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Family Churches in Paros, An Everlasting Tradition

paros-churchThe island of Paros, one of the gems of Cyclades, that is famous for its natural beauties, the picturesque villages, the food and its night life, is also an asset to the religious touristic industry of Greece, since it is widely known as the island of the Panagia Ekatontapyliani church and the various monasteries that are spread all over the island.
Throughout the years, many visitors from Greece and the other Orthodox countries visit Panagia’s Church every August 15, the Madonna’s Assumption Day, in order to fulfill their religious duties in the traditional pilgrimage to the famous icon, that many still believe was painted by Apostle Luke.
However, the tourists strolling the meanders of the narrow streets of the island’s villages, or perambulating the countryside for a sight-seeing tour, are often astounded at the sight of the numerous churches that proliferate almost in every step, around every corner, in the middle of a field, on every hill and even at the more forlorn places. Many authors, who visited the island before WWII, have remarked at the time, that the island has more churches than proper houses.
Sometimes, the foreign visitors are even more astonished when they fall into a gathering of people for a mass in these churches, many of them too small to accommodate all the people inside. Adding more to their astonishment, these masses, concluded by Holy Communions, are not celebrated on Sunday, as should be the case, two or more of these masses are often accomplished at the same time in churches within a small distance from one another. Afterwards, to their liking and enjoyment, people are invited to join an unfamiliar custom for the ending of a religious ceremony, where treats and drinks are offered to those attending the mass — an improvised feast for the gathering that lasts for many hours and is a reminder of the original ‘Agape’ banquet of the first Christians.
Since there is a reason for everything, the tradition on the island of Paros dictates that every family, if possible, should found and maintain to its name a small church dedicated to a specific Saint — or to one of the many names of Madonna and Christ — within their property. Sometimes, the building of such a church corresponds to an offering promise, after a family ordeal the Saint or the Madonna helped them to overcome.
Each year on the Saint patron’s day, these small churches celebrate by organizing a vesper the afternoon before, and a mass on the proper day. The family’s task is to prepare the church for the big event, in which all family members and friends gather — who often travel around to attend other masses of the same Saint, on the same day, since the ceremonies are organized at different hours so that the priests and the people could make it to every celebrating premise.
To some extent, it is imperative for this custom to be followed by every generation, the newest members of the family when they marry and begin their new lives away from their parents often found their own family church. As a result, the number of the churches on the island is continuously multiplying, since even the newcomers adopt the custom.
Regardless of any modern deviation, the tradition abiding customs of Paros are being preserved so far, even by the youngest generations. Especially in the months of summer, when the days of important Saints are many and the weather is favorable to these gatherings, the masses in these small churches are plenty. It is a unique spectacle and strongly recommended to visitors on the island.
(Source: ANA-MPA)

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