Nativity of Christ in the parishes of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania (photo report)
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| Novy Chas photo |
This year the believers of the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Lithuania celebrated the Nativity of Christ for the first time on December 25, i.e. according to the new calendar, common to most of the Local Orthodox Churches of the world. Last year, Christmas services were held only in Vilnius, Klaipėda and Anykščiai, but this year services were also held in Kaunas, Šiauliai, Tauragė and Elektrėnai. The number of people also increased – if last year there were about two hundred people at the only Christmas service in Vilnius, then this year more than two hundred people prayed at the Belarusian services in Vilnius alone (there were three Nativity services in the Belarusian language in Vilnius).
In addition to Belarusian services, services were held in Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Old Church Slavonic in Vilnius and the rest of Lithuania. At the services where members of the Greek community were present, petitions, readings and chants in Greek were added to the Lithuanian prayers.
We are glad that our community is growing and strengthening, despite the fact that we are going through various trials. It consists of people of different nationalities, with different life experiences, but we are all united by one thing – a common Orthodox faith in Jesus Christ.
We remind you that if you want the services of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to take place in your city or village, you can start organizing a local community with like-minded people and contact our exarchate - egzarchatas@ortodoksas.lt. We will certainly look for solutions to meet the spiritual needs of believers in your city or village.
Below you can see photographs from the services of the communities of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in different cities of Lithuania.
VILNIUS
VILNIUS, services in Belarusian
VILNIUS, the Russian community
KLAIPĖDA
ŠIAULIAI
ANYKŠČIAI
ELEKTRĖNAI
TAURAGĖ
