"Unfortunately, for the fourth year, the request of the Municipality of Deryneia and the Committee of Katoderyneiotes for the operation of the church of the patron saints of Lower Deryneia, Timotheos and Mavra, has been rejected by the occupying authorities," said Deryneia Mayor Andros Karagiannis annual gathering of the refugees of Kato Deryneia in the center Zappeion in Deryneia.
He added that despite this, the Municipality will continue its efforts for the church to function, in view of the opening of the Deryneia roadblock from November 12, 2018. The issue was also addressed in his short address by Andreas Grigoriou, Chairman of the Committee "Adoulotoi Kato Deryneias ", Municipal Councilor of Deryneia, who also assured that efforts will continue in this direction. Regarding the opening of the roadblock, he noted that "we can only go to the occupied areas, without unfortunately being able to visit our homes."
As it is known, a few meters from the now open roadblock of Deryneia, the road Deryneia - Famagusta crosses the occupied Lower Deryneia and ends outside the closed ghost town, only it is fenced with high barbed wire, in a way that excludes access and the real contact with the area and with the abandoned and ruined houses of the people of Katoderini.
Andreas Grigoriou and the event coordinator Petros Georgiou then announced that the Commission had decided to honor me commemorative plaques "our fathers who are over 75 years old" and attended the banquet - were honored Ioannis Grigoriou (Mintis), Antonakis Zacharia, Maxis Arnaoutis, Andreas Dimitriou (of Salomi), Agisilaos Konstantinou, Pavlos Hiras, George Raftis, Andreas Stekas, Stelios Maimaris, George Sardakos, Andremas Sardalos, Antas Andreas Gioupis. (A plaque was later presented to Panagiotis Toumazos who due to illness did not attend the event).
The Chairman of the Committee thanked in particular the member of the Committee, Barnabas Andreou, for the financial coverage of the issuance of the lottery that was released during the banquet. In the artistic part of the event that followed, the Deryneian folk poet Antonis Katsantonis and the dance group of the Municipality of Deryneia "Drymio" under the direction of the dance teacher Ioanna Markou participated by reciting a poem.
* Before the banquet, as every year, an evening service was held in the morning at the church of Agios Pantos in Deryneia, a procession of the icon of the Saints of Lower Deryneia Timotheos and Mavra was held and then wreaths were laid at the Monument of Fallen, Killed and Missing Heroes Deryneia 1974, next to the Theme Park and the Amphitheater of the Municipality of Deryneia.
The event was attended by AKEL MPs Aristos Damianou (originally from Kato Deryneia), Nikos Kettiros and Christakis Tziovanis, DISY Kyriakos Hatzigiannis and George Karoulas and the independent MP Anna Theologou.
Source: 24h.com.cy/Marios Dimitriou
Photos: Michailina Maimaridou