Panagia Achiropiitos

On Saturday evening, we decided to get out, so we went to Vespers downtown at Panagia Achiropoiitos and then met up with some of the other American theology students afterwards.

Panagia Achiropoiitos (Made Without Hands) is a beautiful church (see photos above). It is one of the four oldest churches in Greece, which all date to the 5^th century (three of the four, by the way, are here in Thessaloniki). According to one source I read, it derives its name from a wonder-working icon of the Panagia which miraculously appeared in the church in the 12^th century.

After the service, the Karchers introduced us to Fr. Spyridon, a wonderful, gentle priest who serves as the confessor for most of the Americans who run through here. He speaks English very well and his Greek is so clear and precise that even I could understand some of what he was saying to John!

Pelagia was supposed to meet us there, but she had taken the bus out to Ikea and some other stores and somehow managed to get on the wrong bus. She ended up being stuck on a bus out to the boonies for 3 hours before she got back to town! Anyway, we finally met up with her and we had a nice time with some of the other Americans. We went to a café (very Greek!) and then got some souvlaki pitas (also very Greek!). ( ;