WILMINGTON, DE – [Story-photos by Steve Lambrou]
His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey on February 18 celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Wilmington, Delaware, which was filled with hundreds of GOYA members from throughout the Metropolis who were participating in the parish’s GOYA Basketball Tournament Weekend.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence tonsured five young men as Acolytes of the Orthodox Church and encouraged them to stay close to the Church and expressed his prayer that some of them will consider going to seminary and God-willing one day will serve as priests before the Holy Altar.
Afterwards, the Proistamenos of the parish, V. Rev. Christoforos Oikonomidis, along with the members of the Parish Council presented His Eminence with an engolpion of the Panagia in honor of his first visit to the parish as Metropolitan. The parish GOYA members then presented His Eminence with an icon of St. Nikitas in recognition of his love and support of the youth.
His Eminence and all the GOYA members then proceeded to the Church hall for the finals of the parish GOYA Basketball Tournament.
The girls’ team from Holy Trinity Wilmington finished in first place as did the boys JV team from St. Demetrios Upper Darby, PA.
