THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN The oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside VEMA Greece FEBRUARY 2011 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: [email protected] CCAALLLLEEDD TTOO BBEE SSAAIINNTTSS!! THE ROLES OF THE LIVES OF SAINTS IN NURTURING CHILDREN PAGE 3/21 BISHOP IAKOVOS ORDAINED

Opening of the Law IN SYDNEY Term Service in NSW His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos First Australian-born Bishop conducted the Service for the Opening of the Law Term 2011 in NSW, on Tuesday 8 February, at the Cathedral of the ‘Annunciation of our Lady’. of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese PAGE 5/23

Greek Culture, Why? Why do most Greek Australians want their children to learn Greek? What is the reason?

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$216,640.80 for the flood victims of Queensland through the Special Collection of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia for the “Queensland Flood Appeal” FULL STORY ON PAGE 12/30 PAGE 17/35 The Greek Australian VEMA FEBRUARY 2011 2/20 TO BHMA

Larrikin’s future is packed for success

By Bianca Martins he wanted to do when he grew up. And without hesitation Houvardas “Wadda Wadda Wincha”. That’s the replied “an actor”. saying that made former Belmore All Houvardas graduated from high Saints Grammar student and Packed school in 2000 and spent four years to the Rafters star George Houvar- studying construction at Ultimo TAFE das famous. before working as a builder for five But the 29 year-old, who plays years. Nick “Carbo” Karandonis on the During that time he also continued show, is more that just a larrikin. to help out with the family business, Popular for his contagious sense Piano Café in McMahons Point, which of humour, which brings out his he and his two brothers Steven and The Allied Forces cemetery in Souda, Crete Greek nature, Houvardas is proud of Anthony run. He said during his his heritage. schooling and construction days, he He attended All Saints Grammar was there every weekend. Major turnout School in Belmore, despite living on But at the age of 25, he decided to the North Shore. pursue his dream and attend film George Houvardas “My parents wanted me to learn school Screenwise at Surry Hills. anticipated more Greek so they sent me there “It did not have one drama course “I was there for one year, doing a because it was Greek Orthodox,” he at all. We did a couple of plays but part-time course, while I was still for Battle of Crete said. that was it, he said. doing building and was offered a “I had a lot of good times there”. His school principal at the time role in Packed to the Rafters,” he 70th anniversary Despite being part of the first year and year 2 and 3 teacher, Anthony said. 12 class to graduate, drama was not Tsoutsa, said when Houvardas ar- Canterbury Bankstown Express commemoration part of the school curriculum. rived in year 2, he asked him what (8/2/2011)

A large number of Greek Australians and Australians plan to visit Greece in May to attend events commem- Ancient warship at the ready orating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Crete. According to reports, the Cretans of Australia are She is described as the fastest human-powered sea planning a “mass incursion” on Crete to attend the 70th vessel ever constructed, and yet today the Olympias is anniversary commemorations, as well as a large num- going nowhere fast - unless, that is, a group of Greek ber of Australians whose ancestors fought in the stra- American business leaders has something to say about tegic battle during WWII. it. A series of commemorative events will be held on The wooden vessel, known as a trireme, is a full-scale Crete in May with the customary participation of war replica of a 5th century BC Athenian warship. Powered veterans from Greece, Australia, New Zealand and by 170 oarsmen, the trireme features three tiers of row- Britain. ers. It was this type of galley that was instrumental in The Battle of Crete began on the morning of May 20, saving Athens in the Battle of Salamis in 480BC. 1941 when German forces launched an unprecedented Currently unseaworthy, the Olympias is collecting dust airborne invasion of Crete, code-named “Merkur”. The in a dry dock at the naval park at Trocadero in Neo operation was successful in that it wrested control of Faliro. This is where a group of Greek American mar- the island from Allied forces, although the victory was itime enthusiasts steps in by raising money for repairs so costly in terms of paratrooper casualties that the to the galley and recruiting 170 oarsmen and women This is the trireme, a full-scale replica Wehrmacht never again attempted a major airborne from rowing clubs across the United States and Canada. of a 5th century BC Athenian warship operation. The stiff resistance by ANZAC troops and local Cre- Anchors aweigh the OpSail tall ships event in New York, billed as the tans is also credited, by many historians, with delaying If all goes according to plan, the Olympias will sail yet largest gathering of vessels in peacetime and part of a the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. again, this time for New York City. spectacular Independence Day display. (ANA) Behind the ambitious project is Markos Marinakis, a The galley will also be put on display at the South Greek American from the island of Chios. The former Street Seaport in New York, where the Titanic memorial seaman now runs a marine chartering company in New lighthouse stands at the entrance. Greeks work longest York. “It’s actually the city’s maritime museum,” Marinakis “I established the non-profit organisation called says. “It’s at the lower tip of Manhattan and the foot of hours in Europe Trireme in New York City Inc,” Marinakis, the group’s Wall Street. The boat will be there to be viewed by the chairman, tells the Athens News in a telephone inter- public and schools. She will also sail up and down the view. Hudson River in preparation for Independence Day.” The replica was built in the mid-1980s and was fi- Citing Eurostat figures, the Wall Street Journal article “I decided to get involved and organise it because it’s nanced by the Hellenic Navy. Historian John Morrison noted that bailed-out Greeks in particular have the something that promotes relations between Greece and and naval architect John Coates worked on the project. longest working week in Europe at an average of 42 the United States.” In 1988, the Olympias reached a speed of nine knots, or hours, followed closely by the Spanish and Portuguese The group has obtained permission from the Greek about 17kph. with 39-hour weeks. government - the ministry of defence, he added. “I had the honour of speaking to Coates a couple of Among supposedly hard-working northerners, by “We are now trying to organise ourselves,” Marinakis times,” says Marinakis. “He told me once that this [ship] contrast, the Dutch work just 31 hours a week on aver- says. “Our organisation has a very respectable board of is unsinkable.” age while the Germans have a 36-hour week. directors. They are mostly waterfront people in America, The problem, the article claims, is not that the work- such as the chairman of the American Bureau of Ship- Remaking ancient history ers in the South don’t work hard enough but that their ping.” The trireme was damaged during her voyage to and productivity is lower in relation to those in the north. The non-profit organisation needs an estimated $3 from Britain in 1993. The Greek navy paid for repairs in Greeks produce less than 18.5 euros per work hour, million. According to Marinakis, the repairs will cost 1996. the Spanish just 24.4 euros per hour and the Por- $100,000. The purchase of the oars alone will cost about One year later, the navy decided the ship should be tuguese only 13.8 euros per hour. By contrast, the Dutch $150,000. grounded and put on public exhibit at the Naval Park in produce 39.5 euros per work hour and the Germans “We have a very well-worked budget,” he said. “We Trocadero. In 2002, the vessel was repaired again at no 38.7 euros per work hour. have a board member who owns cranes and tugboats charge by the Elefsina Shipyard. The writer of the article said the difference lies in su- who will donate his services - that’s saving us In 2004, the trireme participated in Olympic Games perior technology and infrastructure, rather than indus- $180,000.” celebrations at the port of Piraeus. After the Games, the try or even training, and suggests the solution to the navy decided that it was too expensive to repair and problems is to attract multinationals with cutting edge New York, New York maintain the ship. She was put in storage. technology. The plan is for a maiden voyage to the United States, with the Olympias setting sail in March 2012, in time for Athens News FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21 Editorial

The silent majority By Alexis Papachelas (Kathimerini) is in charge of this country today or who will be in charge of this country tomorrow. The real question is whether this country can indeed be governed even by the most Greece has entered an extremely difficult phase. Worse still, it is constantly flirting powerful and skilled ruler. The PASOK government has issued strong-worded state- with self-destruction. ments and announced new, stricter measures but it is helpless when faced with this To demonstrate is one thing, but to engage in acts of violence, hooliganism and vi- burgeoning violence and lawlessness. olation of constitutional law is quite another. It is unthinkable that some people are New Democracy’s statements are ludicrous. “The roads and the borders should re- able to block the country’s borders for hours and escape unpunished. It is unthink- main open,” conservative officials say, “but no one should be arrested” either. The able that some people can beat a politician and walk away unpunished. police are horrified at the thought they could be called upon to handle a crisis rang- It is unthinkable that residents of Keratea are able to attack policemen and keep a ing from Keratea to Promachonas and the migrant ghettos. central Attica road closed for months. It is unthinkable that a few people can destroy Unfortunately, the only people with a plan appear to be the minority of left-wing ticket machines at metro stations and walk away unpunished. populists who seek to pour more oil into the flames with acts of disobedience or This is not a manifesto about law and order. But any sober-minded person will anarchic violence. The country’s pseudo-establishment, an irresponsible, vulgar nou- agree that if everyone who is right, or who thinks they are right, starts to destroy veau riche bunch, is trying to find shelter along with their savings. public property, beat people up or hurl rocks and firebombs at police stations, the The only thing left is the vast majority of a hardworking middle class that does not country will sooner or later fall apart. want to see the country fall apart. Things are set to become harder in 2011 than last year. However, whether we They want punishment for the thieves who squandered the country’s wealth and manage to save ourselves will depend not only on decisions taken in Brussels but al- for the violent thugs. The problem is these people are mostly silent and rarely take so on whether or not we press the self-destruct button. I am not interested in who to the streets.

CALLED TO BE SAINTS! The role of the lives of Saints in nurturing children

are dead, but as people who arealive in Christ. This is almsgiving, of their defense of true Doctrine, of the mis- even more immediate and powerful than reading the sionary accomplishments, of their gifts of healing and biography of a living celebrity. As we read, we may miracle-working and of theirlove for their fellow human. dream of perhaps meeting this celebrity, even though Children can then be taught hymns or prayers in honour this may be unlikely, and our desire may not berecipro- of their Patron or beloved Saints and be encouraged to cated. Reading the lives of the Saints offers us much emulate theirlives. Parents must try to teach children the By PETER more because the Saints are alive in God, and are not lives of the modern Saints, as well as the lives of the MAVROMMATIS * bound by the same conditions that we are. We can ad- Saints of old. This is necessary because, as Saint dress them in prayer immediately and at any time, even Nicodemus the Hagiorite writes, while learning about them, and they will hear us! Be- “the antiquity of the period during which the early Throughout the New Testament Christians are re- sides our personal prayers to the Saints, the singing of Saints lived, the long time that has intervened from then minded of their high calling to become Saints (Rom 1:7, their hymns, the veneration of their icons or holy Relics, to the present, can cause in some, if not unbelief, at 1Cor 1:2). This can seem to be a daunting task but the our holy Church provides us with opportunities to com- least some doubt and hesitation. One may, that is, won- reality is that, from the beginning, our Lord and Saviour mune with them through her divine services. der how humans, who by nature are weak and timid, Jesus Christ through His Church, has empowered us to Learning about different Saints, we gradually discover endured so many and frightful tortures. But these New accept our calling and follow the path to perfection in those whom our hearts go out to, those who will be- Martyrs of Christ, having acted boldly on the recent Christ. One of the greatest tools at the Christian’s dis- come dearest to us, those to whom we pray most of all, scene of the world, uproot from the hearts of Christians posal is the lives of the Saints who have come before. those in whom we confide our joys and sorrows. Abbot all doubt and hesitation, and implant or renew in the- The lives of the Saints have beendescribed by Saint Aimilianos of Simonopetra Monastery writes, “These munhesitating faith in the old Martyrs. Just as new food Justin Popovich as “experiential theology” or “applied close friends will be the guides of our choice and a strengthens all those bodies that are weak from starva- dogmatic theology”. There is no dichotomy between the great comfort to us along the straight and narrow way tion, and just as new rain causes trees that are dried lives of the Saints and the teachings and writings of the that leads to Christ. We are not alone on the road or in from drought to bloom again, so these New Martyrs Church as the two form one whole. Teaching the lives the struggle. We have with us our Mother, the All-Holy strengthen and renew the weak, the withered, the old of Saints to young children is a powerful and significant Mother of God, our Guardian Angel, the Saint whose faith of present-day Christians.”[3] pedagogical tool because the lives of the Saints bear name we bear, and those close friends we have cho- Of course, what Saint Nicodemus has to say can be witness to one life: the Life in Christ. When we read the sen out of the Great Multitude of Saints who stand be- applied to all order of Modern Saints. lives of the Saints, we are effectively reading the life of fore the Lamb (Rev 7:9). When we stumble through sin, In closing, I urge all parents to set aside some time our Lord Jesus Christ! they will raise us up again; when we are tempted to daily, or at least a few times per week, to discuss the Let us look into how we can incorporate the use of give up hope, they will remind us that they have suf- life of the celebrated Saint with their children, remem- the lives of the Saints in our spiritual lives and the lives fered for Christ before us, and more than us; and that bering the words of Saint John Climacus that “the Saints of our children. they are now the possessors of unending joy. So, upon teach you supremely one of two things: Either they a- First and foremost, the Saints are our Christian role the stony road of the present life, these holy compan- rouse you to emulation by their holy courage, or they models and examples. “Imitate me, just as I also imitate ions will enable us to glimpse the light of the Resurrec- lead you by way of thrice-holy humility to the realisation Christ” (1 Cor 11:1), the Saints say to us along with the tion. Let us search, then, in the lives of the Saints, for of your inherent weakness.” [4] Holy Apostle Paul. As Christians, our aim ought to be those close friends, and with all the Saints let us make May the Lord Bless and protect the children He has growth in the likeness of Christ, to have His likeness our way to Christ.”[2] entrusted to us through the intercessions of His All-Holy shine in us. For this to occur we need to look continual- By regularly reading the lives of the Saints together Mother and all the Saints! ly to the Saints for real, practical examples of how to with our children, both we and they are able to identify live a Christian life. Saint Basil the Great gives this anal- Christian role models and see the application of virtue 1. In Cavarnos, C., Holiness: Man’s Supreme Destiny (Belmont, Mass.: ogy: in real life. By exploring the many collections of the lives Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 2001), p.35. “Just as painters, in working from models, constantly of the Saints we empower ourselves and our children 2. The Synaxarion, Vol. 1 (Ormylia: Holy Convent of the Annunciation of gaze at their exemplar and thus strive to transfer the to develop a close affection to a particular Saint or a Our Lady, 1998), pp. xiii-xiv. expression of the original to their own artistry, so too group of Saints, whose virtue we can strive to imitate. 3. Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, Introduction to the New Mar- tyrologion. he who is eager to make himself perfect in all kinds of The very fact that the Saints came from all walks of life 4. Saint John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 26:126. virtue must gaze upon the lives of the Saints as upon s- and applied Christian faith and virtue in so many differ- tatues, so to speak, that move and act, and must make ent spheres means that children will no doubt be able To comment, agree or disagree, visit http://petermav.live- their excellence his own by imitation.”[1] to identify with at least one, who they can strive to imi- journal.com/ Secondly, we must look to the Saints as our heavenly tate. friends and patrons, our brothers and sisters in the Children are fascinated by the great feats of martyr- * Peter Mavrommatis is a teacher of Orthodox Studies and Personal faith. We read and learn about them not as people who dom, asceticism and sacrifice of the Saints, of their Development at St Spyridon College Senior School Sydney. 4/22 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA FEBRUARY 2010

