Nearly 1,000 Students Chant Akathist Hymn in Thessaloniki
Nearly 1,000 students filled Thessaloniki’s Hagia Sophia with hymns to the Virgin Mary during a moving Lenten service.
THESSALONIKI — Around 1,000 students from 37 schools across Thessaloniki gathered at the historic Hagia Sophia Church to chant hymns in honor of the Virgin Mary during a special Lenten service. The event took place on March 13 during Great Compline with the third stasis of the Akathist Hymn.
The service was celebrated by Abp. Ieronymos II of Athens, primate of the Church of Greece, concelebrating with several hierarchs, including Metr. Philotheos of Thessaloniki and Metr. Gabriel of Nea Ionia. The students were joined by the choir of the Hellenic Army Officers’ School and the Eirmos Byzantine Children’s Choir of the Metropolis of Thessaloniki, providing the liturgical responses throughout the service.
Addressing the young participants, Abp. Ieronymos emphasized the spiritual significance of their participation, noting that their voices reflected the renewal offered by Christ. He encouraged the students to live their faith actively and to witness to Christian values in their schools, families, and communities.
Previously, the UOJ reported that St. Tikhon’s Monastery invited singers to join the Memorial Day Pilgrimage Festival Choir.
