The President of Georgia – Mikheil Saakashvili attended the Christmas liturgy at the Gelati Monastery of St. Mary. The holiday liturgy was presented by the Metropolitan Bishop Kalistrate. The Bishop blessed the President and wished him success in the process of rebuilding the country and gave him an icon of David the Builder and Gelati honey as symbolic gifts.

“We have witnessed happiness today and I would like to thank Jesus Christ, who was born today, for sending a person, who is building, protecting, and overlooking Georgia like an eagle. I would like to give you this sweetness from Gelati because you have taken care of this fallen city” – said Bishop Kalistrate to the President.

Mikheil Saakashvili congratulated the parish gathered at the Gelati Monastery on the brilliant holiday of Christmas and once again noted that the process of rehabilitating Kutaisi will continue even more intensively.