Metropolitan of Thessaloniki visits St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine

Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki paid a visit to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine during his official trip to the United States as a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the occasion of the 48th Clergy-Laity Congress.

The Metropolitan was welcomed by the Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne and Archiepiscopal Vicar of the Shrine, Rev. Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas. He was accompanied by Archdeacon Dionysios Papiris of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Archimandrite Damaskinos Petikas, Dean of St. Demetrios, the patron church of Thessaloniki.

During the visit, the Master Chanter of the National Shrine, Dimitrios Katsiklis, guided Metropolitan Philotheos on a tour of the Shrine, presenting its history, spiritual significance, and role as a place of remembrance and prayer.

The visit forms part of Metropolitan Philotheos’ first official journey to the United States as a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, coinciding with the 48th Clergy-Laity Congress.