A Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Church of Saint Demetrios under the auspices of the Holy Metropolis of Nicaea.
The service, which began at 4:15 p.m., included a solemn procession of the Holy Reliquary into the center of the church, where it was presented for the veneration of the faithful.
The procession formed a central part of the day's liturgical observance, drawing attention to the Orthodox Church's longstanding tradition of honoring sacred relics and remembering the lives of the saints.
Procession of the Holy Reliquary
During the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Reliquary was solemnly carried into the center of the church, in accordance with the ceremonial arrangements announced by the Holy Metropolis of Nicaea.
The presence of the reliquary offered the faithful an opportunity to express their reverence for the saints and seek their intercessions before God.
In Orthodox Christianity, the veneration of holy relics is closely associated with the Church's teaching on the sanctification of the human person through divine grace. The faithful honor the relics of the saints as a testimony to their lives in Christ, while worship remains directed to God alone.
A solemn occasion for the Metropolis
The celebration marked an occasion of particular liturgical significance for the Holy Metropolis of Nicaea, bringing together the hierarchical celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the public veneration of the Holy Reliquary.
The service also drew attention to the continuing observance of Orthodox liturgical traditions within the Metropolis.
The celebration concluded as another occasion in the ecclesiastical life of the Holy Metropolis of Nicaea, centered upon the Divine Liturgy, prayer, and the commemoration of the saints.
