site.btaMetropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop Serves Holy Liturgy in North Macedonia

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop officiated on Wednesday a holy liturgy in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the town of Delchevo in North Macedonia, in communion with the Primate of the Diocese of Delchevo-Kamenitsa Bishop Marko, and priests from Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia.

The visit of Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop is at the invitation of Bishop Marko, the Nevrokop diocese told BTA. 

Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop also celebrated the morning prayer in the temple dedicated to the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is celebrated today in the old style. Hundreds of lay people filled the temple and the courtyard around the church in the morning.

"It is with great excitement that I accepted this invitation, this is the first time I am coming to the Republic of North Macedonia, this is the first time we are serving together here, you know that the schism, which was a sad thing in the life of the church, which lasted an unnecessarily long time for me personally, has finally been abolished and we can communicate freely, this is the most important thing. This is how the Church lives, through the holy liturgy, through sacraments, divine services, and in fact the children of the Church are children of the Church, no matter what nationality, what country, what race, what sex, what age, what social position they have, what place in society they occupy, we are all children of the Church. And it seems that St. Mary helps us to understand this more clearly," said Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop.

Bishop Marko said that it is "a joyful day for the Orthodox Church", which celebrates the succession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He celebrates the feast day for the first time as the leader of the Diocese of Delchevo-Kamenitsa, as he has been the head of the diocese since last autumn. "I wanted this feast to be even more joyful," he said of the invitation he extended to Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop to hold a joint service on this day in Delchevo. "Our task is to follow the unity in Christ. We are the first called to look after it because it is the essence of each one of us," he said. He expressed gratitude to Metropolitan Seraphim for accepting the invitation "for this honour and joy".