On the weekend following Holy Theophany, His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios, Patriarchal Vicar, traveled to West Virginia, conveying the greetings, love and prayers of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East.

On the evening of Jan. 6, 2023, Sayidna Antonios presided at Great Vespers for the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist at Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church of Beckley. The next day, His Eminence was received by Archimandrite Seraphim and the brotherhood of Holy Cross Monastery (ROCOR) in Wayne. That evening, he presided at Great Vespers at Holy Spirit Antiochian Orthodox Church of Huntington.

On Jan. 8, the Sunday after Theophany, Sayidna Antonios celebrated Orthros and Hierarchal Divine Liturgy at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral of Charleston, preaching about the day’s Scripture readings (Eph. 4:7-13 and Matt. 4:12-17).

“The grace of God, through Jesus Christ, was given to every one of us. We received this grace when we were baptized and chrismated and received holy communion,” His Eminence explained. “These are sacraments of entrance into the Church. All of the sacraments are ways for us to enquire and acquire the grace of God.”

That afternoon, Sayidna Antonios blessed the Kanawha River near the state capitol.

At the three churches, His Eminence continued to explain to the clergy and laity about the nomination process for the next Metropolitan, as well as address their thoughts about the life and future of the Archdiocese.

Full story and more photos at https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1466. #orthodoxy #theophany #epiphany