George Ferdis
December 3, 2014
From room to room the icon of Saint Savvas moved during the procession this evening at the Saint Savvas Anticancer-Oncology Hospital of Athens by Archimandrite Nektarios Milioni, the new Abbot of Petraki Monastery. The Festal Vespers was celebrated by Metropolitan Athenagoras of Iliou, Acharnon and Petroupolis.
A crowd of faithful, among them hospital patients, participated in the Vespers of the institution's Church of Saint Savvas, which is in the courtyard of the hospital to alleviate the pain of those who suffer.
Metropolitan Athenagoras spoke in his sermon about the ascetic life of Saint Savvas and about how much the Saint should be a model for the life of every faithful Christian.
After the service a procession was led by Fr. Nektarios with the icon of Saint Savvas in his hands and accompanied by priests and Governor Faldamis, and they distributed bread, calendars and blessings to the patients of the hospital, who venerated his icon and received the blessing of the Saint.
With tears in their eyes, patients received the icon into their rooms, accepting blessings for their quick and good recovery from both the priests and staff of the hospital.
