Ecumenical Patriarch to Celebrate Divine Liturgy in Ancient Monastery of Asia Minor - revised and updated

On 23 August 2019,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of the Apodosis (leave-taking) of the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary in the ruins of the ancient Monastery of the Panagia Faneromeni in Kyzikos,Artaki,Turkey.The Dormition was the patronal feast of the Monastery.Today the Marian icon Panagia Faneromeni is kept at the Patriarchal Church of St.George in Constantinople.*
Accompanying Patriarch Bartholomew are His Grace Bishop Kyrillos of Erythres;His Grace Bishop Amvrosios of Evdokia;and several other clerics of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.It will be the fifth Divine Liturgy His All-Holiness has celebrated in the sacred remains of the Monastery Panagia Faneromeni.
Also attending will be the Mayor of Artaki,the Honourable Mr.Huseyin Sari.*
Kyzikos was an historic Hellenic town in Anatolia,Asia Minor,located in what is today Balikesir Province,Turkey.Mr.Petros Podaras and Mr.Ioannis Rizos are leading an effort to have Kyzikos maintained and promoted by the competent Turkish authorities,as they have done for other Orthodox sites in Asia Minor.
Update:The Divine Liturgy was successfully held for the fifth time at the Monastery of Panagia Faneromeni in Kyzikos,Artaki,Turkey.Several dozen pilgrims attended the service as the sun shone upon the stone walls and woodland of the Monastery.After the Liturgy,the Daphnes female choir performed a concert.

Patriarch Bartholomew Departs for Asia Minor Service

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has departed from Imbros,Turkey (Gokceada) for the Cyzicos,Asia Minor area of Turkey,where he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of the Leave-taking of the Dormition of the Theotokos on 23 August 2018.The service will be held in the ruins of the historic nineteenth century Holy Monastery of the Panagia Faneromeni icon,14 kilometers NE of Artaki (Erdek,Turkey).The icon is traditionally held to have been painted by the Apostle and Evangelist Luke.*
Artaki itself is 10 kilometers NW of the ancient city of Cyzicos,which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1063.At that time,Artaki became the see of the Diocese of Cyzicos.The Bishop of Cyzicos had the title "Supreme Exarch of All the Hellespont" and the diocese was fifth in rank of the dioceses of the Ecumenical Throne.In 1905,it was elevated to fourth in rank.*
This will be the fourth time the Turkish authorities have permitted the Divine Liturgy to be celebrated at Panagia Faneromeni.Concelebrating with Patriarch Bartholomew will be His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida,Greece and His Eminence Metropolitan Meletios of Kathagenis (Patriarchate of Alexandria).