The great feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos was celebrated again this year with spiritual joy in all the Parishes of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea. This year, however, it was celebrated with particular splendor at the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the city of Jeonju.
In all the holy Services of the feast, both in the Great Vespers of August 14th, 2023, as well as in the Orthros (Matins) and in the Divine Liturgy of August 15th, during which Metropolitan Ambrosios presided, many believers came to commemorate the Dormition of the Theotokos and receive Her blessings. The Metropolitan in his sermon on the eve of the feast developed the theme: “The Theotokos leads us to the God-man (Theanthropos)”, and on the main day of the feast the theme was: “The Theotokos teaches us with Her life to obey the will of God”. Before the Dismissal, a Litany of the icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos was held outside the holy church. After returning inside the church, a prayer of thanksgiving was offered to God on the occasion of the national holiday of the liberation of Korea from the Japanese occupation in 1945.
The beauty of the new holy church, as well as the recent iconography of the dome and the niche caused feelings of awe and emotion to all those who participated in the feast, coming from the cities of Jeonju, Seoul, Busan, Mopko, Geojedo, but also from Okinawa, Japan.
At the common meal of love, the Metropolitan thanked all the known and unknown donors and volunteers who worked hard during the construction of the holy church and for the painting of the holy icons on its walls. He especially thanked the head of the holy church Fr. Hilarion Jeong, his Presbytera Despoina as well as all the members of the Parish for the preparation of the feast and their exemplary hospitality and wished them always to have the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary in their lives.