October 26th:St.Demetrios and The Liberation of Thessaloniki (1912)

God, who gave you invincible power 
and with care kept your city invulnerable, 
royally clothed the Church in purple 
with the streams of your blood, 
for you are her strength, O Demetrios.

A bif festive day today. We celebrate St.Demetrios, the patron saint of the northern city of Thessaloniki. The city also celebrates its liberation from the Turks on October 26th, 1912.
The saint has many times called upon by the people to pledge to God for the protection of his native city. In his icon we can see one of his many miracles, his victory over the Bulgarian agressors in 1207.

May we always have his blessing and protection.