Holy Week in Volos

CHRIST IS RISEN!

Well, with Pelagia more and more immobile, I have less photos to work with these days, and thus less to put on the blog. But here's what's been happening with us.

We spent Lent here at our home parish in Panorama. On Palm Sunday, my spiritual father, Fr. Spyridon, asked me to come help down at his parish of Panagia Ahiropoiitos in the center (an enormous basilica church dating to 450). Unfortunately, Pelagia fell ill with a very bad cold (which turned into an infection during Holy Week, and which she probably caught from me), so I don't have any photos from Palm Sunday.

The beginning of Holy Week I was here in Panorama again. On Wednesday morning, I had the blessing to serve the last Presanctified Liturgy here in Panorama, and then I headed down to Volos on Wednesday afternoon. Technically, I'm a priest in the metropolis of Volos, but I have permission to live in Thessaloniki for my studies. But during Holy Week in Greece, it's "all hands on deck." There are SO MANY people in church.

So starting with the Service of Holy Unction on Wednesday evening, I was in Volos. Pelagia had hoped to come with me, but she was so ill that the doctor told her to stay home.

In Volos, I was hosted by a very devout Greek woman named Penelope (Poppy), who lives in a small apartment in the center of Volos. Volos is really in a beautiful location, nestled between a bay and Mt. Pelion.

The photo immediately below shows Kyria Poppy's apartment building. Her apartment is on the top floor. I don't know if you can tell, but the streets are actually lined with orange trees, which were dropping full, ripe oranges while I was there.

The two photos above are taken from the balcony of her apartment, and the photo at the very bottom is Kyria Poppy.