Anogeia is a village that is no stranger to disasters. Twice in its history it was razed to the ground first by the Turks in 1866 and then in 1944 by the Germans. So it is more poignant that the Cretan village with a proud history of resistance should take time to pray for the victims of Australia’s bushfires.
On Tuesday morning, the people of Anogeia met at the church of St George to offer a doxology (short hymn of praise to God) of prayers for the people of Australia and called on God to end the bushfires.
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“Everything we can do through our prayer, our common prayer, we do here today at our church in Saint George in Meidan in Anogeia and this prayer travels to the Australian continent.
“For God to give to those who strive with divine, human power, so that the flames that burn human souls, the souls of forests and foliage, the lives and souls of our animal kingdom, cease to burn.Clear and become clouds in the sky.”
The people of Anogeia prayed for rain to douse the bushfires.
“So let our prayer unite … so that together we can help spiritually, as much as possible, to put an end to the mourning of our fellow men there in distant Australia.”