The newest additions to the “Go to Greece Campaign” of the “Greek News”
New York.- By Apostolos Zoupaniotis
Archbishop Demetrios of America in a message to the “Greek News” offers his personal support to our newspaper’s “Go to Greece” campaign and calls and explains why every Greek American should do so.
Greek News “Go to Greece” campaign entered the fourth week and it was also joined by U.S. Senator for New Jersey, Robert Menendez. In his messages he encourages his fellow New Jerseyans to visit Greece, one of the birthplaces of Civilization and where “an incredibly gracious and hospitable people are ready to welcome Americans with open arms.”
George Alexiou, President of the Greek American Homeowners Association, addressing the final general meeting of the organization, invited everyone to support the Homeland and to travel to Greece this summer. He also encouraged Greek Americans to buy Diaspora Bonds when they will be issued.
“Our ancestors went back to Greece from America and fought 3 wars. What are we going to lose?”
ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS
“Beloved Omogeneia,
I would like to offer my personal support for the Greek News campaign to promote tourism in Greece. This effort to encourage travel to Greece emphasizes a tremendous opportunity to make special connections with our history, culture, and faith. Certainly, Greece is a place where one can experience the importance of events, places, and ideas that shaped Hellenic life and influenced the world. It is also a place where the power of life, language, and art, and the unsurpassed beauty of landscapes make memorable impressions of the excellence of human achievements and of God’s creation.
Also essential to the experience of Greece is the presence and role of faith. Beautiful cathedrals, ancient chapels, monasteries, and holy sites are throughout this land offering the treasures of Orthodoxy and the depths of spirituality. These are places of holiness and prayer where connections are made with God, and faith is transformed and strengthened.
History, culture and faith which are encountered in Greece also offer connections with a Hellenic identity which has been shaped by struggle, cherishes freedom, and is characterized by a deep love of God, community and family. These are values that are needed in our contemporary world, and a journey to Greece will strengthen them and offer you experiences that will enrich your life and faith for a lifetime.
†DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America”
ROBERT MENENDEZ
“Having personally visited Greece, I think that every American will find one of the birthplaces of Civilization to be incredibly fantastic; a place where history meets modernity; where in fact an incredibly gracious and hospitable people are ready to welcome Americans with open arms. If I were a Greek American I would certainly like to go back to the roots of my ancestors and see the great history that I am part of.
I am looking forward to my next travel to Greece and certainly I am looking forward to see many of my fellow New Jerseyans there.”
2 Comments
Athena
June 14, 2011 at 7:47 amI been working on my own “Go to Greece” compaign for some time now with my Ohio friends. Two of my friends just got back from a cruise to the Greek islands and they are spreading the news for others to visit. Also earlier in the spring we had a local church that took a large group to Greece. We are all working to spread the word. After a trip to the Holy Land last year from a local Catholic Church, I talked to the deacon there on taking a trip and following the Apostle Paul’s footsteps to Greece, and guess what? that trip is in works right now for 2013. God is good! I wish I could go and visit my homeland and my family more often.
vegasgreek
June 17, 2011 at 5:38 pmApostolos right now it looks like Greece is going to get a second bailout. I was shocked to hear that Greece lacks a sophisticated computerized system to collect taxes and to go after tax cheats. Greece needs desperatley to collect these taxes and a fair flat tax code must be implemented in the near future. Then after the privitization of the centalized government is concluded a pro business atmosphere must be put in place for the economy to grow. In Turkey and Israel the economy is booming while our beloved Greece has become a travesty.Greece can learn from Israel and becoming a hub for the High Tech industry. Apostolos if you can get the ball rolling and use your influence to get a sophistacted computerized system in place in Greece and maybe even Greek -American tax lawyers and IRS agents to go to Greece and reform the Greek tax code please do so as fast as you can.