Archbishop Makarios of Australia blessed the New Year’s Vasilopita of the Association of Rethymnians of Attica “TO ARKADI,” as the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
At the annual event of the historic Association, which took place on Saturday, 7 February, at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, those in attendance included Bishop Athinagoras of Canberra, Bishop Barnabas of Christoupolis, Protosyncellus of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, and Bishop Theologos of Talantion; the Vice President of the Hellenic Government, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis; the Minister of Tourism, Ms. Olga Kefalogianni, representing the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis; Member of Parliament Mr. Evangelos Apostolakis; the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Mr. Georgios Didaskalou; the Deputy Mayor for Culture of the Municipality of Rethymno, Mr. Emmanouil Tsakonas; the Ambassador of Australia to Greece, Her Excellency Ms. Alison Duncan; and many other representatives of the political and business world, culture and academia, as well as members and friends of the Rethymnians Association of Attica.
During the splendid event, Archbishop Makarios conveyed to all present, and especially to the President and Archon Nomophylax of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Mr. Georgios Vlatakis, the Patriarchal greetings and blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is also the Honorary President of the Association “TO ARKADI.”
The Archbishop also warmly thanked Mr. Vlatakis for the honourable invitation and congratulated him for the significant work he carries out together with his collaborators on behalf of the expatriate Rethymnians of Attica. Addressing his fellow Cretans, he urged them: “Never forget that in your veins flows the blood of Heroes who struggled for our freedom and the blood of Saints who struggled for our faith.”
On behalf of the Association, the President warmly welcomed the Archbishop of Australia and dedicated to him two mantinades (Cretan couplets) which he himself composed: “Appear, good Despot, to bless us / with your right hand to grant us a blessed New Year,” and “You come from Australia, and the honour is great / and the Rethymnians receive a blessed grace.” A short video dedicated to the six-year Archiepiscopal ministry of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios on the fifth continent was also shown, after which President Mr. Vlatakis awarded him an honorary medal on behalf of the Association. The official commendatory resolution was presented to the Archbishop by Minister Ms. Olga Kefalogianni. Furthermore, Mr. Vlatakis and his family, as well as members of the Association’s Board, offered commemorative gifts to the honoured Hierarch.
The evening included another moving moment for Archbishop Makarios: a choir of twenty final-year students of the Rizareios Ecclesiastical School performed hymns in honour of the Archbishop, who had once studied there.
The Association “TO ARKADI” also honoured Professor Georgios Kymionis, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Athens and founder of the “Ophthalmic Tissue Bank,” and named Academician Ms. Antonia Trichopoulou as “Personality of the Year” for her efforts to preserve and promote the Mediterranean diet worldwide. In addition, Academic Mr. Christoforos Charalambakis was proclaimed Lifetime Honorary President of the Association, while young men and women, children of members of the Rethymnians Association of Attica who excelled and gained admission to institutions of Higher Education during the past year, were also awarded.
Within the framework of the grand event, a video was presented highlighting the recent honorary distinction of the Rethymnians Association of Attica by the Academy of Athens. The evening was further embellished by the presence of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens, which performed the New Year’s carols and festive songs, and the Folklore–Dance Group “CRETANS,” under Mr. Georgios Petrakis, which presented traditional Cretan dances.
Finally, it is worth noting that, inaugurating the commemorative events marking the 160th anniversary of the Holocaust of the Holy Monastery of Arkadi (1866–2026), the historic Association “TO ARKADI” presented a selected musical excerpt from the tetralogy “Erotokritos – The Haunted – Captain Michalis – Eleftherios Venizelos” by Mr. Dimitrios Maramis, as a prelude to its official presentation at the Athens Concert Hall on 28 March 2026. The composer Mr. Maramis performed at the piano an excerpt from Captain Michalis, while Ms. Angeliki Toubanaki offered a captivating vocal performance.
