As we all know, the outbreak of the Corona
virus has put us all on alert. As Orthodox Christians, we know to put our
trust in Christ, His All-Holy Mother, and all His Saints. And this is what
we do.
We still need to take some measures, however, to protect all the Pilgrims
and the Monastery as well. For this reason, we have chosen to close the
Monastery to the public. It is not out of a lack of faith, but out of love
for our brothers and sisters in Christ that we made this difficult
decision. This is in keeping with what our beloved Metropolitan Alexios
expressed in his letter of March 17 (before many new measures were taken
by the government):
“Therefore, be mindful that you are part
of a family, and that any decisions you make will impact not only your
immediate family but society at large. Or, simply to put in action the
commandment of our Lord, “You shall love the Lord your God…and your
neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)”
We would like to do our part in helping to keep everyone safe. We will
continue to pray for you as we hope you will for us. We have been chanting
the Paraklesis on a daily basis (in rotation) to Panagia, St. Haralambos
(the protector of infectious diseases, Feb 10) and St. Nikiforos the Leper
(+1964, Jan 4) to ask for their intercessions during this difficult time.
We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
May the Most Holy Theotokos watch over and protect us all.
Glory to God!