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High priest vespers at Platani Argolida for the feast of Saint Annetranslated

July 25, 2026 · 1 min read

The mountainous village on the border of Argolis - Corinthia, Platani, was visited on the afternoon of Friday, July 24, 2026, by the Metropolitan of Argolis, Mr. Nektarios, to celebrate the festive vespers of the feast of the Assumption of Saint Anne. The Metropolitan was welcomed by the vicar of the church Fr. Ilias Gatsios, the vicar of Panagia nivia Kios Fr. Demosthenes Gatsios, the ecclesiastical council of the Holy Church of the Birth of the Theotokos Plataniou, as well as the residents of the village.

At the end of the celebratory vespers, the vicar of the church, Fr. Ilias Gatsios, thanked on behalf of the church council and the residents for the honor that the Metropolitan of Argolis did to attend the village and celebrate the vespers.

This was followed by a feast in the forecourt of the church with various sweets made by the inhabitants of the village, while there followed a music and dance event organized by the cultural and beautification association of Plataniotes everywhere "Agia Anna".

Platani is a small village in the prefecture of Argolis, near Skoteini and Nemea and belongs to the municipality of Argos-Mycenae. The settlement with about 100 inhabitants is built at an altitude of 500 meters from the…

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (6) 🌐 Show original

Nemanja Savić

Thank you to Father Ilija Gatsios for welcoming Bishop Nektari. The cakes prepared by the locals must have been excellent, just like when my wife bakes for a celebration. Was there any baklava or just small cakes?

Anna Moore

The baklava was definitely there — my yiayia’s recipe uses walnuts from our garden and it always disappears first at these village events. Nice to see both the Gatsios priests together welcoming the bishop; it must have felt like a proper family feast up there in Platani.

Michael Carter

The two Gatsios priests welcoming the bishop together must have made it feel like a real family gathering. Those village sweets sound just right after vespers—my wife still makes walnut cakes that disappear fast at our parish events. Did the cultural club put on any dancing from the old Argolid traditions?

Photini Bennett

The walnut baklava from Anna’s yiayia’s garden recipe sounds exactly like the one my mother used to make for St. Anna’s feast every year. Nice that both Fr. Ilias and Fr. Demosthenes Gatsios were there together with the bishop; it really does turn the evening into a family gathering. I wonder if the cultural club danced any of the old Argolid folk steps after the sweets.

Basil Bennett

The two Gatsios priests being brothers really did give it that family feel—same last name, same warm handshake at the door. The walnut cakes from the village ladies were gone in minutes, just like the ones your wife makes. I don’t remember any old Argolid dances, but they did a lively circle dance that had half the older folks joining in before the night was over.

Sofija Ristić

Thank you, Nemanja, for your kind words. Father Ilija was really cordial, and the baklava was there with small cakes, just like the kind I make with walnuts for the celebration. Does your wife put cinnamon in the dough or stick to the classic recipe?