St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College A LIBRARY TO LEARN IN The Library of our Theological College has 16,216 items logue. I believe this will attract more users to our Library. including monographs, videos, DVD’s, Music CD’s, audio Further to this I think that in Vema and at a parish level cassettes and individual journal titles. The number of jour- the Orthodox community should be encouraged to access nals held would be approximately 30,000 in 271 titles. the Library’s resources. This does not however, solve the The 271 titles are included in the total of 16,216. problem of the Orthodox community outside of Sydney. The Library does have an excellent collection in Byzan- At present the Library has three computers, one for the tine music, Patristics, Orthodox theology and Byzantine staff and two for general usage. At present I work full time history. The Library constantly requests that faculty, priests and my assistant works one day a week. At present the li- and alumni recommend purchases for the Library, but brary holdings can be accessed remotely through the Col- over 50% of purchases are usually decided upon by the Li- lege website (www.sagotc.edu.au) - You just follow the brarian from catalogues, reading bibliographies, etc. links to the Library. The Library does not subscribe to a large number of In 2009 the College Library upgraded a subscription to journals as they are exceptionally expensive. The majority ples of new purchases include: Missing volumes of the ATLA/ATLAS and now students and faculty can contact me of journals we have are on exchange with our journal Anchor Bible Series and both a CD version and hardcopies and get the User ID/Password and then can access AT- Phronema or are gifts (mainly the Greek journals). The oth- of the Word Biblical Commentary Series. LA/ATLAS direct. About 15% of the articles are full text and er factor for the lack of journal subscription is that Moore Also at the end of last year and the beginning of this are downloadable/printable as a PDF file. Theological College and Sydney University are so close by. year a substantial collection in Greek of Byzantine music In the future the Library is planning to have books read- Also, if we subscribe to a journal do we go for hard copy books was purchased by one of the lecturers. able or downloadable through the College website. This or an online version? Most of our current users prefer the The collection is predominantly in English (about 80%) as system is called e-books and they can only be readable, hardcopy. the majority of the Libraries users are either second gen- not downloadable. I believe several of the larger publish- The Library focuses on journals that are specifically of eration Greek or non-Greek. ers have some of their newer books that can be viewed an Orthodox view. Some samples include: Greek Orthodox The annual budget for Library, which includes journal this way at a fee, but I am unsure about the major Ortho- Theological Review, St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, subscriptions, in 2010 was $35,000. dox publishing houses like St Vladimir’s and Holy Cross Sobornost, Sourozh in English and in Greek Synaxe, Koino- The Library at present has 127 registered borrowers for example. nia, and Theologia. All these journals are gifts or on ex- and during the current year the highest number of those If they don’t have an e-book system in place, the Pub- change. borrowers who were active was 97. At present the ma- lishers would have to be contacted and some fee organ- The Library (183 square meters) is running out of space. jority of these Library users are students, priests, faculty ised to cover copyright if we scanned their books and they To rectify this, in September 2010, a book sale was held and alumni and the general public. The majority are alum- were viewed through our College/Library website. which disposed of unused duplicates. However, the lack ni in the Sydney area. There are however currently 25 reg- If I can ever be of any assistance to any members of of space problem will reoccur soon. istered borrowers who are members of the general pub- the Orthodox community who are interested in the Library A temporary measure could be the creation of a pest lic and they pay an annual fee of $50.00. or joining the Library, I would be more than pleased to as- and dust free environment, with compactus to store some The Library needs to have a higher profile. Most mem- sist. resources of the Library (Stack). Please note that Stack bers of the Orthodox community are not even aware that would have to be in the vicinity of the College to make ac- the Library exists. The College is part of the Sydney Col- Chris Harvey cess to the materials in Stack easy. During 2010 a total of lege of Divinity and it is planned for this year to have a Librarian, St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College 502 new books were added to the system. Some exam- common Library brochure and also a common SCD cata- Ph 02 9549 3105 E-mail [email protected] The Queensland flood crisis and the Australian spirit of strength and compassion Most of the population would by now be familiar with English Liturgy on Saturday 15 January Prayer was offered the magnitude of damage and distress resulting from the for victims and volunteers. This was a wonderful and spe- Queensland Flood Crisis over the past couple of weeks. cial Liturgy attended by hundreds who came despite the What has stood out simultaneously though, is the magni- devastation. It was also special to have praying with us, tude of the Australian Spirit of strength and compassion. our State Attorney-General (Hon Cameron Dick), and the Anyone with proximity to the affected areas cannot es- Qld Shadow Treasurer (Mr Timothy Nichols). The people cape the outpouring of civic consciousness and communi- were comforted by the unity of purpose displayed by all ty compassion evident through the tens of thousands of sides of politics coming together. volunteers and the comforting presence of the Australian The fatherly support of our Archbishop was deeply felt. Armed Forces. Coupled with this was the effort of rural The Archdiocesan national collection for the “Qld Flood Ap- and urban fire brigades, SES workers, and countless other peal” brought a feeling of support from the Greek Ortho- emergency services personnel including the Police who dox of our nation. laboured on shifts that has seen a 24/7 effort at recovery. Our church plan after the immediate crisis phase is to Few nations around the globe would be able to boast such work with the “evolving story” and see where our people civilised behaviour and effective communal response. formula, baby nappies, medical supplies...the response can be of most assistance. For example, several profes- Our own Church of St George decided early to harness again was unprecedented. sional Social Workers from the parish have offered their this spirit and engage in an outreach to fellow citizens of Volunteers were organised into teams for cleaning services for trauma counselling and outreach. We are al- every religion and identity. This has become a milestone houses, streets, preparing food, feeding others, delivering so considering a post crisis phase “adopt a family to look for us as a Church community seeing its future as an au- supplies, and providing any possible support for emer- after” project. thentic part of the fabric of the broader Australian land- gency services personnel. These teams were sent to se- What else can I say? People opened their homes, gave scape. verely affected areas. They delivered assistance and sup- of their food and drink, laboured in horrible conditions of The Church responded to the immediate needs of our plies as far as the Ipswich evacuation centre. mud, water, and stench, prayed, comforted the afflicted own people who were evacuated and arranged emer- At our biggest support station (operated out of the with soothing words of encouragement, and exceeded the gency accommodation with the generous help of many house of Parishioners Anthony and Nikki Cassimatis who limits of customary generosity in helping others. I saw Church members. Emergency Assistance was made avail- excelled in sacrifice and service) the church offered sup- teenage boys and girls become men and women (includ- able 24/7 through telephone, internet, and social media. port for Australian Army personnel, Fire Brigade, SES ing my sons and the sons and daughters of many parish- Our community facilities were offered to the relevant au- workers, Police, and Council Workers by providing a rest ioners) working with strength and honour and civic con- thorities for use as an emergency evacuation centre if station, food, water and coffee. The station was opera- sciousness. I am deeply humbled by the response of the needed. tional for 2 weeks in the aftermath of the floods. Orthodox people of Brisbane who matched and added to As soon as the waters began to recede the church is- Donations of School supplies were collected for schools that of the broader community. Never before have I felt so sued a call for volunteers through the internet, telephone, in lower income flood affected areas and distributed intensely proud to be Orthodox and Australian. This event and social media. The youth of our Church responded through the Qld Attorney General’s electoral office and has transformed us in so many ways! overwhelmingly and we ended up with hundreds of volun- that of the Premier. A great joy was walking the streets Father Dimitri Tsakas teers in a matter of hours. A call was made for donations with food and water freely offering them to people and in Vicar General for Queensland of food, water, cleaning products, gloves, masks, baby particular to the soldiers and volunteers. At the evening Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/23

Opening of the Law Term Service in NSW Servive conducted by Archbishop Stylianos at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of our Lady

Left: His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos conducted the Service for the Opening of the Law Term 2011 in NSW, at the Cathedral of the ‘Annunciation of our Lady’. Right: Chief Justice of NSW Jim Spigelman, His Eminence, His Grace and Judges during their entry to the Cathedral.

On Tuesday 8 February 2011, at the Cathedral of Your Honour, the Chief Justice, And it is highly characteristic that rejoicing and hoping the “Annunciation of our Lady”, His Eminence other distinguished Justices, in the glory of God, is inconceivable without the deep- Archbishop Stylianos conducted the Service for Judges, Members of the Judiciary est inner foundation. the Opening of the Law Term 2011 in NSW. and various Servants of the Law Profession, It is precisely this foundation that is presented by the Reverend Clergy, sisters and brothers, Apostle Paul in a wonderful ascending scale, commenc- Dignitaries present were His Grace Bishop Sera- ing from sufferings and reaching its climax in the love phim of Apollonias, the Hon Jim Spigelman AC, Over the course of the many years that we have of God. Chief Justice of NSW, the Hon John Hatzistergos, gathered in this sacred Cathedral, to pray together at Paul emphasizes that “we boast in our sufferings, MLC, Attorney-General of NSW. Judges present from the commencement of the Law Term, we had the op- knowing that suffering produces endurance, and en- the Supreme Court were Justice James Allsop, Presi- portunity to verify the value of human Justice as a fac- durance produces character, and character produces dent of the Court of Appeal, Justice Murray Tobias tor of balance and stability, while also considering hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s AM RFD, Justice Campbell, Justice White, Justice the comparison between human Law and divine Law re- love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Rothman AM, Justice Hammerschlag, Justice Harri- ceived by Revelation. Spirit that has been given to us ”. son., Justice Ward and Justice Slattery. From the Fed- Our customary common prayer unfortunately takes Having said all the above concerning the power of eral Court: Justice Arthur Emmett, Registrar Stepha- place this year under the most difficult circumstances, prayer and the terrible floods that continue around us, nie Kavallaris, Deputy District Registrar and Registrar due to the terrible floods, which initially affected the this does not mean that the people of prayer are not Anthony Tesoriero, Deputy District Registrar. From greatest part of Queensland, and have now already obliged to carry out also other forms of support to- the Family Court, Justice Rose. From the District threatened certain regions of Victoria. It is indeed re- wards the victims and their families. Court Justice Blanch AM, Chief Justice of the Dis- ported that one third of that State has been flooded, and Just as faith without works is considered dead, so is trict Court. From the Dust Diseases Tribunal, Judge many of the affected regions have been evacuated. prayer without practical support - usually in the form of John O’Meally. From the Local Court: Chief Magis- In light of such an unforeseeable and widespread dis- economic assistance. Practical support is therefore a trate Graeme Henson and Magistrate Theo Tsavdari- aster, there can be no doubt that we all feel weak and necessary supplement to prayer. dis. helpless with regard to the manner and means by For this reason, our Archdiocese held a General Col- Also present were Ros Everett and Angelo Bilias, which it might be possible to deal with the so-called lection in all our Parish-Communities throughout Aus- representing the President ofthe Law Society of NSW, ‘blind forces’ of nature. tralia on January 16 following a special Encyclical, with Stuart Westgarth, Mr Vasilios Tolios, Consul-General We therefore leave the scientists and technocrats the final amount being sent appropriately to the relevant of Greece in Sydney, Mr Jack Passaris, President of to do their work - namely, to embark upon every possi- Public Services of Brisbane and Victoria. the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, and many ble activity that might limit the effects of the natural dis- There are reports in the media that problems might others. aster. The faithful at the same time certainly feel the arise in effected areas due to disputes with some in- need to also seek refuge in the consolation of prayer. surance companies about the extent to which they are In his address, delivered in the Church of the Cathe- Given that the great majority of the population of Aus- to compensate the victims of this natural disaster. dral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos His Emi- tralia today are still, at least nominally, followers of the In any case, we are certain that there will be discern- nence Archbishop Stylianos stated the following: so-called Judeo-Christian tradition, we are - as Chris- ing and brave Judges who shall not hesitate to express tians - led almost spontaneously to all that the Apostle just opinions on the matter. Paul wrote in the 5th Chapter of the Epistle to the Ro- Here then, once again, we acknowledge the great Epistle Reading: Romans 5:1-5 mans, a portion of which we have just heard. significance of the Judicial Authorities and the Law gen- Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have From this passage, we are informed primarily about erally at all times in every well-ordered Nation. peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through the power that Faith and Peace have in Jesus Christ With this opportunity, we wish the very best to all Le- whom we have obtained access to this grace in which for all circumstances. gal and Judicial Services of our State and Common- we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the It is necessary however to underline that the meaning wealth, on behalf of all Orthodox jurisdictions in Aus- glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in of ‘faith’ and ‘peace’ are not to be understood here in tralia. our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces en- general and vague terms. On the contrary, the entire May God bless once again, during the commence- durance, and endurance produces character, weight of their meaning is strictly limited to the phrase ment of this Law Term, not only those who are present, and character produces hope, and hope does not dis- “in Jesus Christ”. but also all who were unable to attend the special appoint us, because God’s love has been poured into This clearly Christocentric character of Faith and Prayer Services of the various Churches and Denomina- our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given Peace is developed as Grace in which “we stand and tions. Amen. to us. boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” FEBRUARY 2010 6/24 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

