Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was warmly welcomed by the Imvrian diaspora in Sydney and New South Wales during a special dinner in his honour on Friday.
Speaking with deep emotion, he praised the resilience of the Imvrians in Australia, acknowledging how they overcame hardships and persecution, bringing with them the culture, ethics, and deep faith of Romiosini to their new homeland.
“Despite the difficulties and persecution, they prospered and progressed, bringing to their new country the culture, dignity, ethics, and faith of Romiosini, which they now pass on to future generations with reverence before God,” said the Patriarch. His words resonated with the crowd of expatriate Imvrians gathered at the event, which was held in the hall of the Holy Euphemia Parish in Bankstown, Sydney.
Upon his arrival at the church, Patriarch Bartholomew, accompanied by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, venerated the icon of St. Euphemia and her holy relic, a treasured gift from the late Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in the 1960s, shortly after the parish was founded. Young members of the community greeted him with flowers and chanted.
The gathering, coordinated by Father Panagiotis Mavrommatis, featured traditional Greek dances in honor of the Patriarch. Speeches followed, including from Christos Spyropoulos, president of the Holy Euphemia Parish, and representatives of the Imvrian community. Notably, donations of $10,000 and $5,000 were announced by Spyropoulos and Nicholas Madouris, respectively, to support the operation of Greek schools on Imvros.
In his speech, Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his joy at the reopening of Greek schools on Imvros after nearly half a century, noting with pride that the island now has its first-ever high school, with over 50 students attending this year. He stressed the importance of preserving the Imvrian spirit, customs, and traditions among the diaspora youth, urging them to stay connected to their heritage.
“Continue the good fight to safeguard Romiosini’s legacy—its faith, language, ethics, and memory of Imvros,” he said, while also encouraging his compatriots to remain close to the Church, their “spiritual mother and nurturer of the Greek nation.”
The Patriarch’s return to Holy Euphemia after 28 years was an emotional moment for him, as was the reunion with his fellow Imvrians. He concluded his address with an invitation to the diaspora: “Visit the Phanar whenever you have the opportunity, and return to Imvros to demonstrate your continued connection to our island. Bring your children, too, so they remain linked to their roots.”
Others attending the event included members of the Patriarch’s delegation, bishops of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and prominent figures such as Metropolitan Cyril of Imvros and Tenedos, and Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis.
