His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III Celebrates the Feast of the Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood

This news is shared from the website of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On Friday, November 29/16, 2024, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood at Jacob’s Well in Nablus of Samaria.

On this feast, the Church of Jerusalem remembers that the Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos came from Cyprus and joined the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood at a young age. He served in various ministries with devotion. During his last appointment as a Hegoumen at Jacob’s well he was attacked brutally on the day of the feast of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, November 29/16, 1979, while he was praying in the chapel next to the well. That attack took away his earthly life and gave him the inheritance of eternal life.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with a Synodical Decision proceeded in his canonization in the chorea of the Hieromartyrs in 2009.

In the Church of Saint Photeini, the Samaritan woman, above Jacob’s well, which also includes the chapels of Saint Philoumenos and Saint Justin the philosopher from Nablus, the Divine Liturgy was officiated by His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, with co-celebrants their Eminences, the Metropolitan Kyriakos of Nazareth and the Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, the first in rank of the Hieromonks, the Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Athens, Archimandrite Ieronymos, the Archimandrites Meletios and from the Monastery of Saint Gerasimos Fr Kyriakos, other Priests of the Patriarchate, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacons Simeon and Dositheos and also the Master of the Ceremonies of the Patriarchate Archimandrite Bartholomew participated. The chanting was delivered by Dr Yacub in Greek and the local choir in Arabic. The Liturgy was attended by faithful Christians from the neighbouring areas, Jerusalem and Saint Gerasimos Monastery.

Before the Holy Communion, His Beatitude delivered the following Sermon:

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3,14) Saint John the Theologian writes in the book of Revelation.

Dear brethren in Christ,

Reverend Christians,

The Holy Church of Jerusalem, who like another Paul, “bears in her body the marks of Jesus” (cf. Gal. 6,17), celebrates the holy commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood, in this shrine of Jacob’s well, where Jesus Christ spoke with the Samaritan woman, and where Saint Philoumenos martyred.

As a member of the Order of the Studious (Spoudaioi) of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood and a genuine Priest of the Church of Jerusalem, our Father Philoumenos, “called by God’s grace since he was separated from his mother’s womb” (c.f. Gal. 1,15), carried the signs of the ministry of the Holy Places, which testify Christ who suffered for us, was crucified and resurrected, as the Apostle Peter preaches: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter, 2.21)…

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This news was originally published on the website of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Please click here to read the full text.