THE FIRST-EVER ORTHODOX VESPER SERVICE IS CELEBRATED AT THE COLOGNE CATHEDRAL

On 27 November 2015, Orthodox Vesper service was celebrated for the first time in history at the Cologne Cathedral during the autumn session of the Orthodox Episcopal Conference in Germany. Over one thousand worshippers from the Orthodox communities of Cologne and the neighboring cities attended.

The Cologne Cathedral is unique church; its main sanctuary was consecrated in September 1322 on the site on which the believers used to gather for prayers even in the first centuries of Christianity. The celebration of an Orthodox service became possible thanks to friendly support by Dompropst Gerd Bachner and Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne.

Vesper service was celebrated by the Revd. Radomir Kolunđić of the Serbian Orthodox Church together with hierodeacon Gregorios Sorovakos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Bishop Sergije of Frankfurt and Germany (Serbian Patriarchate) delivered a sermon.

Singing at the service were choirs of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Bonn (Ecumenical Patriarchate), of the parish of the Intercession in Dusseldorf (Moscow Patriarchate), and of the parish of All Saints in Cologne (Romanian Patriarchate).

Attending the service were bishops of the Orthodox Churches represented in Germany and also representatives of the Roman Catholic Church.

Metropolitan Augustinos of Germany (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Dompropst and secretary general of the Orthodox Episcopal Conference in Germany Gerd Bachner, and sub-deacon Nikolai Ton of the parish of the Intercession in Dusseldorf (Moscow Patriarchate) addressed the worshippers after Vespers.

All the worshippers venerated the relics of the Magi and the martyrs that have been kept for many centuries in the Shrine of the Three Kings, press office of the Church of the Intercession in Dusseldorf reports.

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