THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 28TH OF OCTOBER 1940 AT THE PATRIARCHAL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY SION
On the evening of Friday, the 15th/28th of October 2016, the National Day of the 28th of October 1940 was celebrated at the events halls of the Holy Sion Patriarchal Hieratical School.
His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, honoured the ceremony with His presence. He was accompanied by the Chairman of the School Board, Elder Sacristan, Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis, and the Acting Dragoman, Archimandrite Mathew; the Patriarchal Commissioner, Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, the Elder Secretary-General, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Metropolitan Joachim of Zambia and other Hagiotaphite Fathers; the Greek Consul General to Jerusalem, Mr Christos Sofianopoulos, and members of the Greek Consulate; NTUA Professor, Ms Antonia Moropolou and members of the Greek parish.
The ceremony was organized by the Principal, Mr Nikolaos Souliotis, who opened the event with an address. Mr Andreas Demetriou, on behalf of the teaching staff, delivered the panegyric speech for the day.
In addition to the speeches, the programme of the event included an essay titled “The contribution of the Church to the struggle for liberation” by student Constantinos Stamou; a message by Archbishop Damascene of Athens on the occasion of the anniversary, songs, poems and the National Anthem.
The overall content of the programme conveyed the message of the self-sacrifice and unanimity of the Greek people, the bravery of our ancestors who fought during the period between 1940-1944 in order to support the “No” proclaimed by Metaxas, and rid the nation of the Italian and German occupation, allow it to live by the principles of its national and religious tradition, democracy and Orthodoxy, heal its wounds and create structures of life that touch on prosperity, fit for human life.
On the conclusion of the ceremony, Patriarch Theophilos and the Greek Consul praised teachers and students alike on paying tribute to the message of the day, a message of hope, resurrection and progress, made possible through our ancestors’ sacrifice and bravery.
From the Secretariat-General
httpv://youtu.be/v0_lf2LEKRg