The city of Agioi Saranda celebrated its patron saint, Saint Charalambos, with great pomp

The patron saint of the Saints of Saranda, Saint Charalambos, was celebrated with splendid religious events on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 February 2026.

On the eve, Metropolitan Nathanael of Gjirokastër presided over Great Vespers with the consecration of bread, flanked by priests of his Metropolis. During his sermon, he referred to the life of Saint Charalambos, which, as he emphasized, should not leave our own lives unaffected.

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Before the end of Vespers, a litany took place in the streets around the church, with His Eminence leading the devout procession, carrying a piece of the relic and the icon of Saint Charalambos.

The celebration culminated on the day of the feast, where a divine service was celebrated in the magnificent church of the same name, built from the foundations by the late Archbishop of Albania Anastasios, officiated by the Metropolitan of Gjirokaster.

It should be noted that the church of Saint Charalambos in Drymades, Himara, also celebrated.

As emphasized in the sermons, Saint Charalambos reached martyrdom for Christ with a heart pure from wickedness, with hands clean from injustice, with a tongue clean from falsehood. Before Christ welcomed him, he had welcomed Christ.

This was the life of Saint Charalambos. Can we have a similar life and be Christians with Christ in our hearts?

Probably not, since one Christian deceives another and we do not have the straightforwardness and sincerity of faith of Saint Charalambos.

And why don't we have the sincerity and straightforwardness of faith of Saint Charalambos? Because of the stubborn egoism, which was completely absent from the character of the martyr.