NEW YORK – The Kimisis tis Theotokou or the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15, is also known as the Pascha of summer, celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of Jesus Christ and therefore, the Mother of all Christians.
The greatest pilgrimage is held on the island of Tinos, at the preeminent Marian shrine in Greece, the Church of Evangelistria.
The complex of church and monastery is built around a miraculous icon which according to tradition was found after the Virgin appeared to the nun Pelagia and revealed to her the place where the icon was buried. The icon is widely believed to be the source of numerous miracles.
The icon was found in the early days of the modern Greek State and was declared the patron saint of the Greek nation. The church, built in the Renaissance style, was inaugurated in 1830 and since then is a popular destination for Christian pilgrimage in Greece, equal to Lourdes in France or Fatima in Portugal.
In northern Greece, the Church of Panagia Soumela on the slopes of Vermio, near the village of Kastania was built in 1951 by the refugees of Pontus, in memory of the historic homonymous monastery, the ruins of which lie on Mount Mela, near Trebizond in Pontus. The miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Cross, and the Gospel are kept at the church.
In Nisyros, they celebrate not with one, but with two services every August 15th. One is celebrated at Panagia Spiliani and it is the official Divine Liturgy of the priests, who lead the procession of the icon of the Virgin Mary up to the village to bless the feast, while the second is a traditional ritual performed by the black-clad Enniameritisses as the women who have been dedicated to the Theotokos are called.
The feast of the Virgin Mary on the island of Pserimo where the Church of Virgin Mary of the Melanchrini, as the locals call it because of the dark color of the Russian icon style, is unique. Sailing boats from Kalymnos, Kos, and Nisyros, bring the faithful to seek the grace of the Virgin Mary.
Unique in Rhodes is Panagia Kalopetra, located at the top of the Butterfly Valley and is thought to have been built in 1782 by the ruler of the Alexandros Ypsilantis.
For the Greek community abroad, local churches celebrate the Dormition of the Virgin Mary with the same traditions beginning with the fasting and church services that begin on August 1. The Great Vespers on night before the holiday were well-attended at many of the New York tri-state area churches. The Enkomia for the Theotokos are sung by the entire congregation. At the end of the service, they approach to venerate the icon of the Virgin Mary in the Epitafio decorated with flowers. On August 15, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in honor of the Panagia. At Holy Cross in Whitestone, the church was especially crowded this year since in addition to the church’s usual faithful attendees on such an important holiday, the faithful from the Transfiguration Church in Corona, which was damaged by fire in May, were also present. Fr. George Anastasiou of the Transfiguration Church noted that he had not seen a church so crowded since his days at St. Demetrios in Astoria.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios presided over the Archieratical Great Vespers for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos at the Greek Orthodox Church of Kimisis tis Theotokou (Dormition) in Brooklyn on August 14 and the Archieratical Divine Liturgy at the Greek Orthodox Church of Kimisis tis Theotokou (Dormition), Southampton, NY on August 15, the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
The Encyclical of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos follows.
“The doors of caring do now open unto us, O most blessed Theotokos…”
(Theotokion of the Small Paraklesis)
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this blessed Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos we commemorate the Ever-Virgin Mary for offering her life to God as a witness of the power of grace. Through her holiness of life and her love of Him, she experienced His grace and became one who showed compassion to all she encountered. Because of her unique relationship with our Lord, she has and continues to show compassion to all in need who seek her intercessions for mercy and salvation from God.
The Theotokos is compassionate because she is the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ who revealed to us the grace of God through His ministry and teaching. She carried the Compassionate Savior in her womb. In the Holy Scriptures we read how our Lord saw the physical and spiritual needs of many, and He had compassion. They were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34). They were hungry, blind, sick, suffering and rejected. He felt and understood their struggles and needs, and in compassion He blessed their lives through the power of grace.
The Virgin Mary shows us compassion because the holiness of her life led her to experience the abundance of God’s love. She was chosen to be the Mother of God because of her holiness; but this was also the nature of her entire life. In the beautiful hymns of this Feast of her Dormition, we celebrate her holiness and splendor. We give thanks to God for her purity of heart and her tremendous faith that led her to dedicate her life to sharing His grace. We join with all generations in calling her blessed!
We also join together in our services and hymns, seeking the compassion and intercessions of the Theotokos. We ask her to hasten quickly to our aid. We fervently pray to her, crying from the depths of our souls, asking for compassion. We call her a merciful spring, a shelter, covering, and refuge. We proclaim to the world that she is a protection for the oppressed, food for the hungry, comfort for the estranged and those in pain, a staff to the blind, a visitation for the sick, and aid for the orphaned. In our time of need, we ask her to come and bring help, to lead us compassionately to Christ for healing, hope, and salvation.
As we commemorate the life and Dormition of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, we do so in joy and hope. This is a feast of compassion. We are inspired by the witness of her beautiful life. We are emboldened by the power of grace through her dedication to God. We are comforted by her compassion for us and her constant intercessions for our needs. She guides us through the love of God in showing compassion to others.
May the Virgin Mother of our Lord, a protection of all Christians, grant you help in your time of need, and may her witness inspire you to live in compassion so that others may find hope and salvation in Christ.
With paternal love in Him,
†DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
The post Dormition of the Theotokos Celebrated; Archbishop Demetrios’ Encyclical appeared first on The National Herald.