Sümela to hold third mass Aug 15

TRABZON

AA photo

A special Greek Orthodox service will be held at Sümela Monastery in the Black Sea province of Trabzon for the third year in a row tomorrow.

Patriarch Bartholomew will conducting the service, which is held in honor of the Assumption of Mary up to heaven, a Christian feast that is marked on Aug. 15. 

“All preparations have been completed, and we will do our best to welcome the guests,” Trabzon Gov. Recep Kızılcık said. 

The first service at Sümela was held in 2010 after an 88-year hiatus. 

Due to the limited capacity of the monastery, only around 500 people will be admitted inside to watch the service although large screens will be set up in the lower portion of the building for those who cannot gain access. 

The service will start at 11 a.m. and is expected to last until 2 p.m. 

Many people have attended the event over the past two years, Kızılcık said. “Reservations were made for this year’s service, [and] we took all the necessary precautions. We will welcome our guest as well as we can just like the past two years.”