The Church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki Greece

Commemorated October 26/November 8

The Church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki Greece: The interior of the Church of Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki Greece. The Church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki Greece: The interior of the Church of Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki Greece.
The Church of Saint Demetrius, the protector of Thessaloniki Greece: Saint Demetrius, or Agios Dimitrios, (208 AD - 303 AD) is the patron saint of Thessaloniki. He was the son of a wealthy military commander of Thessaloniki and received a good education as a child. He also joined the army and became an officer. When he was young, he decided to get secretly baptized a Christian, something forbidden those years, when idolatric gods were still worshiped.

When his father died, the Roman emperor Maximian ordered him to chase and kill the Christians of Thessaloniki. Dimitrios refused to do so and revealed his faith. He was asked to change his religious beliefs but refused once again and expressed his disgust for idolatry. Therefore, he was put to prison, was tortured and died for his God. Before he died, he donated all his wealth to the poor. His bravery and sacrifice made him an orthodox saint.

When the emperor Constantine the Great ended the prosecution of the Christians (324 A.D.) and made Christianity the official religion of the Byzantine Empire, people built a small church on the place of the martyrdom of Agios Dimitrios, close to the Roman baths. His grave was said to be miraculous and thousands of pilgrims were coming every year to pay their honors.

In 413 AD, a bigger three-aisled basilica was founded by the eparch Leontios, which was burnt down two centuries later, in 634 A.D. Shortly afterwards, an even bigger five-isled basilica was built, which remains till today and constitutes the largest church of Greece. In 1493, during the Turkish occupation, the church was converted into a mosque and in 1912, when the city was liberated, it became a Christian church again. In 1917, it was once again destroyed by a fire and rebuilt according to the original plans. It started to function again in 1949.

The Church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki Greece: The church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki was constructed on the site where the saint martyred and died for his faith. The Church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki Greece: The church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki was constructed on the site where the saint martyred and died for his faith.
This church houses some spectacular Byzantine mosaics that have been restored and depict Agios Dimitrios and the children of the city. The crypt of the saint, accessed by a staircase behind the sanctuary, is said to be the site where the saint was killed by the Roman soldiers and buried. His crypt was converted into an exhibition area in 1988, hosting articles that survived the 5th century fire, like sculptures, vessels and other decorative items.

Agios Dimitrios became the patron saint of the city in 1912, during the First Balkan War, when the Greek army entered the city of Thessaloniki on his name day (October 26th) and delivered the city from the Turks. Today, his memory is celebrated every year, along with the deliberation of the city, with a big parade and a glorious Mass.

Greeka.com

8 ноября 2012 г.

Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru

Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю:

  • В воскресенье — православный календарь на предстоящую неделю.
  • В четверг — лучшие тематические подборки, истории читателей портала, новые книги издательства Сретенского монастыря.
  • Специальная рассылка к большим праздникам.
Храм Новомученников Церкви Русской. Внести лепту
Комментарии
Andrew bakken21 мая 2016, 13:00
Hi Before I left greece I ordered icon and haven't heard anything please help me my name is Andrew bakken
varghese16 февраля 2015, 11:00
Dear Father: Glory to God Almighty We are a group of Indian Orthodox church members and working in middle east countries. we would like to visit orthodox churches and monasteries in Greece. Can you please guide us on the visit. Thanks Varghese
Здесь Вы можете оставить свой комментарий к данной статье. Все комментарии будут прочитаны редакцией портала Православие.Ru.
Войдите через FaceBook ВКонтакте Яндекс Mail.Ru Google или введите свои данные:
Ваше имя:
Ваш email:
Введите число, напечатанное на картинке