TRABZON (AA) - August 15, 2012 - The third Greek Orthodox religious service at Sumela Monastery in northeast Turkey hosted 300 visitors on Wednesday.
After 88 years, the first mass at Sumela was held in 2010.
The service --marking the Assumption of Mother Mary, a sacred day for Christians--was led by Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew and alongside him there were several other clerics.
Nearly 300 visitors and Bartholomew prayed after the hymns.
Speaking in Greek and Turkish, Bartholomew said that to be at the Sumela was a precious experience for believers and clerics and said, "We grew up just listening to our eldest about Sumela, we prayed from far away however now the God heard us and we are glad that we can come to Sumela and pray. We thank Turkish government, Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkish EU Ministry, municipality of Macka and people of Macka for their contributions to the mass."
