Orthodox Community in Frankfurt Announces Memorial Service
In all places of worship, Liturgy and memorial services are celebrated; believers are invited to bring names of the deceased as well as kollyva and wine.
On Saturday, February 14, the Serbian Orthodox community in Frankfurt observes memorial days for the deceased (Zaduschniza). In all three worship locations of the community, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:00 AM, followed by memorial services (Parastos) and communal prayers for the departed. The faithful are invited to bring kollyva (wheat offering), wine, and name lists of their deceased relatives, friends, and benefactors. This was reported by the Frankfurt community on Instagram.
The memorial days hold special spiritual significance in the Orthodox faith. On these days, the Church gathers for communal prayer for the souls of the deceased, thereby confessing its hope in the resurrection and eternal life. The offered kollyva is considered a symbol of resurrection, in reference to the Gospel word about the grain of wheat that must die to bear fruit.
Zaduschniza is simultaneously a day of remembrance and hope. The Church emphasizes that death is not the end, but a transition into eternity, and that love for the deceased continues to live on in prayer. The communal intercession is meant to make visible the Church's unity beyond death and to remind the faithful of life's transience as well as the importance of repentance, forgiveness, and Christian love.
Previously, UOJ reported that the patronal feast and jubilee were celebrated at the Three Saints Podvorye in Paris.
