By decision of His Eminence the Metropolitan of Piraeus, Mr. Seraphim, the charitable concert of the Holy Metropolis of Piraeus –held on Wednesday evening (18/12) at the iconic Municipal Theatre of the city, in cooperation with the Municipality of Piraeus– was dedicated to Eirini Marinaki, wife of the late Miltiadis Marinakis and mother of Olympiacos’ leader, Mr. Evangelos Marinakis.
“We pray that God may grant rest to her soul and that her blessing may always accompany her loved ones,” stated the Director of the Holy Metropolis of Piraeus, Dimitris Alfieris.
A particularly special moment of the evening –during which the theatre was filled with hundreds of people who arrived offering food and essential goods instead of an entrance ticket– was the tribute marking 100 years of Olympiacos Football Club, which supports the Holy Metropolis and the event as its major sponsor. In the presence of Ms. Evi Koutsaftaki, CEO of Olympiacos FC, the President and CEO of the “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium, Mr. Vasilis Vasileiadis, representing Olympiacos and Mr. Marinakis, presented His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim with a cheque to support the charitable work of the local Church.
Mr. Vasileiadis stated:
“Evangelos Marinakis will always stand by the God-pleasing work you carry out in our Piraeus. I wish you all good health. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
On his part, Metropolitan Seraphim –after presenting Ms. Koutsaftaki and Mr. Vasileiadis with icons of the Nativity of Christ and a silver plaque bearing the inscription ‘100 years of Legend, 100 years Olympiacos, with blessings and love, Metropolitan of Piraeus Seraphim’– spoke of the recognition of Olympiacos’ enduring love and timeless contribution to the Metropolis and to Piraeus:
“May you always be strong, and may God grant you health and strength and continue to inspire the course of your lives. When we speak of Piraeus, we think of Olympiacos. When we speak of Olympiacos, we always refer to Piraeus. These two are inseparably linked. Both proclaim the beauty of Hellenism and the spirit of fair play. Olympiacos, with its two European titles, has brought glory to Greece and embodied the ideal of fair competition.
Today marked the funeral service of the late Eirini. President Evangelos Marinakis inherited this wealth of faith and personal values from both his parents. That is why the tree of Evangelos Marinakis is one of truth, love, and offering. A great benefactor of the Metropolis and of Piraeus. We wish Olympiacos, Ms. Koutsaftaki, Mr. Vasileiadis, and all those involved in this great sporting institution continued strength, resilience, and the ongoing promotion of Piraeus’ culture.”
Earlier, the new Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai, His Beatitude Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho, Mr. Symeon, was formally honoured. On behalf of Olympiacos and Mr. Marinakis, Mr. Vasileiadis presented a financial donation to Archbishop Symeon to support the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, along with a commemorative plaque recognising the Monastery’s centuries-long contribution to History and Culture.
“I would like to warmly thank you and mention that, among other aspects of my family background, I was also born into a family of Olympiacos supporters,” stated Archbishop Symeon.
Once again, Olympiacos stood alongside the Holy Metropolis of Piraeus, offering tangible support to its wide-ranging social and charitable work.
