Day of schools in the free province of Famagusta for Panagia Hortakiotissa (PHOTO)

On Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at the Sotiras Multi-purpose Center, the student day was held with the theme "The contribution of the holy temples to the lives of the faithful through the centuries. History, tradition and iconography of the Church of Panagia Hortakiotissa in Sotira", which is part of the Student Religious Tours program.

The event is under the auspices of the Holy Metropolis. The Metropolitan's greeting was read by archpriest Stavros Stavrou.

This is the greeting of His Eminence Metropolitan of Constantia Mr. Vassiliou at the day of the Student Religious Tours program

We welcome today's conference on "The contribution of the holy temples to the life of the faithful through the centuries. History, tradition and iconography of the Church of Panagia Hortakiotissa in Sotira", which is part of the Student Religious Tours program which is operated for the 8th consecutive year by the Directorate of Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture in collaboration with the Synodal Office of Pilgrimage Tours of the Church of Cyprus.

The construction of holy temples and their dedication to worship is an ancient phenomenon even in the pagan world. The Orthodox Christian in his conscience sees the Church itself in the building and shape of the temple. The sacred Vima depicts heaven. The holy Table is the type of the heavenly altar, where the Great High Priest and God-man Jesus Christ officiates without interruption. The decoration, the images and the rituals help us to move from the earthly to the heavenly.

Our God-covered homeland, Cyprus, has many ecclesiastical monuments dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Our metropolitan region has the extraordinary privilege of having important places of pilgrimage such as the ancient Monastery of Agia Napa, the Panagia Banka in the currently occupied Aheritou, the ancient Holy Monastery of Panagia Augasidas Milia Famagusta, Panagia Deryneia etc. Among them the church of Panagia Chordakiotissa in Sotira which you chose as the main topic of study and presentation during today's conference.

We warmly congratulate the groups of students from the schools of the province of Famagusta, as well as the participating teachers, who all worked together on this important ecclesiastical monument.

We also express our congratulations to the Directorate of Secondary General and Secondary Technical and Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture, His Beatitude and especially the Synodal Office of Pilgrimage Tours of the Church of Cyprus which operates under the guidance of the Theophilist Bishop of Mesaoria, Mr. Gregory.
With these thoughts, we bless the beginning of the work of today's student day wishing every success with the grace of God.

Happy Easter.

Thank you

Holy Metropolis of Constantia and Famagusta,
April 5 2023