Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Leads Liturgy at Saint Paraskevi Church in Pikridi

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I conducted the Divine Liturgy on 26 July 2026 at the historic Saint Paraskevi church in Hasköy (Pikridi). The church, rebuilt from the ground up in 2008 with a donation from the late Captain Panagiotis Tsakou, was transferred by the Patriarchate to serve the city’s Romanian‑speaking Orthodox community. The Patriarch’s sermon highlighted the countless martyrs of the faith, especially the holy virgin‑martyr Saint Paraskevi, and warned that Christians continue to be persecuted worldwide. He referenced the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, condemning the Russian Orthodox Church’s rhetoric that frames the war as a “holy war.” The church’s courtyard also contains the tomb of New Martyr Argyris.

Bartholomew’s remarks underscored the enduring struggle for religious freedom and called on believers to remain steadfast in their faith despite contemporary challenges.