"It became a burning candle, that whoever wanted, got light. And he was burning in his love for his fellow man. A true father, full of love and affection. ”
An event, dedicated to the blessed priest of offering and love from Paralimni, First Elder Evelthontas Charalambous, took place on Sunday, December 22, at the Spiritual Center of the Holy Temple of Evangelistria in Piraeus, as part of the "ENORIA" program in action.
His Beatitude the Metropolitan of Proikonnisos Mr. Joseph and the Archimandrite Augustinos Karas, Protosyggellos of the Holy Metropolis of Constantia and Famagusta spoke about the Blessed.
The youth group "Romiosini Ensemble", from the Cultural Association "Romiosini" participated with a music program.
The event was coordinated by Dr. Angelos Smagas, Philologist - Archaeologist while they traveled from Cyprus to be at the event Androulas's elder and his two children with their families.
During the tribute, photographic material from the life and work of the blessed Fr. Evelthontos was shown.
Metropolitan of Proikonnisos Mr. Joseph
His Holiness described the Blessed Priest, the chosen shepherd of the Church, a magnificent angel of discreet charity in the four corners of the world, a star of evangelical virtue, a cave of patience, humility, quiet effort in the midst of the world and of Christian love, which has already been written in golden letters in the registers of the heavenly king.
His form, his speech and his whole reversal, had the seal of modesty, kindness, introversion, moderation, kindness, purity, seriousness, meekness, attention and deep inner cultivation.
"Teacher, father, comforter, protector, supporter, inspirer, animator, reviver, friend, mentor, catechist, nurturer of the adolescent youth of Paralimni, for 35 whole years."
He wanted the school to be first a stage of virtue and then a fund of knowledge. In the path of truth, virtue, debt, duty, responsibility, humanity, dignity, morality, he called for teachers and learners to be present, all those involved in the work of education.
He was the ecclesiastical supporter, spiritual advisor and father, the patriotic animator of the enlisted youth.
"It became a burning candle, that whoever wanted, got light. And he was burning in his love for his fellow man. A true father, full of love and affection.
He enjoyed the progress of children and young people, in learning, sports, volunteering, the social arena. "
The whole life of Fr. Evelthontos, continued His Holiness, had as its center and axis the Temple and the divine Liturgy. Calm, modest, humble, solemn, he was a Papadiamantian type of minister.
He lived the Liturgy wholeheartedly. He was lost in mystery and grace. His heart was completely surrendered to the priests and his prayer was fiery in the ears of the Lord.
He loved the decency of the house of God. He wanted everything beautiful, manorial, traditional, within the limits of the measure and the Cypriot functional peculiarity.
Who to measure his patience in the death of his firstborn. Or the frequent illnesses that afflicted him, to the end.
Who to measure his amnesia, forgiveness and prayers for some ignorant people.
Who can talk about his deep sighs and prayers for the missing and about the whole drama of his homeland.
"How many poor educated young people did he not secretly help to study and be today good scientists and honest members of society.
How many patients with very serious illnesses did not send for critical operations, accepting care and related costs.
How many desperate people he did not like with his love and all-round support. How many escaped the scourge of drugs. How many prevented suicide. How many androgynes did not reconcile. How many priestly calls did he not inspire? ”
Fr. Evelthon, His Holiness noted, did not live for himself or his family, but for the Church and education. He felt everyone like his children. Worthy of all the blessings of Christ.
Africa, through its missionary efforts, accepted his benevolence. He had very good supervision of the missionary work taking place on the black continent and hurried with great ambition and enthusiasm to assist. He built temples, doctor's offices, schools, granted scholarships, etc.
He took care to do his best, in fact the super power, for the spread of the Gospel, in the countries of the black continent ready to be harvested, and not only that.
He became an enthusiastic accomplice of the missionaries from behind, with an unusually substantial offer.
At the same time he helped monasteries and temples throughout Greece, Mount Athos, Cyprus, France, Serbia, Bulgaria, etc.
And always humble, modest, quiet, carefully hiding behind partners and sponsors, without waiting for recognitions and rewards.
Archimandrite Augustine Kkaras
Fr. Augustine shared moments from his experiential relationship with the blessed Fr. Evelthontas, who met him as a minister of the Church, a charity worker, and developed aspects of his work.
He is a person who sealed the lives of those who knew him, he stressed. He was the model and reason for many clergymen to enter the sacred clergy.
Fr. Evelthon "smelled" Christ and as a priest excelled in all areas of his priestly activity.
In difficult times, he organized in Paralimni, the parish life, the catechism meetings, speeches, Bible study.
What Father Evelthon did most in his life was to build the souls of the people. He taught them to live in the Church, to live the life of the Church.
"The alms he gave from the various charities were not enough. There are a number of alms from his own wallet, which is not yet known what area he owns. Because many events occurred after his sleep.
For Fr. Evelthontas, the mission was not an enthusiasm or a romance, but an experience of Christ's command to walk in all nations and spread the message of Christ ".
He did not have a wrapper, he continued, what he was, that he showed. He hid nothing but his virtues, which he diligently hid.
Where it shines most is in the liturgical life of the Church. He had all the ritual, to live the events himself and to transmit them to others.
He was a great spiritual father, with absolute discernment, freedom and respect for the man who came to him to confess his sins.
"A big chapter of his life is his impatience. He had no evil in his heart. His pain was not because people wronged him.
But because these people were tempted and got to this point. His humiliation was real and substantial.
It was a heart full of love and the seed it sowed bore fruit ".
Angelos Smagas
Closing the event, the coordinator of the event, Mr. Smagas, noted that he met Fr. Evelthontas, as an educational officer.
He was discreet and excellent on an organizational level. His speech had a perfection, an unprecedented fullness.
And he ended by reading the moving farewell speech of Fr. Evelthontas, when his son Christoforos fell asleep, in 1995.
"In action 2019": Concert with "ROMIOSINI ENSEMBLE"
One voice, that Cyprus is Roman, the Cypriots are Romans, they are Greek Orthodox Christians.
A special musical evening was enjoyed by the friends of the program "PARISH in action…", of the Holy Temple of Evangelistria, Piraeus, on Saturday, December 21, at the Spiritual Center of the Temple.
With the songs they presented, they traveled the attendees to various parts of Greece, through the sounds of the musical tradition of Hellenism, seeking to communicate with them musically and mainly mentally.
What unites Greece and Cyprus is definitely the faith in Christ, the Church. And through living faith springs all the rest, both cultural and educational.
Participating were Andreani Kyprianou, santouri, vocals, Pavlina Andronikou, violin, vocals, Christoforos Kyprianou, Cretan lyre, and Andreas Smagas, oud.
The event was attended by His Eminence the Metropolitan of Proikonnisos Mr. Joseph, who addressed a short greeting.
His Excellency, stressed his great emotion for the exceptional night. But mainly, because he knows the members of the group from children and they are connected with him by spiritual ties. They are children who love progress, they love the Church, they love letters, they love art.
As he said:
"My emotion is multiple, because it is Cyprus and it is a part of my heart. It hurts more where there is a wound.
And Cyprus has been, for almost half a century, an open wound in the body of Romiosyni. ”
He referred to the person of the blessed Cypriot priest Fr. Evelthontas Charalambous, whom he described as a man of open horizons, who made a great opening to the whole spectrum of Hellenism and Orthodoxy.
And with this inspiration and receptivity, the qualifications and gifts of his son-in-law, Mr. George Kyprianou, ROMIOSYNI was created.
One voice, that Cyprus is Roman, the Cypriots are Romans, they are Greek Orthodox Christians.
Source: “Parish in Action”