Eighth National Meeting of
the Orthodox and Catholic Church in Belgium
on the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius
in the Cathedral of Hasselt on May 10th , 2013
Every year since 2006 a national Ecumenical Gathering of the Orthodox and Catholic Church is organized in Belgium. This meeting takes place the day before the feast of the Saints Kyrillos and Methodios, celebrated in the Orthodox Church on May 11th. In the Catholic church the memory of those Saints is celebrated on February 14th.
In the ninth century Kyrillos and Methodios were sent out by the patriarch of Constantinople to evangelize the Slavic peoples. The Orthodox en Roman Catholic Church were already separated but they accomplished their missionary activities in unity with the Church of Rome and had an important influence on liturgical en cultural level.
This Ecumenical Gathering of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church is a sign of mutual recognition of their status as Sister Churches. It is an experience of prayer for unity and also a common witness of the Orthodox and Catholic Church in Belgium.
This year, the meeting took place in the Cathedral of Hasselt with vespers, preceded by Bishop Patrick Hoogmartens and a lecture about the protection of the environment by the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras Peckstadt, orthodox bishop of Sinope.
Bishop Patrick Hoogmartens in charge of the diocese of Hasselt and host of this meeting with Sister Lutgart Fidelers who, with the team of the "House of Abraham" and others was involved in the organisation of this gathering.
Version imprimable 