19TH ANNIVERSARY OF ORTHODOX COMMUNITY IN FHES – JORDAN

September – October 2015

On the evening of Tuesday, the 16^th/29^th of September 2015, the Greek Orthodox Arabic-speaking Community of Fhes, Jordan, celebrated its 19^thanniversary.

The city of Fhes is a suburb of Amman, Jordan, inhabited by Christians, mostly Orthodox, known for their assiduousness and development.

A church dedicated to St George the Great Martyr is maintained by the Patriarchate in Fhes for the city’s thriving Greek Orthodox Arabic-speaking Community, as well as a School that includes all grades from nursery school to Lyceum. Archimandrite Ieronymos the Hagiotaphite leads the Community.

On the afternoon of the aforementioned day, a celebration was held for the 19 years since the foundation of the Community’s Society. The event was honoured by the presence of Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, who was accompanied by Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina and f. Issa Mousleh from Beit-Sahur, the Patriarchate’s liaison with Arabic-speaking media.

The Patriarch was warmly welcomed by a philharmonic, Archimandrite Ieronymos, the city’s priests as well as other priests from adjacent cities, the President of the Society, Mr Nahed Soues, Mayor H. Akrouk, and several members of the community. In the context of the celebrations, an exhibition was presented, featuring landscapes of Fhes by Mr Sami Farhat, and icons in the Byzantine style by Mr Huisam Salman.

Patriarch Theophilos addressed the crowd in a speech read by f. Issa Mousleh in Arabic (see link http://www.jp-newsgate.net/ar/2015/09/29/15067).

He then went on to offer a fine icon of Theotokos, to be kept in the premises of the Club for its protection.

Addresses were followed by the awarding of honourary distinctions to 10 members of the Community who have excelled in their activities and artistic endeavours. Finally, guests were hosted to dinner.

From the Secretariat-General

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