With flag bearers from Oakleigh Grammar, Aetolian College (St. Andrew’s Forest Hill Branch), Zenon Greek School, and dancers from the Cypriot Community and the Pegasus Dance Academy participating, the National Memorial for Archbishop Kyprianos of Cyprus was held on Sunday, led by Father Nikolaos Georgiou at the Presentation of the Virgin Mary Church in North Balwyn. The memorial honoured Archbishop Kyprianos, Bishops Chrysanthos of Paphos, Meletios of Kition, and Lavrentios of Kyrenia, along with clergy and laypeople who were hanged in Nicosia on July 9, 1821.
Present at the event were the Deputy High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Stavros Nikolaou; the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanouil Kakavelakis; Boroondara City Councillor, Nikolaos Stavrou; Dr. Spyridoula Dimitriou, representing the Greek Community of Melbourne; Antonis Tsourdalakis, President of the Union of Communities and Parishes; Natasa Spanou, Chair of the Battle of Crete and Greece Committee; Steve Kyritsis, President of the Australian Hellenic Memorial; Presidents of Cypriot Organisations Theo Theofanous of the Cypriot Community, iannis Christou of the Northern Suburbs, Sotiris Stylianou of St. Andrew Sunshine, Andreas Christodoulou of the Parents and Youth of Sunshine, and Pavlos Andronikos of the Coordinating Committee of the Cypriot Struggle.
Archbishop Kyprianos of Cyprus was a dynamic figure highly esteemed on the island. At great personal risk, he worked tirelessly to protect the rights and safety of Cypriots, which ultimately made him a target of the Turkish Pasha.
Despite knowing his imminent execution, the revered bishop chose to stay, preserving the dignity of the Greek people and facing death as an offering to his nation and congregation.
Following his execution, the tragic scenes continued. Death sentences increased, the island was deserted, and thousands of Greek Cypriots, with the help of foreign consuls, fled the island, leading to demographic erosion.
The supreme sacrifice of the clergy and laypeople on July 9, 1821, underscores Cyprus’ participation in national struggles, as the fates and sufferings of Greece and Cyprus are intertwined in their unchanging vision of freedom.
Father Nikolaos spoke to the congregation about the selflessness of the great bishop, while Theofanous and Andronikos gave detailed speeches during the following meal.
The High Commissioner and the Consul General of Greece delivered moving messages ahead of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the illegal occupation of 37 per cent of Cypriot territory.
The Organising Committee and SEKA thank the parents and teachers of the students who, during their vacation, illuminated the National Memorial with their participation.
On Sunday, July 21, at 2 pm, a large Protest Gathering is scheduled at Federation Square in the city, with speakers and a program referencing the hot summer of 1974 and what needs to be done now for a free Cyprus where all residents live in harmony and peace.
In these challenging times, let us remember the words of Cyprus’ National Poet, Vasilis Michailidis: “Hellenism is a race that time cannot wipe out. No one has ever been able to erase it because God always protects it. Hellenism will only vanish when the world ceases to exist.”
