Patriarch Youssef
Visit to Slovakia 2011
Visit of H.B. Patriarch Gregorios III to Slovakia
27-30 May 2011
As Spiritual Protector of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, H.B. Patriarch Gregorios III was invited to Bratislava, Slovakia (27-30 May 2011.)
On 27 May he was welcomed by the Mayor of Bratislava, Dr. Milan Ftonik. He then gave a talk: the Greek Catholic Church and Peace. The future is meeting, trusting and building bridges in a divided world.
At 5: 30p.m. the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Peter Rusnok of the Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bratislava, with a Vigil for postulants to the Order of St. Lazarus. His Beatitude presided from the throne.
On 28 May, at 5p.m. the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Martin by His Beatitude, together with Bishop Peter Rusnok, Bishop Milan Chautur of Kovice and some twenty priests, during which the Ceremonial Investiture of the Order took place for Knights and Dames of the recently inaugurated Grand Bailiwick of Slovakia headed by Chev. Ing. Zdenek Tomok, the Grand Priory of Hungary, the Grand Priory of Germany, and the Grand Bailiwick of the Czech Republic.
St. Martin’s Cathedral
This was followed by a Gala Dinner in the Carlton Hotel.
The Carlton
On Sunday, 29 May, His Beatitude baptized the child Stella Torok, daughter of the Chancellor for the Slovak Jurisdiction, Chev. Norbert Torok.
At 10: 30a.m., His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, with its Bishop Peter Rusnok concelebrating.
On 30 May, His Beatitude left Slovakia for Lebanon.
V. C.