have a vastly different geography, society and culture. levels of converts from the current and future genera- For a start, Australia as a whole is less religious than the tions of mixed marriages in Australia plus other person- Letter US. al converts to Orthodoxy. First, some facts: the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of The second aspect hints at some slight cultural differ- America contains some 1.5 million adherents, 840 cler- ences in liturgical emphasis between Australia and from gy and 560 parishes (2006). In general it is around 3-4 America. Some 7.4% said that they were a choir mem- times the size of Greek Orthodoxy in Australia. ber or director. This would not be the case in Australia. In some quarters such a high level of choir participation Maroubra would be viewed as typical of Protestant and Catholic denominations in Australia. Probably more needs to be said about this elsewhere.

Parish organisation

Some of the parish statistics reported by the priests show differences in parish organisation between Amer- ica and Australia. There are around 900-1000 individuals per parish, which is much smaller than most of our ur- ban parishes. Around 268 parishioners attend the Sun- Well it’s been another quiet week in Maroubra. The day liturgy and again this is a small number, based on sun is shining, the birds are singing and the kids have my experience throughout Australia. I noted that they gone back to school. have contributing members, which is a concept that is It is now time for fiery February with its succession of entirely foreign to us and that there are around 360 per hot and humid days to torment us. Of course, this con- parish. trasts with the cold or ice in parts of the northern hemi- sphere at this time. In the same way our daily life also Religious practices has other dissimilarities with the rest of the world. The Orthodox Family in America at Home and in Church What about our Orthodox religion? It is the same and What about religious practices? The most frequent ac- different. It is great that wherever you go in the world: tivity was church every Sunday. This was followed by Munich, Brussels, Hong Kong or even Urbana-Cham- The survey was based on invitation letters to 180 donating resources to the parish and attending parish paign you can feel right at home in an Orthodox church parishes selected by Metropolitans. Ten families were social events. on a Sunday morning. Our faith unites us and in our selected from each parish, so the final sample of 650 This is where I noted a potential and looming disaster. worship any variations are minimal. was hardly representative of the 1.5 million Greek Or- Preparation for Holy Communion ranked fourth. Confes- Of course there are local differences in religiousness thodox in America. Nevertheless, within these limitations sion was ranked last. I am not saying that we are bet- and spirituality. In fact, even within the same nation, the results may still be of value. ter in this regard. I could not put my finger on it but I state or city there arelarge variations in parish life. As expected, the sample comprised almost 90% mar- sensed that throughout this report there was an em- These were emphasised in a study undertaken recently ried individuals. There were around two children per phasis on what I call the externalities in Church life. I by the Center for Family Care of the Greek Orthodox household. see it as a danger, where the outward practice of reli- Archdiocese of America. Most survey participants were middle-aged and al- gion can take over and dominate. I also worry about most two-thirds were female. Just under three-quarters seeing the Church as a community organisation. Orthodoxy in America highlighted that their own parents were active in the Social involvement in parish life is a useful index but Church, emphasising the importance of the family for it is not the be-all and end-all. The best predictor of in- The faith practices of families at home and church the transmission of faith. volvement in faith practices was how comfortable peo- were described in a report: The Orthodox Family in ple felt with their parish priest. In this respect, I would America at Home and in Church http://www.goarch. Similarities and differences imagine that we are entirely identical. org/archdiocese/departments/family/orthofamilystudy. with Australia The findings were of interest to me since they could [email protected] relate to the future of Greek Orthodoxy in Australia. Like Two aspects attracted my attention. Firstly, the sample America, we also have an immigrant background and comprised around one-fifth converts to Orthodoxy The views expressed in Letter From Maroubra are those of the con- operate within an English-speaking environment but we (21.5%). I am not sure that we are attuned to the high tributor and not those of the VEMA or St Andrew’s Press. Changes in Greek-language teaching abroad

Alternate Education Minister Fofi Gennimata announced had an inadequate grasp of the language used in the host- plans to radically overhaul the current system for state- country. She also highlighted the very high cost of the sys- assisted teaching of the Greek language abroad, whose tem, noting the payroll cost for teachers detached abroad cost had jumped by 22 million euro between 2004 and had risen from 38 million euro for 1,650 teachers in 2004 2009. The Greek state currently funds the teaching of to 46 million euro for 2,350 teachers in 2009. Greek in 72 countries, 57 of which have Greek Studies de- After factoring in the additional cost of supply teachers partments at university level. to replace those sent abroad, the total additional cost to During a press conference, Gennimata said that an out- the state rose to 22 million euro, she claimed. line of the government proposals would be unveiled for The minister stressed problems such as inability to ef- the start of public dialogue in early March, leading to a fectively monitor the running of schools abroad, leading to draft bill to rationalise both funding and the detachment of abuses of public money, or the fact that Greek-language teachers abroad in May. schools often did not grant qualifications equivalent to She stressed that there would be no surprise measures those of the host-country and their students were only during the coming school year, since there was provision able to apply to universities in Greece in a special cate- for a transitional period. gory. The proposed dialogue on a system to support the Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou answered teaching and learning of Greek in foreign countries will fo- questions about suggested mergers of small, remote cus on ten main areas. schools and emphasised that these would be based sole- These are: assessment of teaching, administrative reor- Education minister Anna Diamantopoulou (R) and alternate ly on educational criteria. minister Fofi Gennimata (L) during an education ministry ganisation of Greek-expatriate schools, greater trans- press conference She also commented on the suspension of school sports parency, cooperation between expatriate communities competitions, saying that this was temporary in view of a and the teachers sent from Greece, promoting forms of search at foreign universities. Gennimata also referred complete overhaul of the way that sports will be taught in Greek-language education that are part of the educational extensively to the problems with the current system, es- schools and that Technological Educational Institutes system of the host-country, developing cultural centres to pecially arguing that clientelist politics had dominated the forced to close due to financial problems had received promote Greek culture, social networking, developing the appointment of teachers abroad, many of whom were not cash injections and were now operating as usual. cross-cultural identity of expatriates, developing pre- qualified to teach language courses but specialised in school programmes and boosting Greek studies and re- subjects such as music, art or sports. Others, meanwhile, SOURCE: ANA-MPA FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/25

The Archaeological Museum of Patras The Archaeological Museum of Patras lent condition have been transported “inlay opened its gates to the public in July 2009, by inlay” from the Roman villas were exca- and it is really amazing. vated to the museum. Tombs and a sar- It is modern, spacious and of course it is cophagus have also been moved from interesting and has a distinct point of view, their original location. Unique finds, such as by presenting the archaeological finds of parts of a Roman residence, a middle class Achaia in a smart, fun and educative man- home of the Roman times and a luxurious ner. private bath are also housed in the muse- It consists of three major rooms and um. their relating themes bring to light the fu- The understanding of the life and inter- nerary customs, the private and public life ests of people in antiquity are completed of the ancient inhabitants of Patras. by special reference to weaving, fishing, The permanent exhibition follows the hunting, house decoration, hairstyles, make style of all modern museums of the world, up, jewellery, clothing, toys and love life. which means that many of the exhibits are So go ahead and schedule a visit to the not “locked” inside window cases but are new Archaeological Museum of Patras; “liberated” so that all visitors of all ages such efforts are definitely worth admiring! can approach them within breathing dis- The museum is located on the new nation- tance. al highway of Athens-Patras 38-40 and it is There also video walls, where slides are open to the public every day (closed on projected, offering interesting information. Mondays). Opening hours are 8.30-15.00, Educational programs are also prepared and the telephone number is 2610 420645. especially for children. If you are interested in a guided tour by The people who have dedicated many a professional, licensed tourist guide, just years to the museum and its exhibits - ar- get in contact with the Association of Li- chaeologists, conservators & restorers, censed Tourist Guides by calling 210 The Archaeological Museum of Patras etc. - have created a welcoming, friendly 3229705 or 210 3220090 or send an email and inspiring museum. Mosaics in excel- at [email protected].

Growing up fast and furious A book review

By Deacon George Liangas lost if they are not practiced, and replaced by the skills pher Seneca put it succinctly two thousand years ago: Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and habits that have taken their place. Swapping a book “to be everywhere is to be nowhere”. for a webpage encourages shallower thinking, where 4) Google has infiltrated the internet user’s life in The Shallows: How the internet is changing multitasking is developed at the expense of deep and many ways. Its mission is to make the world’s informa- the way we think, read and remember. By reflective thought. tion “universally accessible and useful”. The more it dig- Nicholas Carr. London: Atlantic Books, 2010. 2) The internet is not the first technology to change the italises information and presents it to us in snippets to way that our brain works. The advent of maps and Web surfers, with ads in tow, the tighter hold it has on ISBN: 978 1 84887 226 4. clocks has changed the way we use space and time. our intellectual lives. Google relies on and promotes fre- The expansion of ideas in ancient Greece can be partly quent surfing of Google links and tools for its profit, thus “The Net’s interactivity gives us powerful new attributed to the simplification of the alphabet. Changing dismembering the information presented, including the tools for finding information, expressing our- from hieroglyphics to phonetic letters meant that the on-line books, and contributing to the fragmentation of selves, and conversing with others. It also turns mental effort used to read something could now be our cognitive functions. us into lab rats constantly pressing levers to used to contemplate and reflect. This was further ampli- 5) Some people feel that they no longer need to re- get tiny pellets of social or intellectual nourish- fied with the invention of print in the 15th century, which member things, since they can “outsource” their memo- ment”. made reading much more accessible. The internet is ar- ry banks to their computers, thus freeing up their brains guably the most influential technology since then. The in- for other things. However, as William James states, Nicholas Carr is a business journalist and writer who ternet is bidirectional; we send messages as well as re- “the art of remembering is the art of thinking”, as us- has become interested in how computer technology has ceive them. It combines many different kinds of infor- ing our memories sharpens our attention and all our impacted our lives. This book was inspired by his ob- mation on a single screen, fragmenting the content and other forms of learning. As the author states, “of all servations that his internet use had affected his ability disrupting our concentration. Whenever we use the the sacrifices we make when we devote ourselves to to remember and concentrate. It is a compilation of rel- computer, “we are plunged into an ecosystem of inter- the Internet as our universal medium, the greatest is evant historical snippets and contemporary research ruption technologies”. Research shows that the way we likely to be the wealth of connections within our own showing how the internet has changed the way that our read on-line is dramatically different to the way we minds”. Also, “when we outsource our memory to a brain works. He argues that using the internet over- read a book, being more distracted and less reflective. machine, we also outsource a very important part of whelms the brain with stimuli (interactive multimedia, The internet’s interactivity means that we often read to our intellect and even our identity,” becoming “pan- hyperlinks, etc), that we become “mindless consumers stay in the social loop rather than for personal enlight- cake people” by spreading “wide and thin” in our of data”, compromising our ability to form long-term enment. As the author states, “dozens of studies by psy- thinking. memories, to concentrate, contemplate, empathise and chologists, neurobiologists, educators, and Web design- The book concludes that by being intimately involved be creative. It is written for the lay reader and makes ers point to the same conclusion: when we go online, with our computers, the great danger we face is of los- captivating reading. we enter an environment that promotes cursory read- ing our humanness, sacrificing “the very qualities that Some specific arguments elaborated in the book in- ing, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial separate us from machines”. The “only way to avoid that clude: learning”. fate... is to have the self-awareness and the courage to 1) Our brains are plastic, i.e. they can drastically 3) Our memory consists of working memory and long- refuse to delegate to computers the most human of our change in response to changes in the outside environ- term memory. Long-term memory is not just a filing cab- mental activities and intellectual pursuits, particularly ment. When someone suffers a stroke, part of the brain inet of past events, but is also the seat of understand- tasks that demand wisdom”. dies, but the remaining brain is remarkable in its ability ing, storing not just facts, but also complex concepts, or The internet is here to stay, and we are at a water- to rearrange itself and recover its function. This plastic- “schemas”. The internet, by overwhelming our working shed time in history, where some of the most superior ity has a downside, in that negative habits, such as neg- memory, allows for less transfer into long-term memo- functions of our mind and brain are at risk of being lost ative thoughts and addictive behaviours, can become ry, impairing our ability to retain information and to in- or diluted. This book provides an important insight into further etched into our brains and harder to combat. It corporate it into schemas. Hence, “our ability to learn the effects of using the internet, and provides plenty of also means that new technologies have the ability to suffers, and our understanding remains shallow”. More- food for thought to those who want to preserve their change the way that the brain works; including in its over, “it becomes harder to distinguish relevant infor- thinking abilities. anatomy and physiology. Important mental skills can be mation from irrelevant information”. The Roman philoso- FEBRUARY 2011 8/26 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

