The President of the Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, addressed a greeting to the 43rd Folk Dance and Choral Festival of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco.
In his greeting, Mr. Pavlopoulos congratulated “this, literally, emblematic gathering of young people at the Folk Dance and Choral Festival of the Metropolis of San Francisco,” and he stressed that he knows “the success of this pastoral work, which already counts 43 years”. He also added: “I also want congratulate His Eminency Metropolitan Gerasimos for his administration and all the clergy and believers who worked to organize this remarkable event dedicated to the celebration of our Orthodox faith and our Greek culture”.
“Every important effort, such as this, starts from the base,” noted Pavlopoulos, adding: “The people in your parishes, your priests, the parents and members of the Community are those who have supported and cultivated these programs and have instilled in the younger generation the pride of their religious and ancestral heritage. What you have been doing for the last 43 years has positively influenced the next generation, which recognizes the importance of maintaining our faith and educating young people based on the values and ideals of our ancestors.”
Mr. Pavlopoulos also stressed that “people’s work is what makes it possible to carry out the Folk Dance Festival” and that “the annual initiative of these communities is what makes possible the gathering of an unprecedented number of people to celebrate the spiritual and, above all, the cultural wealth of our past, present and future.”
Source: ANA-MPA
