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The feast of Saint Markella of Hiopolitis at the place of her martyrdomtranslated

July 22, 2026 · 1 min read

With deep reverence and rapture, which they also expressed by walking more than 40 kilometers, thousands of Christians came as pilgrims to the Holy Pilgrimage of the miraculous Saint Markelli, at the place of her martyrdom, in Volisso of Chios. The Great Vespers was officiated by the Most Reverend Bishop of Epidaurus, Mr. Nikodimos, Director General of the Ecclesiastical Central Finance Service (EKYO), co-celebrant of the local Pastor, the Reverend Metropolitan of Chios, Psara and Oinoussa, Mr. Markos, with the participation of many clergy. During the divine sermon, the Reverend Metropolitan Mr. Markos, starting from the verse from the Apolytikion of the Saint, "Teach the Lord to the laws and to the divine, persuaded Markella", referred to the relationship between Orthodox Dogmatic Theology and Christian Ethics. He emphasized that this is a cause and effect relationship in the spiritual life of believers and on their path to holiness.

Then, visibly moved, he spoke with laudatory and paternal words to the Theophilus Bishop of Epidaurus, Mr. Nikodimos, whom he had as a student in the early 1990s, when he was teaching as a philology professor at...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency  ·  Read the full story →
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💬 Comments (3) 🌐 Translate comments
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Rebecca Smith
The 40-kilometre pilgrimage on foot really struck me — that’s serious devotion. I also liked how Metropolitan Markos tied the saint’s obedience to the Lord’s laws straight to everyday Christian ethics; it makes the theology feel practical instead of abstract. The fact he taught Bishop Nikodimos back in the early 90s as a philology teacher adds such a warm, human touch to the whole feast.
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Hannah Adams
The 40 km walk does sound like proper commitment, especially on Chios in the heat. I hadn't picked up on Metropolitan Markos being Nikodimos's old philology teacher; that explains the fatherly tone in his words. Did you ever do any long pilgrimage walks yourself?
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Margaret Adams
The connection between dogma and ethics that Metropolitan Markos drew from the troparion really stuck with me too; it’s the kind of thing that turns up when you actually try to live the calendar instead of just reading it. I’ve done a couple of shorter hikes to monasteries here in Kansas, nothing like 40 km in Chios heat, but they still leave you quiet and grateful by the end. Have you walked any of the longer routes on the Greek islands?
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