By Guy Freeland* If the Life of the saint is but legend, we Presbyter (or for that matter St Valentine The prominence given to the heart con- can at least be confident that he was an the Bishop) that links in any way with tinues in the New Testament, with an em- early Roman martyr, probably of the third throbbing hearts, romantic love or the phasis on its purity. Christ’s sixth Beatitude St Valentine’s Day century. But at this point the waters be- mate-choosing customs of Valentine’s Day. (Matthew 5:8 RSV) reads: “Blessed are the and its Hearts come muddier because in fact two St Scholars have failed to trace anything pure in heart, for they shall see God”. Puri- Valentines have been commemorated on about the Valentine’s Day with which we ty of heart denotes more than chastity Yes, it is again the time of hearts and red February 14. are familiar back before the late fourteenth (though that is important), it also denotes roses, not to mention ludicrous prancing Both saints can be found on some Ortho- century. It was then that Geoffrey Chaucer sincerity, freedom from mixed motives. cherubs or cupids. Hearts are a-throbbing dox calendars, St Valentine the Presbyter (he of The Canterbury Tales fame) used Long before the fourteenth century cen- and romantic love, it would seem, is in the is commemorated on July 6 and Hieromar- Valentine’s Day as the setting for a charm- tred Hesychast movement, with its empha- air. Which is really rather strange since tyr Valentine, Bishop of Interamna (Italy) on ing 700 line allegorical poem, written in an sis on prayer of the heart as a means of Valentine’s Day, February 14, falls in our July 30. However, according to the early form of English known as Middle Eng- the attaining of a vision of the Godhead in disjointed Southern Hemisphere seasonal Wikipedia, Greek Orthodox named Valenti- lish, The Parlement of Foules. Its energies as uncreated light, the heart calendar in late summer when the heat nos or Valentina conventionally celebrate The poem tells of Nature’s Court where, had come to play a major role in Christian and humidity is so enervating (at least in their nameday on February 14. on St Valentine’s Day, the birds choose thought and spirituality. Sydney) that to move at all takes a colossal Along with many other saints’ days, St their partners. Chaucer is tapping into a There is no more dramatic evidence of effort of will. Valentine’s Day was removed from the popular belief that February 14 was when this than the practice of burying the heart Yet even here, in our upside down conti- universal calendar by the Catholic Church the mating season of birds commenced. At separately from the rest of the body. The nent, St Valentine’s Day seems to have in 1969. However, this does not mean that some time it became a custom for young practice is particularly associated with the been elevated to “Great Feast ” status. But the day cannot be liturgically celebrated lo- persons to draw lots on St Valentine’s Eve crusaders for whom it would have been can Valentine’s Day really be regarded as cally, and this is the case in a number of to determine who their “Valentine” would possible to return the heart to Europe for a Christian feast in any meaningful sense? areas and in churches that possess relics be for the forthcoming year. “Ballot rigging” burial but not the entire body. Undoubtedly, St Valentine’s Day is certainly observed (or supposed relics) of the saint (or saints). seems to have been common as many the heart was no mere symbol but was liturgically in places in the Western Church. “Martyr Valentinus the Presbyter and those Valentines ended up locked in Holy Matri- believed to be the physical location of the The feast of St Valentine, who is usually with him at Rome” is still entered on the of- mony. spirit and personality of the individual. It is referred to as St Valentine the Presbyter, ficial list of Catholic saints. St Valentine is During the eighteenth and nineteenth also relevant that Catholic devotion to the was instituted by Pope Gelasius I in 496. In also one of the few non-biblical saints list- centuries, cards, usually sent anonymously Sacred Heart is to the physical heart of Je- doing so, however, the Pope classified ed (for February 14) on the calendar of the as today, largely replaced the expensive sus. Valentine as one of the saints “whose Anglican Book of Common Prayer. presents often given earlier. These cards As far as the anatomy and physiology of names are justly reverenced among men, So, Valentine’s Day is a bona fide Chris- looked much like the ones you can see in the heart are concerned, the view which but whose acts are known only to God”. tian festival. However, there is nothing any newsagent’s and typically display red was destined to prevail until the seven- whatsoever in the Life of St Valentine the hearts (see illustration: photo Vintage Holi- teenth century was that of the Ancient day Crafts/Wikimedia). physician, Galen (129-c.200). For Galen, ar- The heart, in fact, has become the pri- teries and veins constituted two separate mary symbol of Valentine’s Day, and it is systems serving all parts the body. The ar- the heart that forms the topic of this article. terial distributed life-giving spirit the ve- nous nutriment. Neither form of blood was  A Little History of the Heart conceived as circulating but as ebbing and flowing through their respective systems, GREEKORTHODOXARCHDIOCESEOFAUSTRALIA In the Old Testament the heart is seen rather like the tides. The active phase of not only as the seat of the spirit but of the heartbeat was thought to be when the what we call mind; that is, of understand- heart was engorged with blood (what we ing, rational processes, thinking, decision- call systole) not when it empted (diastole). making etc. It is the heart, rather than the The man who decisively overthrew the brain, which processes and responds to Galenic theory was William Harvey (1578- input from the external world. Further, the 1657). What Harvey did was to establish by heart is the repository of memories. This is truly scientific means that arteries and also the case in the New Testament veins formed a single system and that the where, for example, the Theotokos is said heart was a muscle which forcibly pumped to have “kept” all the things relating to her out vast quantities of blood at diastole,  son “in her heart” (Luke 2:51). which then circulated throughout the body The heart is not the seat of emotion; the before returning to the heart.  Valentine’s Day lovers’ hearts are definite- Harvey himself was no mechanist. How- ly not an Old Testament conception. For the ever, his work laid the foundations for a Doyouwanttocontribute? Old Testament “heartlessness” means mechanical approach to the biological sci- lacking in reason or intelligence not, as ences and medicine that has lasted until ScriptureTeachers2011 with us, lacking in emotional empathy or our own time. Interestingly, this did not compassion. lead to an abandonment of Christian heart  The heart, however, becomes a point of spirituality in either East or West; as is wit- contact with God since the Israelites, de- nessed to by the spread of the Catholic IfyouhaveaninterestinvolunteeringfortheChurchandteaching ploying the anthropomorphic imagery cultus of the Sacred Heart and, more re- ScriptureinStateSchoolsofNewSouthWales– which runs through the Old Testament, cently, by the widespread interest in the pleasecontact[email protected]orwritetotheStateSchools conceive of God as having a heart. Old Philokalia. Scripture Program, c/ Registrar at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Testament thought also sees the heart as However, despite some contrary tenden-   Ͳ       the seat of conscience, a belief which cies, I think what happened was that the TheologicalCollege,242ClevelandStreetRedfern2016. played a major role in Ancient Egyptian re- heart in Christian spirituality increasingly  ligion. For the Egyptians, the heart is the came to be conceived of simply as a sym- bol of the spiritual centre of the person. Pleaseindicatewhatdayyouareavailableandyourpreferred repository of secrets. At the Judgement the heart can become the accuser of the per- But there was another consequence of locationorschool.Alsoincludeashortnoteonwhyyouwanttobea son as it yields up its secrets; a conception the development of “organ-function” biolo- Scriptureteacher.Wewillforwardtherecommendationstoyour that is to be found in Christianity. gy (= for every organ there is a function localpriest. Aristotle shares the Old Testament view and for every function there is an organ) in of the heart as the seat of cognition. The the wake of Harvey’s work. The heart was  heart is also, for Aristotle, the source of in- a muscular pump, not an organ of cogni- Ouraimistohaveascriptureteacherwherevertherearethreeor nate heat; while the function of the brain is tion, and its function was to pump blood moreOrthodoxchildreninaschool.Youwillstartasanassistant to cool the blood down! Plato takes a dif- through the entire body. This led to a shift of scientific attention to the brain as the or- teacher to gain experience. Ask your priest to put your name down ferent view, placing the seat of the ration-             al mind, which is immortal, in the head. The gan of cognition (= perception, learning, forournext½daytrainingprogramin2011. heart meanwhile acts as a kind of regula- memory, reasoning, computation etc). With  tor of emotions. FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/27

Cont. from previous page istics, habits, abilities, interests, artistic come evil thoughts, fornication, the development of the general-purpose preferences etc which, unbeknown to the theft, murder, adultery, coveting, computer in the post-WW2 era an extreme recipient, were those of the donor. wickedness, deceit, licentious- view took a hold that the brain was basi- Could there be a scientific explanation ness, envy, slander, pride, cally a computational machine, literally an for this weird phenomenon? There could foolishness.” organic computer. My PhD supervisor in indeed. Associated with the heart muscle, the early ’60s even wrote a book entitled, and transplanted along with it, is a web of (If you look the quotation up, read The Brain as a Computer. neurones known as the intrinsic cardiac through verses 1-23.) The takeover of the cognitive functions ganglia, which is second only to the brain by the brain left one domain for the heart, in size and complexity and has been What is the solution? What we have to emotion. Certainly, the heart has been dubbed the “little brain in the heart”. do is to allow Christ into our hearts so that widely seen as the centre of emotion, and There is good reason to believe that the they become His dwelling place and He is hence of the romantic love celebrated on little brain performs cognitive processing enabled, through the Holy Spirit, to trans- Valentine’s Day. There has been a corre- as well as the “big” brain. Moreover, there form our natural dispositions into forces sponding tendency in Christian spirituality are complex feedback systems between for good instead of evil. The Orthodox tra- to associate the heart with emotion, thus the two. However, much research has yet dition points a path through repentance, transferring the rational mind (and soul?) to to be done on determining exactly what private and liturgical prayer, participation the brain. This has encouraged a dualistic the interactions between the two are and in the sacraments, the guarding of the separation between rationality (the domain how their functions might differ and com- senses, asceticism, spiritual reading of the of science) and emotion and spirituality (the plement one another. Some researchers Bible, contemplation of God in the Cre- domain of religion). believe that the heart possesses an intu- ation, learning to see Christ in every hu- The complete severance of the physical itive form of emotional intelligence which man being, the exercise of compassion for heart from spirituality, however, occurred, contrasts with the rational, computational all creatures, and so on. according to the historian Fay Alberti on a intelligence of the brain. Formal prayer, private or liturgical, is ex- recent TV documentary, with the first heart There is experimental evidence that tremely helpful but it can only be intermit- Nineteenth Century Valentine’s Day Card transplant in 1967. The heart “had to have shows that the heart processes incoming tent. We need to learn to pray without all its religious and symbolic significance information more swiftly than does the ceasing, to practise prayer of the heart un- taken away”, she observed, “in order to be brain. This has remarkable consequences. til the prayer says itself, until our whole the use of the Jesus Prayer in Orthodoxy, cut out of the body and placed into anoth- By the time we consciously appraise a sit- being becomes prayer. The paradox is that though stripped of the actual prayer itself, er human being.” uation and think we have reached a deci- it is only if Christ fills our hearts and makes are now being taught in High Schools sion secretly the heart will already have every decision and directs every impulse across the United States. reached its decision and started to ready that the chains of necessity can be loosed An Immanent Betrothal Perhaps we really are tentatively ad- the body to respond! and we can enjoy the freedom of the sons vancing towards the cusp of the Age of of Science and Since by “will” is usually meant the exer- of light. Aquarius when the dualities of science and Spirituality/Brain and Heart? cise of conscious decision making, we are Science and spirituality, which for so spirituality, and heart and brain will be faced with the consequence of this new long have lived on different planets, are transcended and Holiness (“Wholiness”) I recall reading many years ago of the evidence that freedom of the will is a delu- now starting to come together. Medicine is shall fill the earth. trenchant condemnation of heart trans- sion. In fact, St Maximus the Confessor had coming to realise that mental health, as plants by (I think) a Russian Metropolitan, already reached the conclusion that what I much as physical, depends on the heart * Guy Freeland is a College Lecturer at St An- on the grounds that the heart was physi- am calling the rational mind is not free but and not just the brain. Techniques which drew’s Greek Orthodox Theological cally the dwelling place of the Spirit and governed by somatic/vital necessity are very similar to those associated with College, Sydney. the personhood of an individual. At the (though he does not mention the heart time, I thought that the Metropolitan’s specifically). views were completely out of tune with But none of this means that the brain contemporary scientific and theological performs no essential functions, far from thought. Like many people, I understood the it. Heart and brain work in tandem and the concept of the heart in Orthodox spirituali- brain needs to temper and discipline the ty to be symbolic, not physical. The thought unruly heart. that you might somehow be transplanting Since recent research gives new mean- the spirit or personality of the donor in a ing to the expression “the dictates of the heart transplant seemed absurd. heart” it as well to know what sort of It is early days, but now science could things it stores. It is not by any means be coming down on the Metropolitan’s good news. In Mark 7:20-22 Christ says: side. Meticulous investigation has revealed that some transplant recipients have ac- “What comes out of a man is quired personality characteristics which what defiles a man. For from exactly correspond to distinctive character- within, out of the heart of man,

