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Ecumenical Patriarch: Let the light of Christ illumine our hearts

August 7, 2026 · 1 min read

With deep reverence, the great feast of the Transfiguration of Christ the Savior was celebrated on Prinkipo (Büyükada), where the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the Divine Liturgy held in the Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery bearing the feast’s name on the island.

The Patriarch of the Armenians in Turkey, Sahak II, was present, along with Archbishop Nektarios of Anthedon, Commissioner of the Holy Sepulchre in Constantinople, a group of Archons of the Ecumenical Throne and young people from the USA, and a multitude of the faithful.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch blessed the grapes according to tradition, distributing them to the faithful after the Dismissal, and immediately afterward held a memorial service (Trisagion) for the repose of the soul of the great benefactor of the Nation, Symeon Siniosoglou, before his tomb, located beside the church. This year marks 120 years since the passing of this great benefactor.

Afterward, in the monastery courtyard, the young shoots of the Romiosini of Constantinople participating in this summer’s camp session sang together with their group leaders and danced…

Source: Orthodox Times · Read the full story →

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Spiro Kristo

I had heard about the monastery of the Transfiguration in Prinkipo, but I didn't know that the tomb of Symeon Siniosoglou is right next door. It is good that the Patriarch remembered his 120th anniversary with the Trisagion after the blessing of the grapes. The young people who sang and danced in the yard made me think of our little camp here in Berat.

Наталія Руденко

It is interesting that it is in this monastery on Prinkipo that the Patriarch blesses the grapes every year. I did not know that the grave of Simeon Siniosoglu is next to the church and that 120 years have already passed. Well done, those American boys who came to the camp and sang in the yard - it's a lively business.

Orthodox House Review

I didn't know the grave of Symeon Siniosoglou was right there beside the church. Nice that the Patriarch did the Trisagion for the 120th anniversary right after blessing the grapes. Those American kids singing and dancing in the courtyard after Liturgy sounds like the best part of the day.