LONDON — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided at the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, at the Cathedral of the Wisdom of God in Bayswater.
The service fell on the feast of Saint Niketas the Great Martyr of the Goths, the name day of Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain.
In his address, the Patriarch congratulated Archbishop Nikitas and expressed satisfaction with the work being carried out in the Archdiocese, saying: “We esteem you, we love you, we trust you.”
Archbishop Nikitas had earlier greeted the Patriarch with words of devotion and respect.
At the close of the Liturgy, the Patriarch conferred the office of Archon Orphanotrophos on Panagiotis Gikas, an orthopaedic surgeon. He praised Gikas’s selfless service to those who suffer and noted that “scientific expertise has not been separated from virtue.”
Later, the Patriarch blessed a festive luncheon hosted by Archbishop Nikitas. Guests included leaders of other churches, Christian confessions, and religious communities in London. The Patriarch offered a greeting to those present and again extended good wishes to the Archbishop.
Photo: Nikos Papachristou
