Bartholomew conducts mass in Cappadocia

Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew has reopened a recently renovated church that used to serve local Greeks in Mustafapaşa in the Central Anatolian province of Nevsehir’s Urgup district. Following the reopening of the Aios Nichole Monastery, the patriarch conducted a spring Mass that featured readings from the Bible, prayers and hymns. Some 400 people, mainly from Athens and Istanbul, attended the Mass, which lasted about two hours. Special permission was required to hold the ceremony at the monastery, whose restoration was recently completed. Cappadocia is a region in which important clergymen and holy personalities were born and raised starting from the earliest periods of Christianity, Bartholomew said after the Mass. The patriarch also said the restoration of Aios Nichole Monastery had added a significant value to regional tourism. "I thank the mayor of Mustafapasa, Levent Ak, for inviting us for the opening of this historic monastery. I also want to thank other officials who led the way on the restoration work. They have added a new historic, touristic location to their region. Cappadocia draws us to itself with its spiritual atmosphere that leads you to peace," he said.