Two American youths aged 25 and 26, Alexander Thomas Uman and Anna Josephine Gallegos came from America to have their wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea.
The Sacrament of their Marriage was performed on Sunday, September 24, 2023, following the Divine Liturgy and the Sunday Agape Meal in the cathedral church of St. Nicholas, Seoul, by the Metropolitan of Korea and Exarch of Japan Ambrosios assisted by the Dean of the church, Fr. Antonios Lim. Instead of a sermon, an excerpt of a Sermon of St. John Chrysostom from his commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians of the Apostle Paul was read, advising the newlyweds about married life and raising children.
Many members of the Korean Orthodox Youth Association “Syndesmos” of the Parish of St. Nicholas participated in the Sacrament, praying together, and trying to be close to the newlyweds at this sacred time of their lives. At the simple reception that followed in the Cathedral Hall, they met with the newlyweds and expressed their congratulations and love.
This was a wedding with the emphasis on the essential element, which is none other than the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage bestowing God’s blessing on the life of the newlyweds and not on the secondary, which unfortunately, most of the time, overlaps the essence of things. That is why it was truly a wedding different from any other.