Faithful flock to Apostolos Andreas

A CHURCH service from the occupied monastery of Apostolos Andreas to celebrate the saint’s name day was broadcast live by satellite to the free areas.

Around 5,000 faithful, including Turkish Cypriots, gathered at the monastery from the early hours of Sunday morning to take part in the mass which was carried out by Arsinoe Bishop Georgios and was televised all over the island by Sigma television through Hellas Sat.

In an emotionally charged atmosphere, Bishop Georgios sent a message of hope and patience while the faithful lit candles and filled their bottles with holy water from the monastery’s spring.
Speaking after the mass, Georgios said it was hard to describe the feelings of performing mass at the monastery.

“We cannot express what we are feeling, everyone here is very emotionally charged,” he said.
“Let’s just wish that we can come back here under better conditions, and those who couldn’t make it to mass today could come back and praise God and the saint.”
At the end of the service, the saint’s icon was carried around the church and people took Holy Communion.

In the afternoon, Bishop Georgios was briefed by Father Zacharias on the Monastery’s condition.
Zacharias said the enclaved would fight to preserve the monastery, adding that if the monk’s quarters were torn down the historic character of the monastery would be destroyed.
Many of the faithful expressed their bitterness at the lack of any maintenance work at the monastery and asked that steps be taken to refurbish the monastery.

The Bishop’s deacon was not allowed to cross over to the north because his passport had expired and his duties were taken over by one of the journalists covering the event.

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