Wednesday April 24, 2024 in the Holy City of Messolonghi was dedicated to the Chief of the Guard of the Exodites, Athanasios Razi-Kotsika.
In the afternoon at the historical museum of Diexodos, the Founder of the Museum, Mr. Nikolaos Kordosis, handed over the weapons of Razis-Kotsikas, which are kept there, to young Messolongites, dressed in traditional uniforms and in a procession they went to the Garden of Heroes.
A memorial service was held at the bust of Razis-Kotsikas by the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Aetolia and Acarnania Mr. Damascenes and the representatives of the authorities laid wreaths.
Then, in the forecourt of the Episcopal Palace of the Holy Metropolis of Aetolia and Acarnania, opposite the Garden of Heroes, an event was held by the Choir of the Municipality of the Holy City of Messolonghi, entitled: “Rasso and Dress” For the faith of Christ, Saint and Homeland Freedom.
During the magnificent performance of Music, Speech and Multimedia, the Clerical Heroes of 1821 came to life on stage, from the Hieromartyr Gregory V, Patriarch of Constantinople to the Hero and National Martyr Bishop of Rogon Joseph.
The distinguished actor Mr. Nikitas Tsakiroglou interpreted in a unique way the texts of Ms. Marina Kassaveti, while the singer Mr. Kostas Makedonas, Ms. Vicky Geobre and the Choir of the Municipality of Messolonghi, under the direction of Mr. Spyros Holeva, performed the songs and hymns.
Closing the event, the Metropolitan of Aetolia and Acarnania, Mr. Damaskinos, visibly moved, thanked the organizers, the performers and the participants for this unique evening, saying among other things:
“Our story is shocking! So overwhelming that it weighs heavily on our shoulders and we feel too weak to carry this weight. What forms came to life today, what faces stood out through our bright historical path! If they said something to you in your soul, and I’m sure they said a lot, imagine for me and the clergy who attended this event today what all these clerical heroes were able to say in our soul. Personally, at this moment I am reliving the burden of responsibility that I experienced when I accepted my election as Metropolitan of Aetolia and Acarnania, being aware that at every Divine Liturgy the second person I will mention in the list of my Predecessors will be Bishop Iosif of Rogon . And I added the title of National Martyr. I don’t know if at some point the Church will officially include Joseph Rogon in the holy lists, but this is how I remember him and believe me, this responsibility is heavy to be the successor of such a Bishop”.
Afterwards, His Eminence referred to the area of the Episcopate and the efforts being made to renovate it, so that it can be visited and host corresponding historical and cultural events.
“The responsibility of mine and of all of you is to show ourselves worthy of the sacrifice of these heroes and not to deviate from the path they carved. Not to betray their own values, but to remain committed to the sanctuaries and the faithful that they bequeathed to us. It is a great responsibility for me and for you, for your families, our teachers, our rulers, for all of us, because then the enemy was obvious. They knew who they were fighting. They knew who they were facing. Now I fear, the enemy is invisible and insidious and the means he uses to lure us into this scourge of globalization are many and powerful. Some we know and some we don’t. Some we can deal with and some we can’t. Alas, however, if this enemy defeats us and makes us forget our roots, our faith, our history” he said afterwards.
Concluding his greeting, Metropolitan Mr. Damaskinos thanked the contributors of the event and offered Mr. Tsakiroglou a picture of Saint Kosmas of Aitolos as a gift, saying:
“I want your consent to offer a gift in the name of all of you. The icon of Saint Kosmas of Aitolos, the patron and governor of our Holy Metropolis to Mr. Nikitas Tsakiroglou. He is perhaps the last of this area, who still teaches with his morals and his faith. He wasn’t just reading a text. He was living the events and if you noticed, at the end he formed the sign of the Cross on his body. Thank you very much for who you are, for what you offer us, thank you for the love you have for the Motherland and for the Church”.
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