ailing Prohegumen Aimilianos. Accompanying His Beatitude on this pilgrimage were His Eminence Metropolitan George of Accra and His Eminence Metropolitan Dimitrios of Irinopolis.