Diocese of Servia and Kozani
Encyclopedia
The Holy Diocese of Servia and Kozani is an Orthodox Christian
diocese
located in West Macedonia
, Greece
, with the bishop's seat at Kozani. Its archdeaconries include the cities of Kozani
, Aiani
, Drepano, Krokos
, Servia and Velvendos. The current Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Servia and Kozani is His Beatitude Pavlos.
. An Ancient Greek
marble tombstone was found having the inscription: "...προεδρίαν έλαχεν τη Εκκλησία Καισάρων πόλεως Μακεδόνιος έστιν ούτος ανήρ τα παντ’ εύφημος ος Επισκοπήσας έτη εν μήνα ένα του τήδε βίου εκδημήσας μηνί Ιανουαρίω ΚΓ′ Ινδικτιώνος ΙΑ′ προς Θεόν ενεδήμησεν...". Archaeologists infer that the tombstone was written in the 5th century and that the Bishopric of Caesarea was established in the 4th century, when persecution against Christians ceased.
The Bishopric of Caesarea was moved to Servia from the 9th century onwards. It is Leo VI the Wise
who first mentions the new "Bishopric of Servia", which kept its name until 1745. The seat was then moved to Kozani
and the title was changed to Bishopric of Servia and Kozani being under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Thessalonica. In 1882 the bishopric was promoted to a Holy Diocese and from then has been under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
.
In 1923, when Greek refugees
from Asia Minor
fled to Kozani
, the House of the Diocese was used as a hospital and temporary shelter. During the German occupation of Greece (1941-44) the House of the Diocese was occupied by German troops and much of its historical archive was destroyed or lost.
The local saints of the Diocese are Blessed Theodora
and Blessed Varadatos.
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
located in West Macedonia
West Macedonia
West Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Greek Macedonia. It is divided into the regional units of Florina, Grevena, Kastoria, and Kozani.-Geography:...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, with the bishop's seat at Kozani. Its archdeaconries include the cities of Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
, Aiani
Aiani
Aiani or Kalliani is a town and a former municipality in the Kozani peripheral unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kozani, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies 20 km south of Kozani city...
, Drepano, Krokos
Krokos
Krokos is a small Greek town of 5.000 inhabitants, only 5 km south of the city of Kozani. It was the seat of the municipality of Elimeia. Krokos has a modern telecommunications infrastructure, including broadband internet availability by means of ADSL....
, Servia and Velvendos. The current Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Servia and Kozani is His Beatitude Pavlos.
History
It was first mentioned in the fifth century as the Bishopric of Caesarea under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of LarissaLarissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
. An Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
marble tombstone was found having the inscription: "...προεδρίαν έλαχεν τη Εκκλησία Καισάρων πόλεως Μακεδόνιος έστιν ούτος ανήρ τα παντ’ εύφημος ος Επισκοπήσας έτη εν μήνα ένα του τήδε βίου εκδημήσας μηνί Ιανουαρίω ΚΓ′ Ινδικτιώνος ΙΑ′ προς Θεόν ενεδήμησεν...". Archaeologists infer that the tombstone was written in the 5th century and that the Bishopric of Caesarea was established in the 4th century, when persecution against Christians ceased.
The Bishopric of Caesarea was moved to Servia from the 9th century onwards. It is Leo VI the Wise
Leo VI the Wise
Leo VI, surnamed the Wise or the Philosopher , was Byzantine emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty , he was very well-read, leading to his surname...
who first mentions the new "Bishopric of Servia", which kept its name until 1745. The seat was then moved to Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
and the title was changed to Bishopric of Servia and Kozani being under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Thessalonica. In 1882 the bishopric was promoted to a Holy Diocese and from then has been under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
.
In 1923, when Greek refugees
Greek refugees
Greek refugees is a collective term used to refer to the Greeks from Asia Minor who were evacuated or relocated in Greece following the Treaty of Lausanne and the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey...
from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
fled to Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
, the House of the Diocese was used as a hospital and temporary shelter. During the German occupation of Greece (1941-44) the House of the Diocese was occupied by German troops and much of its historical archive was destroyed or lost.
Monasteries
There are 5 monasteries in the Diocese:- Holy Trinity at Lariou (male)
- St. Antony at Kastania of Servia (male)
- St. Nektarios at Palaiogratsano (male)
- Holy Theotokos at Zidani (female)
- Holy Trinity at Velvendos (female)
The local saints of the Diocese are Blessed Theodora
Theodora of Arta
Theodora Petraliphaina , canonized as Saint Theodora of Arta , was a consort of Epirus and an Orthodox Christian saint.- Life :Her life is known mostly from a short hagiography written by the monk Job, sometimes identified with the late-13th century cleric Job Iasites...
and Blessed Varadatos.