The Akathist Hymn Service on the Fifth Friday of Lent was splendidly celebrated at Holy Resurrection Cathedral in the Holy Diocese of Jinja. With the blessings of Bishop Silvester of Jinja, titular Metropolitan Innocentios presided over the solemn Salutations to Theotokos on the evening of Friday, 04 April 2025. Metropolitan Innocentios was joined by Fr. Chrysostom Koolya, the Vicar General, and Fr. Emmanuel Kungo, in chanting the entire 24 stanzas.
In his remarks, Metropolitan Innocentios thanked Bishop Silvester for allowing him to lead the service, during which the faithful heard again the gentle words spoken by the Archangel to the Virgin Mary. He also expressed gratitude to the priests who served alongside him and urged the faithful to remember this sacred day. “Always hold it within your hearts, as we rejoice in spirit together with the Theotokos”, the hierarch said.
Conveying greetings and heartfelt thanks from Bishop Silvester, Father Chrysostom expressed deep gratitude to Metropolitan Innocentios for making the day truly memorable. “It was a wondrous and divine mystery that the Creator chose to dwell within the womb of His own creation, the Virgin Mary”, he said. “Therefore, let us, like the Archangel Gabriel, ever offer our salutation to the Theotokos, and proclaim: ‘Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride”, the Vicar General concluded.
The Akathist Hymn service holds a special place in the Lenten journey, observed with reverence over the first four Fridays of Great Lent, chanted in parts each week. On the fifth Friday, it is sung in its entirety, filling the hearts of the faithful with deep devotion.
This sacred hymn has a unique and intricate structure. Before the Akathist begins, a Canon is offered— a beautiful collection of hymns that exalt the faith, purity, and divine role of the Virgin Mary. The hymn itself is composed of 24 stanzas, each beginning with a successive letter of the Greek alphabet, forming a poetic tapestry of praise.
The first twelve stanzas recount sacred events in history—chief among them, the Annunciation and the early life of Christ, drawing the soul into the story of salvation. The remaining twelve stanzas turn from history to theology, offering reflections on the mystery and meaning of those divine events. Each even-numbered stanza concludes with the joyful exclamation: Alleluia! —a word of praise echoing throughout the service.
The name “Akathist” comes from the Greek akathistos ( Ἀκάθιστος), meaning “not seated,” for this is a hymn of such reverence that it is traditionally offered while standing, a gesture of honor before the Most Holy Theotokos.
