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His Grace Metropolitan Cyril of Hierapetra and Sitia: The Holy Fathers lived out the Gospel teaching through their livestranslated

July 19, 2026 · 1 min read

On the Sunday of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, July 19, 2026, His Grace Metropolitan Cyril of Hierapetra and Sitia presided at the Matins service and subsequently celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. George in Hierapetra, where he concluded with a four-day memorial service for the repose of the soul of the late St. Catherine, wife of Antonios Garafalakis. In his brief homily following the Gospel reading, His Grace addressed the large congregation on the lives of the 630 God-bearing Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon and the meaning of the Gospel passage. As he noted, “the God-bearing Fathers were ‘bright stars,’ ‘pure gold of speech,’ and ‘the adornment of the world.’ They did not merely expound the Gospel teaching in theory, but above all lived it through their lives and deeds. They embraced a life of love, humility, and fidelity to the Word of God, and thus remain beacons and guides for our spiritual journey, ever guiding and inspiring our lives. Like light, they shone forth, preserving unblemished the faith in Christ, the perfect God and Man. Let us therefore heed the Word of our Lord, who calls us to…”

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Irina Dumitrescu

Thanks for the article. I was especially impressed by what Metropolitan Cyril said about the Holy Fathers, that they did not just speak, but really lived the teaching of the Gospel through deeds of love and humility. This is how we should try, day by day, in our kitchen or in the church choir. Rest in peace grandmother Ecaterina.

Gabriela Rusu

Yes, Irina, and I was left with the same idea from Metropolitan Cyril's sermon - that the Fathers did not just stick to theory. Grandmother Ecaterina, be it a simple peasant, I think she lived the same way, with small everyday deeds. What exactly do you mean when you say "in our kitchen"? Maybe to the bread you knead with prayer, like me on Saturday?

Ion Popescu

Yes, Gabriela, you're right, Grandma Ecaterina was just like that - she didn't talk much about faith, but she put a handful of basil in every pot of soup and didn't let anyone leave her door hungry. When I say "in our kitchen" I think of how I used to knead bread with my little sons, teaching them to make the sign of the cross on top of the dough before putting it in the oven. Do you still do this with the grandchildren?

Alexandru Barbu

Yes, Ion, that's how grandmother Ecaterina was, faith was seen in small deeds, not in long speeches. At our house, when we kneaded bread with my father, we also put dried basil in the dough, not just in the soup. Do you still make the sign of the cross over bread with your grandchildren now, or are only the memories left?

Corina Stan

Yes, Ion, you are right, grandmother Ecaterina was made of the same dough as the Holy Fathers - her faith was lived in the pot and on the doorstep, not in big words. Here in Timișoara, when I knead bread with my older girls, I also add a little dried basil from the country garden, but I make the sign of the cross first, so that they don't forget. Do you still put fresh basil in the soup now, or have you switched to dried?