‘We have found the Messiah’ - Apostle Andrew (John 1:41)

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s ComeCome andand see! ouur ght wilight T st oro TwilightTTw rsdayday Tours 31s TThursdayhu 31st0111. Every dayday is OOpen Day by ch 2 MarchMar 2011. appointment with wiith the Principal Pr

ToTo registerregister forfor the tours oror forfor enrolment informationinformation please contactcontaact the EnrolmentEnrol Officer: MMrsrs SopSophiehie BalayannisBalayannis, 11301130 AnzacAnzac Parade,Parade, MaroubraMarouubra NSW 2035 oror visit www.stspyridon.nsw.edu.auwww.stspyridoon.ns edu.au FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/29

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The Service at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, Sydney, was as splendorous as one would have expected such an occasion to be FIRST AUSTRALIAN-BORN BISHOP OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE Bishop Iakovos Ordained in Sydney Sunday February 20, 2011

‘Historic’ was the word that many in attendance used to unlike the corporate world, the position of the Bishop is describe what was happening before their eyes at the not at ‘the top’ of some pyramid structure, but in fact at Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, Sydney. the bottom, as the one who serves and bears the spiritu- A boy who had grown up in Winston Hills before at- al weight of the rest of the Body of Christ, which is the tending St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College Church. was now being ordained (some prefer to say ‘consecrat- Bishop Iakovos is the eldest of three sons born to de- ed’) a Bishop of the Orthodox Church! vout and hard-working parents who hail from the region Formally, the Service was as splendorous as one would of Sparta. He could never have imagined 30 years ago, as have expected such an occasion to be: celebrated by His an altar boy in the Parish-Community of St John the Fore- Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, assisted by runner, Parramatta, that he would be standing amidst the Bishops Ezekiel of Dervis, Seraphim of Apollonias and congregation, not as a mere listener of the inspired words Nikandros of Dorylaion, together with Athonite Hieromonk of the Apostles, but as a successor to the Apostles. Not, as Damaskinos and several Clergy from around Australia, before, holding a candle while the Gospel is read to the there was nothing unusual about the profound prayers, people, but as a defender and proclaimer of the Gospel. the magnificent chanting or the sense of joy. Not as one who simply knows about the decisions of the Informally, however, there was a distinctiveness that Seven Ecumenical Councils, but as one who pledges to one could say stemmed from the faithful in attendance. identify his whole being with those decisions. This he Faithful who had arrived by bus and plane from Mel- pledged on Sunday before the commencement of the bourne, and especially from the Parish-Community of Liturgy. Oakleigh, where the then Father Iakovos had served for Whether as His Eminence’s Deacon, or as the Priest ap- the past nine years. Faithful whose plans to attend were pointed successively to the Cathedral of the Annunciation made sufficiently clear in advance that the Cathedral clev- of the Theotokos (Redfern), the Parish-Community of the erly arranged a tent with chairs and a screen to cater for Resurrection of our Lord (Kogarah) or the Parish-Commu- the expected overflow of that Sunday’s congregation. nity of Saints Anargyroi (Oakleigh), Bishop Iakovos gained Faithful who had been touched in some way by the 44- valuable experience in two States and gave of himself year old ordinand’s ministry. Faithful who love him. freely. This love was no more evident than in Archbishop Shortly after conducting the ordination of his former stu- Stylianos who, just a few months earlier, had submitted a dent and Deacon, Archbishop Stylianos emphasized the formal nomination to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Pa- timeless but unwritten rule of Orthodox Christian disciple- triarchate for Iakovos to be made the newest Bishop here, ship, which is that one becomes a spiritual father to the to join the three above-mentioned Assistant Bishops degree that he becomes a son, and that this principle is Ezekiel, Seraphim and Nikandros serving in Melbourne, exemplified in the duty of an Orthodox Bishop. The spiritu- Sydney and Adelaide respectively with much dedication al father publicly expressed the wish that his spiritual son and discernment. The reply came back positively only sev- may be strengthened, not as an ‘administrator’ or as a eral weeks later, on January 11, announcing his unani- The new Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis ‘leader’, but as a true father who labours for the whole mous election by the Holy Synod. family, constantly. And with tears he added the hope that February 20, 2011, truly was historic. It saw the eleva- there may be found more imitators of Bishop Iakovos’ tion of the first Australian-born Greek Orthodox Bishop. church’ that might have been dismissed by some in the ethos. This event highlighted to Parishes all over Australia that past as something ‘foreign’ to it. In responding, Bishop Iakovos expressed deepest grati- the Orthodox Church not only has a past, but also a future 2) It consolidates the good work that has been taking tude to His Eminence, Their Graces and to all present. And in this continent. A very bright future, potentially. place for the past 25 years at St Andrew’s Theological when he said that he is looking forward to going back to And while there is no more inherent virtue in being ‘Aus- College (which is not that long for a tertiary institution) in Melbourne (as the second Assistant Bishop of Melbourne tralian-born’ than in being ‘Greek-born’ or having any oth- so far as its graduates are now serving in all three offices with Bishop Ezekiel), all the visiting Melbournians applaud- er place of birth for that matter, the historic value of the of Clergy, as well as in every possible pastoral area. ed profusely. The Sydney-siders did not. ordination lies in three deeper points: 3) It acts as a timely reminder to us all that there is no That speaks volumes about the high regard and affec- 1) It shows that the Orthodox Faith in Australia has tak- ‘glass ceiling’ (to use a corporate analogy) to stop the true tion of us all for this man of the Church. en a quantum leap in being seen by the broader society Christian calling, no matter where we live or in which his- Axios! May he always be worthy. as ‘belonging’ to this country, rather than as a ‘migrant torical period. And the faithful were again reminded that, Dimitri Kepreotes FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/31 Health

feeling of depression and the mental illness of depres- They usually have a poor appetite and are sometimes sion. nauseous. On some occasions they may overeat. Depression is a real illness that affects the entire Depressed people have an inability to enjoy things mind and body. It is an illness where the depressed that are normally enjoyable, such as work, hobbies and mood is present inappropriately and can seriously socialising with family. They may have a reduced libido. HEALTH dampen one’s ability to cope with life. It not only lowers Depressed people may be tense and anxious. They mood, but may also cause sleep disturbance, loss of may feel irritable and have feelings of anger or fear. appetite, weight loss and lower one’s libido. They often have feelings of guilt or worthlessness, or NEWSNEWS being unwanted. They may have difficulty in concentrat- What is the cause of depression? ing or making decisions. WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS * Symptoms may vary during the day, but the de- The cause of depression is not clear. One common pressed person will often wake feeling worse in the thought is that depression occurs because of a chemi- morning. If the depression is severe, they may not feel cal imbalance in the brain. Some of the medications like living at all and suicide can be a real risk. used to treat depression are aimed at correcting the The depressed person can be unpleasant to live with DEPRESSION chemical imbalance. and one of the very serious consequences of depres- Depression may follow a serious illness, or operation, sion can be a marital breakdown if the spouse does not A fifty-four year old very successful civil engineer has or childbirth. It may come on after a significant change understand the partner’s suffering. been seeing me over the past several months. He has in one’s circumstances, such as loss of a relative, the Depression may not be immediately obvious to the not been well, not been himself, not sleeping well. He breakdown of a marriage or the loss of a job. Depres- patient and sometimes to the doctor because of the has been irritable and short tempered. He came along sion can run in families. wide range of symptoms. Other illnesses such as dia- with his wife and in the beginning he didn’t realise he betes, anaemia and thyroid disease which may have had a problem. What is the incidence of depression? similar presentations need to be excluded. She had noticed he had difficulty coping with his ac- tivities of daily living. He had not been enjoying his Depression is one of the most common illnesses. At Treatment of depression work. He found it difficult to concentrate at work. He present in the Western Society, one in eight men and was avoiding attending meetings with clients. He had one in four women will have depression at some stage Nowadays, the basis of treatment is to correct the difficulty taking phone calls and felt anxious when the of their life. chemical imbalance in the brain with anti-depressant phone rang. He had been unable to make decisions. The World Health Organisation predicts that in the medication. He did not want to go out and see friends. He had be- next 20 years depression will be the world’s second Anti-depressant medications are not drugs of addic- come socially isolated and withdrawn. He was less talk- leading cause of disease and disability. tion. They are very effective medications but usually ative and more pensive and reflective about life and his take two weeks to work. However, the treatment often future. His mood was low. He felt his outlook was dim. Symptoms of depression needs to be continued for many months. Other forms of His appetite was poor. He was no longer enjoying his treatment include psychotherapy- where the patient is food and he had lost 5 kgs in weight. A person who is depressed can experience many encouraged to talk about their problem to come to He was no longer interested in the pleasures of life different symptoms, both physical and emotional. Gen- terms with it. Another form of treatment is ECT (Electro and his libido was low. erally they may have a feeling of not being able to cope Convulsive Therapy) where an electric current is This man was suffering a major depression. with life; that is, they have a feeling of hopelessness passed through the brain. This is reserved for very se- and helplessness. They may be teary and anxious, but rious cases, such as those at high risk of committing What is depression? sometimes these classical symptoms may be absent. suicide. People who are depressed may be continually tired and The depressed person needs a lot of understand- The word ‘depression’ describes an emotion we all sleep poorly; they may experience difficulty getting to ing, support and therapy. Once treatment is started, experience. Most people feel unhappy or depressed sleep, have broken and disturbed sleep, or may wake the outlook is good. now and then. This may be triggered by hearing bad in the early hours of the morning. People who wake news on the television, or a bad personal experience, early are often wide awake and cannot get back to * The information given in this article is of a general nature and such as a death in the family or if a family member be- sleep. readers should seek advice from their own medical practitioner comes ill. However, there is a difference between the Eating problems are common in depressed people. before embarking on any treatment. Victoria Remembers ‘Black Saturday’

Saturday 7th February, 2009, is a date forever Present were Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Gov- etched into the mind of Victorians, and indeed all ernor-General of Australia; the Rt Honourable Ms Julia Australians, as the day that country Victoria Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia; the Honourable Ted burned. Baillieu, Premier of Victoria, amongst other distinguished guests. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was represent- As the events of the ‘Black Saturday Bushfires’ unfolded, ed by Mr Daniel Bellis, graduate of St Andrew’s Theologi- stunned Victorians watched in horror the initial reports of cal College, on behalf of His Grace Bishop Ezekiel of the fires, knowing loved ones living in the country towns Dervis. that one by one were named as being totally decimated; Her Excellency read a short story by Doris Stickney “Wa- reports of lives lost exacerbated fears that loved ones - terbugs and Dragonflies” which dealt with themes of life, brothers, mothers, and children - were claimed by the death and renewal in a way sensitive to those moving fires, the fate of some was unknown for days. through various stages of bereavement, especially chil- The bushfires ravished the State in what seemed like an dren. instant, filling Melbourne with thick dark smoke. 173 peo- During the service, 34 ribbons were placed upon a bare ple lost their lives as a result of the ‘Black Saturday Bush- tree representing each of the communities affected by the fires’, the greatest single loss of life resulting from any fires. Individual members of the community were also in- bushfire in Australian history, and 414 people were in- vited to place personal messages upon the tree. Repre- jured; 2,029 houses were completely destroyed as fire sentatives of each of Victoria’s major faiths were also in- burned through 4,500 kms. 400 individual fires were re- vited to offer prayers on behalf of their communities. corded whist winds reached over 100km/h, igniting like a The deeply moving and dignified service was well at- tinder-box the then drought affected Victorian bushland. tended by individuals who lost family, friends, homes, and Two years on, Victoria has remembered the ‘Black Sat- livelihoods by the tragic event of the ‘Black Saturday Bush- urday Bushfires’ at a commemoration service held at Fed- fires’. eration Square, Melbourne on Sunday 6th February, 2011. The service was conducted by The Reverend Jim Pilmer, 34 ribbons were placed upon a bare tree retired Victoria Police Senior Chaplain, and was themed - representing each of the communities “Remember, Reflect, Hope: A service to remember those affected by the fires. Individual members of the community who died and those in many other ways affected by the were also invited to place Victorian bushfires of 2009”. personal messages upon the tree FEBRUARY 2011 14/32 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

Greek Scouts of Sydney Greek Culture, Why?

