40-DAY MEMORIAL SERVICE OF ARCHIM. ISIDOROS SALAKOS
At a 40-day memorial service conducted last Friday 22nd March for Father Isidoros, who so unexpectedly left us forty days ago, His Beatitude Theodoros II and all the community of Cairo honoured his memory, at the Hooly Church of the Archangels in Daher, Cairo, in the presence of the Greek Ambassador Mr. Christodoulos Lazaris, the Consul General of Greece in Cairo Mr. Giannis Hatzantonakis, the Councillor of the Greek Embassy Mr. Andreas Kotidis, the Defence Attaché Captain Stelios Petrakis of the Navy and many other dignitaries.
Participating in the memorial service were His Eminence Nicholas Metropolitan of Ermopolis, the Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo His Grace Nikodimos of Nitria, the Hegumen of the Holy Monastery of St George Old Cairo His Grace Niphon of Babylona, the Exarch of the Russian Church Fr. Michael Gorbatsev, and all the holy clergy, the Treasurer of the Hellenic Community of Cairo Mr. Antonis Diamantidis, the Parish Council of Daher, the Chairlady of the Philanthropic Association “Mary of Egypt” Stella Kyriazi, the Deputy Chair of the Philoptochos Mrs. Vaso Gazi, the Secretary General of the Hios Brotherhood Mrs. Theano Benovia, the District Commissioner of the Scouts Mr. Alekos Kazamias, the Commissioner of the Egyptian Scouts Mr. Nadim Eskandar and other dignitaries.
“I came today as a spiritual father to pray for the soul of father Isidoros and as Patriarch to express to him huge thanks because he loved the church and dedicated his youth to Christ and our Missionary ppPatriarchate”, emphasized the Alexandrian Primate, clearly devastated by the unjust and sudden loss of the priest who was so loved both by the Arab Orthodox flock as well as the entire Hellenic community of Cairo.
The Primate of the Second Throne Patriarchate thanked everyone who stood by the unforgettable priest during his last difficult moments as well as throughout his entire stay in Egypt: the Parish of the Archangels in Daher, Mrs. Stella Kyriazi and the other ladies who became his mothers in Cairo, the Scouts (Greek and Egyptian) and all the youth, who were so loved by Fr. Isidoros.
Nicholas Katsikas
Journalist