Our Holy Metropolis has designated the Sunday of the Paralytic as the day for celebrating the memory of Saint Ananias, Metropolitan of Lacedemonia and an ethnomartyr of our Nation.
This year’s splendid two-day celebration at the newly built Holy Church of Saint Ananias, located in the surrounding area of the Administrative Building of Laconia, began on the afternoon of Saturday, May 2, 2026, with the celebration of the festive Hierarchical Vespers service with Artoklasia, presided over by our Most Reverend Metropolitan Mr. Efstathios, and with the participation of His Grace Bishop Prodromos of Toliara and Southern Madagascar, His Grace Bishop Theophilos of Lacedemonia, as well as a multitude of clergy from our local Church.
After the blessing of the loaves, our venerable Shepherd invited His Grace Bishop Prodromos of Toliara and Southern Madagascar to address his honey-flowing (eloquent and gracious) sermon to the devout Christians who gathered in prayer. At the same time, he highlighted the important missionary work of His Grace under adverse conditions, emphasizing that it is a source of pride for our blessed land.
His Grace Bishop Prodromos, after thanking the Metropolitan for the honorable invitation and his heartfelt words, spoke first about the multifaceted work and sacrifice of the saint being honored. He then called upon the faithful to follow the example of the Saints of our Church, who, having as their guiding principle in life boundless love and humility, achieved inner peace—something that is the true aim for every Christian.
Among those present who honored the Vespers with their attendance were the Deputy Minister of National Defense and Member of Parliament for Laconia Mr. Athanasios Davakis, the Deputy Regional Governor of Laconia Mr. Theodoros Veroutis, the Mayor of Sparta Mr. Michalis Vakalopoulos, Regional Councilor Mr. Panagiotis Tzinakos, Deputy Mayor of Sparta Mr. Theophanis Lazaris, and the Military Commander of Laconia, Brigadier General Mr. Georgios Zorbas.