Why do most Greek Australians, Character. The Scouting program involves also continuing to contribute by following derful program and to keep on improving it want their children to learn opportunity for life outdoors and contact in their footsteps. on the available funds. Greek? What is the reason? with nature, adventure, training of body It is the ambition of every Leader to give It is not a secret that the obvious solution and mind, learning many valuable things the children the best possible weekly is financial assistance by those who are One of the ways human beings differ useful all their life, and participation in ac- meetings and memorable excursions and fortunate to be in the position to become from the other species is that they have tivities to help fellow man - the “good turn”, other activities, as well as for each child to sponsors. developed what is called a ‘culture’ ...This leading to understanding the concept of learn more and reach the highest personal Consider that no matter how little help involves the process of thought not just in- the brotherhood of mankind. Scouting is results in achieving badges and awards you give, it will be better than none. stinct. not only the oldest youth organisation but both at Scouts and at school. Sometimes it may be what will make the Individuals who have not received a cul- the largest worldwide movement. For such good results already achieved difference between a mediocre activity tural upbringing find themselves alone in With this introduction I will include the re- in the short time the Greek Scouts Groups and a fantastic one for the children. society, with its consequences. mark that for Greek Australian children, if have been active, and in order to sustain Get in touch and join “The Greek Scouts Away from their roots, their set of values there is anything worthwhile doing after the present activity, and for further im- Team” as a youth member or as an adult and customs, they would be without an school, it is participation in the Greek Scout provements in the future, our movement leader, or as a supporter, or be a Sponsor identity. units. The participation in “Scouting Plus”. needs the participation of an increased to help this most important Cause. For youth to obtain their culture it is ob- “Scouting” in multicultural Australia is the number of volunteer Leaders. It is worth remembering that donations viously necessary to keep with one’s line part involving the Scouting Aims with its We need some more dedicated persons to the Scout Movement are tax deductible. of origin and to learn the language of their unique system and methods. to give a little or a lot of their valuable time culture of origin. “Plus” is what we call the addition of our for the sake of the children, and to enable In our case, obviously, to enable contact “Parallel Greek Orthodox Cultural Program” more of our youth to join. The Commissioner for Greek Scouts with our line of origin the language is with its special benefits. Finally, like other similar organisations Mr George Papadimitriou James Greek. The aims of Scouting are our aims. We there is always the financial side of mat- T. (02) 95671835 Without it, they cannot have access to are fortunate to be part of the Australian ters. It is not easy to provide such a won- Email: [email protected] our culture. Scouts Association or “Scouts Australia”, for The real risk is if they end up with the their valuable assistance in training our culture of the mob, with low values and Leaders, for providing great camping facil- spiritual views. ities, and generally for the opportunity to Christian Dior, Gucci, Ted Baker “Mob” culture embraces the most popu- participate in the Australian Scouting pro- lar beliefs and includes what is in fashion gram and having access to International Katerina + Kyriacos Mavrolefteros at the time. Scouting. But culture cannot be the same as fash- Our Patrons are the Governor General of ion. Our beliefs and values should not be Australia and His Eminence our Archbishop. changed from time to time, alongside other We are under the Aegis of the G.O. Arch- changes such as the style of our hair, or diocese of Australia which has supported the size of our tie. us from the beginning and is encouraging This then is the reason why we want our us while recognising the value of our aims. children to learn Greek. Also we have a valuable ongoing connec- tion with Soma Ellinon Proscopon (the How do the children learn the Greek Scouts Association). Ban Ray Greek language? The special benefits at the Greek Scout Groups are derived from the inclu- It used to be from home and school. sion of our “Parallel Greek Orthodox pro- Nowadays mainly it is left to the school gram” for the knowledge and practice of and occasionally to the home if it is spo- our Culture and the Greek language. ken. Contributing factors are how much prac- CONCLUSION: tice they get. The amount of experience While our children are developing into will depend on the opportunities they re- good future citizens of this great Australian 874 Anzac Parade, Maroubra Junction ceive. Nation, and if we have a good representa- (at bus stop, on RTA block)

(at bus stop, on RTA block) Rodenstock, Here we will mention what Scouting tive number of Greek Australian Scouts, does. they will be an example to follow for those TTeell:: ((0022)) 99331144--00339933 At the Scouting movement the children who are not members. We live in a great Serengeti, Maui Jim, Fendi learn new things, make new friends; they country with freedom and democracy, full [email protected] are part of a team and have lots of fun, of prosperity for which our migrant forefa- while the ultimate aim is the formation of thers have greatly contributed and we are Nina Ricci, Oakley, La font FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/33

SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS FOR ST ANDREW’S THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

Commemorative photo taken after the Doxology conducted by His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, in the small College Chapel of St John the Evangelist and Theologian

The College’s silver jubilee occasioned sebios, another of the College’s graduates The luncheon which followed the doxolo- warmly thanked for assisting His Grace much joy and thanksgiving as it brought to- born and raised in Melbourne, and ac- gy was hosted and served by the volun- Bishop Seraphim with the tremendous or- gether many from around Australia for knowledged the tireless contribution to the teers of the NSW Ladies Auxiliary, all of ganisation of the event. three special events, each of which in its Church of the retired abbot, Father whom rejoiced at re-kindling past acquain- Bishop-elect Iakovos captured the theme own way bore testimony to the signifi- Stephanos, His Eminence’s first Vicar-Gen- tances, and who were warmly thanked by of the evening, the truth that life within the cance of St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox The- eral upon his arrival in Australia in the mid- His Eminence. Church is an expression of life within a ological College, Sydney, for the Church 1970s. The evening’s Anniversary Dinner, host- family where all members are related to here in Australia. Moved by the reunion gathering of so ed by St Andrew’s Brotherhood, was the one another personally; and on a larger The first of these events on February 18, many graduates with their families and second special event. It attracted around Church level, where all parishes, schools, was the reunion of graduates with former friends, His Eminence thanked our Lord for 520 people from parishes, schools, and or- organisations, and the Theological College, classmates and lecturers coupled with the the many blessings he has bestowed upon ganisations within NSW as well as guests are all intimately related to one another doxology for the official opening of the ac- the Church here in Australia and upon the from interstate to the scenic Nick’s Bar & and vital to one another. Though a gifted ademic year at the College, a doxology College, the mere existence and continuing Grill Restaurant along King Street Wharf, preacher, he preferred only a few words which has taken place each year since operation of which is a tangible miracle of Darling Harbour. Official guests included of thanks to all, especially to His Eminence, 1986 and which has been vital to the Col- God in a country such as Australia which the Hon. John Hatzistergos, NSW Attorney but most importantly to God, and ex- lege’s journey. As a centre of theological too often seems to underestimate the need General, who conveyed the greetings of pressed his feeling of awe before his learning and student formation for a quar- for the promotion and support of theologi- the Premier; Mr Peter King, President of forthcoming consecration and publicly ter of a century, the College’s progress cal education in contrast to Europe and the Sydney College of Divinity which ac- asked forgiveness from all present. His from year to year has not only been built North America. credits and cooperates with St Andrew’s Eminence followed with words of thanks of upon the tireless efforts of the lecturers Not least, His Eminence wholeheartedly for the purposes of tertiary theological ed- his own, remembering in particular the and staff and the dedication of students to welcomed the two first-year seminarian ucation; Profs Diane Speed and Raymond many non-Orthodox Christians who sup- study ‘sacred letters’ and to open them- students: Stefan Mastilovic (New Zealand - Nobbs, current and former Deans of the ported the founding of the College and selves to the Lord and His calling in what- Serbian Orthodox Church, with referral Sydney College of Divinity respectively; contributed to its progress over the years. ever manner that may manifest itself. It from His Grace Bishop Irinej) and George and the Rev. Associate Prof. Gerard Kelly, He further added that as an institution es- has also been built upon the prayer and Vrionis (Melbourne). He presented both Principal of the Catholic Institute and long- tablished primarily for the preparation of worship offered up to the Lord by so many with a critical edition of the Greek New time friend and supporter of the College. clergy, it was a sign of the College’s matu- who found themselves in the small College Testament, the traditional gift bestowed Dr Theo Penklis, President of the Brother- rity that one of its own was soon to be Chapel of St John the Evangelist and The- upon each new seminarian. hood, and Mrs Marianne Penklis were consecrated a bishop, a landmark for the ologian and throughout each parish and local Church. monastery of our Church across Australia, During the evening special acknowl- and in particular during each episcopal di- edgements were made of Sir Arthur vine liturgy where our Lord God is asked George, major benefactor of the College by the presiding hierarch to remember with his late wife Lady Renee George; the “those who teach and those who are late Chrissie Paspalis, major benefactor of taught within our Theological College; the College, represented that evening by along with those who support and show her children Peter and Helene Coombes; benefaction towards it”. as well as Dr John Lee, Dr Guy Freeland, On this day, the small Chapel of no more and Dr James Athanasou, long-serving than fifty square metres, canvassed with members of the College Faculty. iconography and resonating with familiar The function brought to a close a won- chant, embraced within its sandstone walls derful day of thanksgiving and celebration five hierarchs, an abbot of a monastery, which would lead to the third special event and numerous staff, students and gradu- two days later, namely the consecration of ates, both clergy and lay. The Dean, His His Grace Bishop-elect Iakovos of Mile- Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, toupolis, the first College graduate and warmly welcomed all those present includ- Australian-born to be elevated to the rank ing Their Graces Bishops Ezekiel of Dervis, of the episcopate by the Ecumenical Patri- Seraphim of Apollonias (College Sub-Dean), archate. Nikandros of Dorylaion, along with Bishop- May the years of the Theological College elect Iakovos of Miletoupolis who began be many and blessed as those who labour his student years at the College with the therein strive to serve the Church and to same doxology back in February 1992. He meet its pastoral needs, with the prayers further welcomed the newly appointed Ab- and support of all the faithful. bot of the Holy Monastery of ‘Panagia Pan- His Eminence during his speech at the Anniversary Dinner hosted by St Andrew’s Brotherhood tanassa’ in Mangrove Mountain, Father Eu- at Darling Harbour T. Kalogerakis The Greek Australian VEMA FEBRUARY 2011 16/34 TO BHMA

Kevin Rudd speaks in Athens

There is a sense of awe about Greece’s contribution to Australia of a small Cretan church, complete with a bell vironment, the small pearling business they established our civilisation. The home of democracy. The birthplace of tower and terracotta roof. It was built by Corporal Geoff has grown into the world’s leading producer of South Sea Plato, Socrates and Homer. The origin of modern learning. Edwards to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the pearls. Greek philosophy, Greek sculpture, Greek drama and Cretans who helped him avoid capture. Their success as a result of hard work, tenacity and Greek mathematics underlie much that is great in our strength of spirit speaks volumes of the Greek character. shared civilisation. As one famous scholar famously put it, New challenges And Australia is better for it. all other European philosophy “consists of a series of foot- Although on a different scale, Greece is again facing notes to Plato”. great challenges. The government of Prime Minister Returning capital In short, the achievements of Greek society, your socie- George Papandreou has shown commendable foresight In a small way, Australia is now giving back some of ty, are at the bedrock of the values that characterise our and resolution in implementing the reform as required as the human capital that it has gained from Greece. Dimitris modern Western society. part of the 110 billion EU-IMF package. From our own re- Dollis moved to Australia at the age of 15 and rose to be- These are not abstract concepts to Australians. As one cent economic history, we know the challenge - and the come a member of a state parliament. Having made his of the longest continuous democracies, we cherish the pain - of reform. contribution to Australian political life, he has now returned freedoms and democratic rights that have helped make We know that the course your leaders have set is the to Greece, where he currently serves as your deputy for- our society the success it is. We do not forget that we right one. We are confident that you will emerge from this eign minister. have Greece to thank for them. more resilient, stronger and more dynamic. My visit to Greece this week is designed to leverage The dramatic events of recent days and weeks remind Australia has another reason to thank Greece. We have these links of people, culture and society as a basis to de- us of the significance of these values. Just on the other a 500,000-strong Greek community as a result of deci- liver new gains in cooperation between our governments, side of the Mediterranean, young men and women are sions made by thousands of your countrymen and women economies and peoples. Time and again, Greeks and Aus- struggling in pursuit of the rights that our societies have at to make Australia their home. Around half of these people tralians have shown themselves willing to roll up their their core. live in Melbourne, known as the city with the third largest sleeves and get on with the job. Like the Paspaleys, we Their struggle reminds us of the value of Greece’s con- Greek-speaking population in the world. can turn challenges into opportunities to transform our na- tribution. The values that originated on your soil are worth The contribution of Greeks to Australian society has tions and regions for the better. I come to Greece in awe fighting for. been a remarkable one. Take just one example - the Pas- at its past, confident of its future and determined to work Australians have known this instinctively. Australians paley family, who fled the Greek island of Kastellorizo more closely together. have fought tyranny here in Europe, here in Greece. In the during the First World War. Exhausted by the long trip, they Battle of Crete in May 1941, more than 270 Australians made the first place they docked at their home. That place Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, laid down their lives in defence of these higher values. was the tiny West Australian town of Cossack, 1,500 kilo- Kevin Rudd MP formerly served This event explains the incongruous presence in Western metres away from the capital, Perth. Despite the harsh en- as Australia’s Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA St. Euphemia Greek Orthodox College End ofBlessing the Year ofHighlights the New atSchool St Euphemia Year - 2011 College

On Monday 31 January, the students began the 2011 school year by attending Church. They were welcomed by our Reverend Fathers, Father Panagiotis and Father Stavros and received Holy Blessing-Ayiasmos.

