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Our Goalis to Establish a Monastic Brotherhood in Sweden

STOCKHOLM -- On the weekend of May 13-14, 2017, the transposition of the relics of St.
Nicholas Archbishop of Myra in Lycia was celebrated at the hermitage that bears his name in
the city of Rttvik, Sweden, located three hours north of Stockholm.
On Saturday evening, Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia officiated
the service of Great Vespers. Afterwards, a dinner reception was offered courtesy of Mrs.
Fotini Batsela, President of the Ladies Philoptochos Society of the St. George Cathedral in
Stockholm, which was attended by the Rev. Peder Bergqvist, Director of the Ecumenical
Center in Rttvik where the ever-memorable Fr. Eusebios Vittis worked for a number of
years accompanied by his entourage and the family of Mr. & Mrs. Bengt Svedberg.
The following day, Sunday, May 14, 2017, the Metropolitan presided over the
Archieratical Divine Liturgy, where he was assisted by the Very Rev. Archimandrite
Alexander Loukatos, pastor of the Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos
in Oslo and the Rev. Presbyter Athanasios Melas, pastor of the St. Paul the Apostle parish in
Uppsala. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a blessing of the loaves service was held for
the health of the faithful in attendance, along with a memorial service for the repose of the
hermitages founder, the ever-memorable Fr. EusebiosVittis.
A luncheon followed, courtesy of Mr. George Tzanis, with Greek Ambassador to
Sweden Mr. Dimitrios Touloupas and his spouse in attendance, together with his aide Mr.
Christos Savlakis and a large number of faithful who made the trip from Stockholm, Uppsala,
Rttvik, Gvle, as well as Oslo. A group of faithful from the parish of the Transfiguration of
Christ in Stockholm, under the jurisdiction of the Exarchate of Orthodox parishes of Russian
tradition in Western Europe and the Hon. Mr. Michael Agaiby, representing the Swedish
Christian Study Center Bilda, were also on hand. Mr. Cosmas Plakou of Oslo chanted the
hymns during the service.
In his sermon, Metropolitan Cleopas thanked the Orthodox clergy who participated in
the holy services, as well as Ambassador Touloupas and his entourage, and the faithful who
came from near and far alike to honor St. Nicholas. He offered special thanks to Fr. Eusebios
spiritual daughter Ms. Christina Chrysovergi for undertaking the initiative to organize the
pilgrimage from Stockholm, and congratulated all those who contributed to the ongoing
completion of the iconography in the hermitages chapel, while announcing that the
beautification of the hermitages surrounding yard will follow, along with the re-publication
of the ever-memorable Fr. Eusebios theological studies in Greek and Swedish.
The Metropolitan called on all those present to pray ceaselessly so that the hermitage
may soon be blessed to house a dedicated monastic brotherhood ensuring that this sacred
space will serve as a center of prayer and spiritual contemplation that will continually draw
the faithful to it.
The hermitage was established by the ever-memorable hieromonk Fr. EusebiosVittis
in 1973. Following his permanent return to Greece and falling asleep in the Lord, the
association of friends of the hermitage known as the Saint Nicholas Orthodox Brotherhood
undertook its maintenance. The hermitage was completely destroyed in a fire in October
2010, and when the new building was constructed, it remained empty until October 2014,
when it was transferred to the Holy Metropolis of Sweden, which undertook its complete
renovation and fully equipped it. This hermitage represents the first Greek Orthodox
monastery in all Scandinavia.

Photo credit: V. Rev. Alexander Loukatos, FotiniBatsela, Cosmas Plakou, and Michael
Agaiby.