04 December 2017•Update: 04 December 2017
By Sahin Oktay
KOCAELI, Turkey
St. Barbara, one of the first female Christian saints and martyrs by some accounts, was commemorated on Monday with a ceremony in northwestern Kocaeli province of Turkey.
Dec. 4 is the feast day of Barbara, a third-century saint known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara.
The ceremony in the town of Izmit was attended by Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew, Greek Consul in Istanbul Evangelos Sekeris, and a group of Christian Greeks.
The 40-minute ceremony was officiated by Bartholomew and featured readings from the Bible.
Bartholomew thanked state officials for allowing the ceremony, stating that they were very pleased to honor Barbara in Izmit, where she lived and sacrificed her life for her faith.
He also said that he would visit Jerusalem on Dec. 5 for an important event, adding that he would pray in the sacred city for peace in the world for Muslims, Christians and Jews.
“This is not my first visit to Jerusalem… Israel’s president will receive me at his palace,” he said.
He added that he planted an olive tree in the Vatican gardens when he visited there in 2014.
“I hope the tree is growing and bearing its fruits, not only olives but fruits of peace at the same time.”
