The Consecration ceremony for the start of the restoration and construction of the new children’s camps of the Diocese of Nea Ionia, Philadelphia, Heraklion and Chalkidonos, in Sfendali, Malakasa, was attended today by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos.

During the greeting addressed by His Beatitude, he pointed out that today’s inauguration is an optimistic message, that we are partners and not rivals, and underlined that our hope is “cooperation, solidarity, one helping the other”. Finally, he referred to all the camps, but also to the institutions of the Church and wished us all together hand in hand to help, so that we can overcome the difficulties.

The Consecration Service was performed by Metropolitan Gavriil of N. Ionia in the presence of, among others, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Ilio, Acharna and Petropolis, as pastor of the region, the general director of EKYO, Archimandrite Nikodimos Farmakis, the Regional Governor of Attica, George Patoulis, the Deputy Regional Governor of Finance Attica, Nikos Peppas, the mayor of Nea Philadelphia, Yannis Vouros, and clergy of the Metropolis. The Archbishop was accompanied by the general hierarchal commissioner, Archimandrite Iakovos Andriopoulos.

Metropolitan N. Ionias Gabriel thanked those who were present and especially those who contributed to the acquisition and creation of the structure and referred to the implementation of the project, while he emphasized that a space will be created where children will get to know faith, principles, traditions and what they make up the identity of the New Greek. Finally, he spoke about the cooperation with the competent authorities and the Region of Attica.

George Patoulis, for his part, spoke of the significant long-term effort of the Archdiocese and the Metropolitans of Attica in the face of the difficulties of fellow citizens and underlined that the Region adds a small stone to this effort.