On May 19, 2024, Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women, in a prayerful atmosphere, the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia honored the memory of the “Tzikko-Panagia”, the copy of the icon of the Mother of God of Kykkos venerated in Antalya, following the healing of a paralytic that it had accomplished in the past on that Sunday. It is well known that the Holy Monastery of Kykkos in Cyprus had since the 18th century a Metochion (dependency) in this ancient port city, where a miraculous copy of the Kykos icon was venerated.
The celebrations began on the eve with the agrypnia in which took part the clergy and faithful of the Metropolis. On the day of the feast, a tri-hierarchical Divine Liturgy was presided over by the local metropolitan, His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, assisted by his auxiliary, His Excellency Bishop Amvrosios of Eudokiada, and His Excellency Bishop Michael of Comana, Patriarchal Exarch in Kyiv, who for many years was the dean of the Church of Saint Alypios in Antalya.
In his homily, the Metropolitan emphasized that since the moment of the Passion of Christ who entrusted His beloved disciple, Saint John the Theologian, to His Mother, and through him all humanity, “no one is an orphan on this earth, because he has as his mother the Most Holy Mother of God. Whoever runs to Her with prayer, with a pure heart, leaves with Her protection and intercession, wherever he is”.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the bishops, clergy and faithful congratulated the Metropolitan on the occasion of his onomastic feast (according to the Julian calendar), wishing him God’s help and many years for his pastoral ministry.
The liturgy was followed by a concert by the church choir under the direction of Mrs. Lydia Maslova entitled “From Passion to Resurrection”, during which various liturgical hymns were performed in the arrangements of famous Ukrainian and Russian composers such as Bortniansky, Arkhangelsky and Chesnokov. All those present then took part in a reception in the church courtyard.