Welcome to Kindergarten Our Year 2 students aren’t shy, Our wonderful Kindergarten students they enjoy showcasting receiving their Kindergarten Diplomas their creative talents for completing their first year at big school

The first day of school brought a lot of smiles to the faces of our students and their teach- ers. The students were eager to settle into the Kindergarten routine and begin their formal education at St Euphemia College. We wish them a happy year ahead and thank the parents for entrusting their children’s education to us.

Our Year 6 students ending the year with a song before moving onto High School FEBRUARY 2010 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 17/35

$216,640.80 for the flood victims of Queensland through the Special Collection of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia for the “Queensland Flood Appeal”

$216,640.80 was the total amount from the Special Collection made on Sunday 16th January 2011 in all churches of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, to help the flood victims, through the Queensland Flood Appeal. Below are the amounts collected from every Parish and Community (of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia), throughout the country:

NEW SOUTH WALES ST PANTELEIMON PARISH - DANDENONG $ 1,475.00 THEOFANIA PARISH & COMMUNITY - FRANKSTON $ 545.00 CATHEDRAL OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LADY - REDFERN $ 2,220.00 ST PARASKEVI PARISH - ST ALBANS $ 1,700.00 STS CONSTANTINE & HELEN PARISH - NEWTOWN $ 2,250.00 THREE HEIRARCHS PARISH - CLAYTON $ 3,150.00 ST SOPHIA PARISH - TAYLOR SQ. $ 452.00 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD PARISH - THOMASTOWN $ 3,500.00 ST GEORGE PARISH & COMMUNITY- ROSE BAY $ 2,105.00 THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD PARISH - COBURG $ 5,000.00 ST IOANNIS PARISH & COMMUNITY- PARRAMATTA $ 6,102.90 THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LADY TO THE TEMPLE PARISH - N. BALWYN $ 2,500.00 ST SPYRIDON PARISH & COMMUNITY- KINGSFORD $ 4,593.45 ST RAPHAEL PARISH - BENTLEIGH $ 2,700.00 ST NICHOLAS PARISH - MARRICKVILLE $ 5,100.00 ST ANDREWS PARISH - NUNAWADING $ 2,797.00 ST GERASIMOS PARISH & COMMUNITY - LEICHHARDT $ 1,607.00 ST HARALAMBOS PARISH - TEMPLESTOWE $ 3,756.00 ST EUPHEMIA PARISH & COMMUNITY - BANKSTOWN $ 7,000.00 PANAGIA SOUMELA PARISH - KEILOR $ 2,810.00 ST MICHAEL PARISH & COMMUNITY - CROWS NEST $ 2,014.00 ST ANDREWS PARISH & COMMUNITY - SUNSHINE $ 800.00 ALL SAINTS PARISH & COMMUNITY- BELMORE $ 4,560.00 THE DORMITION OF OUR LADY PARISH & COMMUNITY - GEELONG $ 520.00 TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD PARISH & COMMUNITY - KOGARAH $ 9,505.00 ST GEORGE CHURCH - SHEPPARTON $ 1,492.00 ST NECTARIOS PARISH & COMMUNITY- BURWOOD $ 3,776.00 ST. JOHN PARISH - CARLTON $ 490.00 ST ANDREW PARISH - GLADESVILLE $ 3,331.00 ST. ATHANASIOS PARISH - SPRINGVALE $ 1,695.00 ST CATHERINE PARISH - MASCOT $ 3,270.00 ST ANDREWS ELDERLY GROUP - NUNAWADING $ 200.00 ST STEPHANOS PARISH - HURLSTONE PARK $ 1,880.90 MRS CONSTANTINA $ 50.00 ST RAPHAEL PARISH & COMMUNITY - LIVERPOOL $ 2,005.00 TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD PARISH - EARLWOOD $ 3,097.00 TOTAL $84,012.80 ST PARASKEVE PARISH & COMMUNITY - BLACKTOWN $ 2,365.00 ST DEMETRIUS PARISH & COMMUNITY- ST MARY’S $ 1,080.00 SOUTH AUSTRALIA ST STYLIANOS PARISH - SUTHERLAND $ 2,615.00 ST ATHANASIOS CHURCH - ROOKWOOD CEMETERY $ 2,335.00 ST NECTARIOS HOLY MONASTERY - CROYDON PARK $ 1,734.65 HOLY CROSS PARISH & COMMUNITY - WOLLONGONG $ 2,250.00 ST PANTELEIMON PARISH - GLENELG $ 600.00 HOLY APOSTLES PARISH & COMMUNITY - NEWCASTLE $ 805.00 PROPHET ELIAS PARISH & COMMUNITY - NORWOOD $ 4,000.00 PANAGIA MIRTIDIOTISSIS PARISH & COMMUNITY - DUBBO $ 332.00 ST SPYRIDON PARISH & COMMUNITY - UNLEY $ 4,000.00 ARCHANGELS PARISH & COMMUNITY - ALBURY $ 435.00 ST GEORGE PARISH & COMMUNITY - THEBARTON $ 3,258.00 ST DIONYSIOS PARISH - GOSFORD $ 330.00 THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST PARISH OF PT ADELAIDE $ 3,000.00 ST NICHOLAS PARISH & COMMUNITY- CANBERRA $ 900.00 ST ANTHONY PARISH & COMMUNITY - PROSPECT $ 2,320.00 ST DEMETRIUS PARISH - QUEANBEYAN $ 1,026.00 ST DEMETRIOS PARISH - SALISBURY $ 2,275.00 ST THERAPON PARISH - THORNLEIGH $ 1,320.00 ST ANDREW PARISH - NOARLUNGA $ 1,450.00 ANONYMOUS $ 10.00 STS RAPHAEL, NICHOLAS AND IRENE PARISH - ATHELSTONE $ 1,590.00 PHILOPTOHOS OF KOGARAH PARISH $ 1,000.00 ST GEORGE PARISH & COMMUNITY - PORT PIRIE $ 255.00 ST CONSTANTINE & HELEN PARISH & COMMUNITY - RENMARK $ 120.00 TOTAL $81,672.25 ST NICHOLAS PARISH & COMMUNITY - DARWIN $ 2,625.00 VICTORIA TOTAL $27,227.65

HOLY MONASTERY OF “PANAGIA KAMARIANI” - RED HILL $ 3,337.00 QUEENSLAND HOLY MONASTERY OF “AXION ESTIN” - NORTHCOTE $ 3,000.00 ST EFSTATHIOS PARISH - SOUTH MELBOURNE $ 2,300.00 ST GEORGE PARISH & COMMUNITY - BRISBANE $ 9,287.00 THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LADY - EAST MELBOURNE $ 670.00 THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS PARISH & COMM. MT GRAVATT $ 2,830.00 SAINT DIMITRIOS - PRAHRAN $ 1,280.00 ST PARASKEVI PARISH - BRISBANE $ 1,932.30 HOLY TRINITY - FOOTSCRAY $ 700.00 ST ANNA PARISH & COMMUNITY - GOLD COAST $ 2,185.00 STS CONSTANTINE & HELEN PARISH - SOUTH YARRA $ 1,105.00 ST JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH - CAIRNS $ 550.00 SAINT VASILIOS PARISH - BRUNSWICK $ 3,905.00 STS THEODORES PARISH & COMMUNITY - TOWNSVILLE $ 241.80 HOLY TRINITY PARISH - RICHMOND $ 1,794.00 ST DIMITRIOS PARISH - ASCOT VALE $ 1,935.00 TOTAL $17,026.10 ST ANTHONY PARISH - SUNSHINE $ 1,340.00 ST CATHERINE PARISH - EAST MALVERN $ 1,200.00 WESTERN AUSTRALIA ST NICHOLAS PARISH - YARRAVILLE $ 2,450.00 STS ANARGYRI PARISH & COMMUNITY - OAKLEIGH $14,660.80 ST NEKTARIOS PARISH - DIANELLA $ 412.00 ST CYRIL & METHODIOS PARISH - PRESTON $ 1,470.00 ST CONSTANTINE & HELEN PARISH & COMMUNITY- PERTH $ 3,000.00 ST NEKTARIOS PARISH - FAWKNER $ 3,330.00 THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LADY PARISH & COMMUNITY - PERTH $ 2,290.00 ARCHANGELS PARISH & COMMUNITY - MENTONE $ 1,391.00 ST NICHOLAS PARISH & COMMUNITY- BUNBURY $ 1,000.00 THE DORMITION OF OUR LADY PARISH & COM. - NORTH ALTONA $ 1,400.00 HOLY CROSS PARISH & COMMUNITY - BOX HILL $ 1,565.00 TOTAL $6,702.00 FEBRUARY 2011 18/36 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA Arts, Food & Wine Editor: Imogen Coward Mediterranean Foodies’ Paradise: New Zealand’s South Island

By Imogen Coward scapes and the adrenalin rush of bungee jumping, skiing ferent nature is a visit to the Dunedin Cadbury Factory and the like (I won’t mention the number of physiothera- which conducts several tours daily through their working An opportunity to explore the South Island of New pists per square kilometer - it’s quite informative). What is factory (visit www.cadburyworld.co.nz for information). It’s Zealand, famed both for its natural beauty and its quality less known is that just 10mins walk from the centre of quite something to see the sheer volume of chocolates produce, is both affordable and not to be missed. Food town is the Mediterranean Market (The Junction - 53 produced in a minute, and to breathe in the sugar-laden and cost-wise, it is hard to go past booking into accom- Robins Rd), a one-stop-shop which provides high quality, air (not an experience you will forget). modation with a full kitchen then sourcing and cooking usually locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, your own food from local providers rather than eating out. meat as well as all manner of Mediterranean style food- Canterbury Region: Christchurch A well kept secret is that despite its colder climate, the stuffs from olives and pastas, to a variety of cheeses, yo- Here I have to confess a bias as I have family in this South Island of New Zealand has developed quite an em- ghurts and small goods. Of particular note are the ricotta city who are involved in the food-business; a bias which phasis on Mediterranean cuisine, and fantastic quality, lo- (it is the most creamy you will ever taste), kalamata olives, is also a bonus when it comes to finding your way to the cally produced foods including olives and olive oil. There fresh bread and the considerable range of New Zealand best food locations in the city. Situated in the heart of New are a wealth of culinary experiences from Queenstown, olive oils. For those with a sweet tooth, The Remarkable Zealand’s agricultural, food-producing region, there are a and icy Dunedin in the Otago region at the south of the is- Sweet Shop (39 Beach St) is an interesting place and wealth of farms outside Christchurch where you can buy land, to Christchurch in Canterbury, and the wine-produc- Patagonia Chocolates (50 Beach St, in front of the lake) is fresh produce at the farm door, or, pick your own (in sea- ing Marlborough region in the north. Aside from the out- a must-stop shop. Whether you fancy a hot chocolate with son); an experience not to be missed. standing wines and fresh produce, the dairy, mutton, veni- chilli (not for the faint-hearted), a cooling gelato, handmade Farmers markets are a fantastic way to get a culinary son and preserved goods including smoked eel are also chocolates, or a triple-chocolate brownie, there is some- feel for the region and to sample a range of the local pro- sure to impress. thing there to please everyone. duce. Of particular note are the farmers’ markets located If you are lucky enough to take a day-trip to spectacu- in the picturesque grounds of Riccarton House every Sat- Otago Region: lar Milford Sound, you may also get a chance on the way urday (all year) and Wednesdays January-April (visit Sitting at the south of New Zealand, the Otago region to sample the venison (deer meat) pies from the pie-shop www.christchurchfarmersmarket.co.nz). Depending on the has a high annual rain-fall, luscious pastures, and, among across the road from lake Te Anau. While venison is still time of year, there are fresh vegetables, high quality other things, produces some of the richest dairy any- far from mainstream in Australia, it is fairly common in cheeses both local and imported, olive oils (try Robinson’s where in the world. In fact, every time you eat a piece of New Zealand, where venison ravioli is available in regular Bay from the Canterbury region), meats and cakes. Cadbury milk chocolate, you are eating milk from the Ota- supermarkets. The flavour is more tasty than beef and is While you’re in Christchurch, be sure to pick up a bot- go region, processed by the Cadbury factory in Otago’s only mildly game-y, as venison sold on the New Zealand tle or two of the Astrolabe Kekerengu Coast Sauvignon main city, Dunedin which is then shipped to Tasmania to market is farm-reared. The wild deer are exported to Eu- Blanc sold at Vino Fino (see the Wine Review column) to be turned into chocolate. rope, mainly. bring home to Australia. Visit the Mediterranean Food Company (322 Tuam St) for a wide variety of Mediter- Queenstown and Te Anau: Dunedin: ranean oils, vinegars, pastas as well as wines from Queenstown is best known as a lakeside, picturesque, Dunedin is very much a university and industrial city, Greece, Italy and other areas in Europe. The Marketplace, thrill-seeker’s town for anyone who fancies amazing land- and, as you’d expect, the character of the city has a managed by chef, Nik Mavromatis (okay, there’s my fam- strong Scots influence from the naming of the buildings, to ily connection), also serves meals including a truly exotic the availability of haggis. On a culinary level, the fresh funghi (mushroom) pizza with truffles. produce, particularly fruit and vegetables on offer in Last but not least, you can’t visit New Zealand without Dunedin is generally not as diverse as in the more cos- at least going to one or two of their magnificent book- mopolitan Queenstown. That said, the gravalax (preserved stores. After all, it’s always good to have food for thought salmon - similar to smoked salmon), mutton pies and, un- (all puns intended). New Zealand is very much a land of Écoutez! believably yellow and thick fresh cream available at the avid readers and any booklover will find plenty of appe- regular supermarkets are not to be missed. A little gem, tizing morsels in Dunedin’s University Bookshop (378 Arts Review tucked away towards the University of Otago is Everyday Great King St, Dunedin), or Christchurch’s Scorpio Books Gourmet (466 George St) which boasts a café as well as (79 Hereford St, Christchurch). Both these shops cover produce including quality German-style bread, a variety of every topic and genre imaginable from children’s picture Mediterranean staples including olives, oils, preserved books to Cartier Jewellery retrospectives, and organic tomatoes and pastas. gardening techniques. Another fascinating food-experience of an entirely dif- Bon voyage! FFoooodd && WWiinnee

