On July 12, 2024, the Orthodox parish of the Holy Apostle Paul in Side-Manavgat on the Turkish Riviera celebrated its panegyry according to the Julian calendar. The day before, the festive agrypnia, and the same day, the Divine Liturgy were presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, surrounded by the clergy and faithful of Side, Antalya and Alanya. During the Divine Liturgy, the ordination of deacon Grigorii Okhanov as priest took place to serve the needs of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia.
In his homily the metropolitan recalled the vocation of the apostles to be “fishers of men”, and quoting Saint Clement of Rome, he emphasized that “the Apostles received the Gospel for us from the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ was sent forth from God, so then Christ is from God, and the Apostles are from Christ”. He then addressed the future priest, urging him to become a “fisher of men” after them: “Follow the instructions of the Holy Apostle Paul, the founder of our local Church, who exhorted his disciple Timothy: fight like a good soldier, having faith and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:19), be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of faith and good doctrine, exercise yourself in godliness (1 Tim. 4:6-7), preach and teach this, and let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the faithful in speech, in behavior, in love, in faith, in purity (1 Tim. 4:11-12).”
After the Divine Liturgy, a festive meal was served to all those present in the parish hall.
