Celebration of the Virgin of Blacherna in Karkalou Gortynia and unveiling of a bust of blessed Archimandrite Ananias Koustenistranslated

With particular splendor and in an atmosphere of deep emotion, on July 2, 2026, the memory of the Deposition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Blachernais was celebrated in the celebratory Church of the Virgin of Blacherna Karkalous Gortynia, whose founder was the blessed Archimandrite Fr. Ananias Koustenis. The holy services of Orthros and the Divine Liturgy were presided over by the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Gortynos and Megalopolis Mr. Nikiforos, flanked by the General Hierarchal Commissioner Archim. Iosif Angelidis, the Professor of the Holy Monastery of Eimyalon Archim. Damascene Paganos, the Deacons Dimitrios Polychronopoulos and Georgios Iliopoulos, the Mayor of Gortynia Mr. Efstathios Koulis and a multitude of believers, who came to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and pray for their blessed spiritual father Ananias Koustenis.

In his sermon, His Eminence developed the deep theological meaning of the feast of the Deposition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, underlining that the Church does not just honor a sacred relic, but the uninterrupted maternal presence of the Virgin Mary in the life of God's people. Referring to the Kontakion of Orthros, he emphasized that the Most Holy Theotokos offers to...