AHEPA NSW Inc held a solemn tribute event on Sunday, December 18 at AHEPA NSW Hall in Rockdale, Sydney to mark the centenary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
The event was attended by a number of special VIP guests including the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis; His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis; Mayor of Georges River Council, Councillor Nick Katris; and the AHEPA NSW President, Bill Skandalakis; among many others.
Official proceedings began on the day with the Bishop performing a commemorative prayer for the victims of the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
This was followed by a number of speeches by the Mr Mallikourtis and AHEPA NSW Secretary, Panayiotis Diamantis.
Mr Diamantis emphasised that people have an obligation to not only remember the causes of the Catastrophe, but also the names of the protagonists.
At the conclusion of these speeches, the recent artwork by artist, Angela Konstantinopoulou, was unveiled. The painting, called Smyrne Ablaze, depicts the tragic events in Asia Minor. A poem by the same title and written by Eleni Elefterias was also read aloud on the night.
The event concluded with singer Lucy Miller performing a tribute to the Catastrophe with a combination of singing and a theatrical performance of the song Uprooted. The lyrics and performance gave insight into the tragic experience of mothers who went searching their lost children.
*Words and photos made possible by Christine Stavropoulos.