Light and Landscape: The New Zealand Astrolabe Discovery Kekerengu Coast Photographs of Andris Apse Craig Potton Publishing Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Nelson, New Zealand) 2009 Nothing beats really standing next to a glacier, or A cool climate white from Kekerengu coastal vineyards in New Zealand’s Marlborough re- under a waterfall, or in a rainforest, but Andris Apse’s gion at the north of the South Island. This Sauvignon Blanc presents a fine example of the stunning photographs come a very close second. This flavour quality of the region and what this grape can achieve in the hands of skilled grow- book captures the sense of awe, wonder and scale ers Chris and Lynne Wilson and Paddy and Anna Trolove, and winemaker Simon Waghorn. of New Zealand’s natural beauty. The large landscape Fruity aromas of stonefruit with a hint of grass lead to full flavours reminiscent of ripe nec- format, and beautiful quality printing and paper lend tarines, a hint of passionfruit and a clean, crisp finish. Best served lightly chilled. This wine themselves well to Apse’s photographs. Hardback, is reasonably priced (approx $24 NZD) and readily available for purchase in New Zealand, but may be hard to lo- cloth bound with a slip case, this book is well worth cate in Australia. You can visit the winemaker’s website at www.astrolabewines.co.nz or contact Vino Fino in its price tag of around $150 NZD. It is both a brilliant Christchurch www.vinofino.co.nz guide for places to put on your ‘must see’ list, as well as a beautiful reminder of any trip to New Zealand. Light and Landscape is available from a number of GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA bookstores in the South Island of New Zealand, in- Visit our website cluding Paper Plus in Dunedin or visit the publisher’s website www.craigpotton.co.nz I.C. www.greekorthodox.org.au FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 19/37 Travel Parnassos villages Run for the hills Easily accessible from Athens, this group of small communities offers opportunities for hiking or just sitting back and admiring nature

BY H. ARGYROPOULOS

The villages on the northeast- ern side of Mount Parnassos, some 170 kilometers northwest of Athens, are a very interesting proposition for a weekend out- ing. The foothills of the mountain, which look out over a huge plain, host some fine guesthous- es, good eating places, historical sites and plenty of opportunities for mountain walks. Amfikleia is a lively and friend- ly village - a listed traditional settlement and home to at least five hundred stone-built houses with neoclassical elements and arched gates. It also has a won- derful church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with old frescoes, several ambient guesthouses and good tavernas. A stroll to its upper reaches will be rewarded lar tavernas and cafes. There oped the craft of knife making, The area, which is traversed by eral of its towers retain their with excellent views of the vil- are several beautiful locations of which there is one practition- National Walking Route 22, also windows and bastions. Near Tit- lage and the plain below. If you around the village, in the area of er left. features the Polydrosos cave, horea is Ancient Chaeronea, the come by train, check out the old Aghia Eleousa, and a medieval Ano Polydrosos is an appeal- with wonderfully strange forma- birthplace of 1st-century AD his- diesel engines at the station. An tower near an old hydropower ing village with restored stone- tions. torian Plutarch. The site is best invigorating walk, lasting about station. Polydrosos also devel- built houses amid a fir forest, On the road to Eptalofos, you known for the statue of a lion an hour-and-a-half, is to the Mo- brooks and fountains. At the will also see signs to the “Fortifi- guarding the tomb where the nastery of Aghia Ierousalim, in- springs near the Church of cation of Ancient Lilaea” - an fallen in the 388 BC battle side a cave, believed to have Aghia Eleousa there are ancient acropolis with imposing walls against Philip of Macedon were been built around 1200 by the and Byzantine ruins in a tranquil and towers built of huge stones. buried. Crusaders. and lush area. Above the source The ancient city of Lilaea, be- There is an archaeological On the way, you’ll find a water of the Kifissos River - no relation tween Kato Agoriani and Poly- museum, an ancient theater spring and a huge walnut tree - to the one in Attica - are the ru- drosos, flourished between the carved into the rock and an look out for squirrels. Accommo- ins of an early Christian church. 10th and 7th centuries BC. Sev- acropolis with a wall. dation in Amfikleia tends to be expensive, especially in winter, due to its proximity to Mt Par- nassos’s popular ski center (17 km). Driving across the plain in a southeasterly direction, you will come to Kato Tithorea after 8.5 km and, after taking a right turn, ascend to the village of Tithorea, on the slopes of Parnassos. Signs of habitation in the area 1 2 3 4 date from as early as 2000 BC as well as remains of a Hel- lenistic-era wall. An uphill climb Where to stay What to eat Transport What to see taking a little over 90 minutes will bring you to a historic cave In Amfikleia: Kyriaki (tel 29011, In Polydrosos: En Parnasso, small, Touring the area requires your own Amfikleia’s Bread Museum, with (called “Mavri Troupa” - “Black www.xenonaskiriaki.gr), tasteful guest- ambient family restaurant with good transport, unless you are an avid dozens of different shapes of bread Hole” - by the locals) above a house with excellent breakfast, pool wine and desserts; Magos (tel 51422), walker. The shortest route to Amfik- and traditional equipment used in its gorge, which was used as a and fantastic views; Dadi (tel 29040, well known in the area for its amaz- leia is via the Athens-Lamia highway - preparation; an annual, three-day bread fete is held in November; hideout by Odysseas Androut- www.xenonasdadi.gr), restored 1890 ing grilled meat; Kotsoulas (tel 51275), follow signs for Kastro, Orchomenos house with wonderful garden, very on the square, serves game. In Amfik- and Livadia (watch your speed on the Davlia, 5.5 kilometers from Kato sos, a hero of the War of Inde- clean. In Polydrosos: Karahalios (tel leia: Andreas, excellent homemade Kastro-Livadia stretch or the police Tithorea, a verdant village near an- pendence against the Ottomans. 51116), restored old house with dishes; Giatros, on the square, fine will book you). Without a car, you will cient Davlida - mentioned by Homer - Tithorea has a pretty square courtyard; Erohos Suites (tel 29610, Greek grill; Merentitis (tel 22246), tra- have to rely on taxis. Trains will take with panoramic views; 5 km from built around a plane tree and is www.eroxos.gr), deluxe, wonderful ditional Greek cuisine and grilled you to Amfikleia and Tithorea (tel Davlia, in a wonderfully lush spot at reputed for its olive oil and views; Scholarchio (tel 51777), an old dishes; Mantha’s Pies (tel 23020). In 1110, 210.527.7777) in about one 900 meters, is the Convent of Aghia wine. An attractive route across school with a loft area; In Tithorea: Tithorea: Limeri tou Seskoulou (tel hour and 45 minutes. Area phone Ierousalim, founded in 1088; buy the plain in a northeasterly di- Amfikaia Farm (tel 48860, www.am- 71249) and Steki tou Giala (tel 71237), code: 22340; Amfikleia police: 22435; widely available good fir honey, feta and yogurt; the Argyriou Winery in rection, 10 km from Amfikleia, fikaia.gr), agritourism complex. which both serve excellent mutton health center: 22944/5; town hall: and have big fireplaces which serve 22435. Polydrosos has very good Merlot. brings you to verdant Poly- as grills. drosos, frequented for its popu- The Greek Australian VEMA FEBRUARY 2011 20/38 TO BHMA

When classicists go digital

The oldest-surviving ancient Greek texts have made it to cyberspace. And they are just a few mouse clicks away thanks to the world’s first and only digital Greek human- ities archive. It currently boasts over one million words. This is equivalent to one gigabyte of text-only data - about 500,000 pages or 1,000 thick books. Maria Pantelia, a Greek classicist from Athens, is the director of the Thesaurus Lin- guae Graecae (TLG), a Greek-language treasury built at the University of Califor- nia, Irvine, in the United States. According to Pantelia, the TLG is an on- line anthology of virtually all surviving Greek texts from 800 BC to AD 600, as well as the majority of works up to the fall of Byzantium in 1453. Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates, the New Testament and the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) are only a few of the TLG holdings. Appointed to head the project 15 years ago, Pantelia’s goal today is to continue digitising. “We are digitising everything,” she told the Athens News in a telephone interview. “Now the goal is to go all the way to the 20th century.” Born and raised in Athens, Pantelia is an expert in Greek epic poetry and Hellenistic Maria poetry, and her work has been published Pantelia in the International Journal of Lexicography and the American Journal of Philology. She studied classics and linguistics in Athens “In today’s digital age, searching through at the University of Cali- before pursuing graduate and postgradu- millions of books in a matter of seconds fornia, Irvine. She was in- ate studies at Ohio State University. has become a trivial matter. To google is spired by her dissertation Pantelia was hired to replace Theodore now a verb and part of our daily vocabu- research on terms of Brunner - the first director of TLG. One of lary. But 40 years ago, the idea of putting happiness in Euripides. her first tasks was to initiate a massive up- 2,500 or more years of Greek literature in- This is why she proposed the creation of Digital libraries grade of the TLG’s coding system. to the computer sounded closer to the a computerised databank of Greek litera- “The first director happened to retire,” realm of science fiction than reality,” writes ture. • Tufts University in Boston is working Pantelia says. “I had the experience and Pantelia in a recent issue of Between the McDonald, who funded the project on the Perseus Project, a digital library the knowledge. I thought it would be the Lines, a publication of the UC Irvine School anonymously, insisted on anonymity until founded in 1987 to collect materials for s- perfect job.” of Humanities. her graduation. tudy of ancient Greece. The project was officially established in • Claremount Graduate University in Today the archive is self-sustaining. It The marriage of classical has more than 2,000 paid subscribers 1972. Classicists from around Europe and California is working with the Patriarchal around the world. The list includes aca- scholarship with technology the United States attended a planning con- Institute in Thessaloniki to digitise all of the demics, institutions and governments. ference to exchange views and offer ad- 22,000 manuscripts held in the Orthodox Every Greek state university has access to It all started with one student’s idea and vice on how to proceed. monasteries of Mount Athos. Thousands of the archive. a generous one million dollar investment. Theodore Brunner directed the project these manuscripts are deteriorating. “It’s an indispensable tool for scholars,” The person behind it was Marianne Mc- from 1972 to his retirement in 1998. Pan- Pantelia says. Donald, then a graduate student in classics telia succeeded him in 1998. Athens News SCULPTOR and STAINED GLASS MASTER

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