Dear Editor and Readers, Christ has Risen!
I am Father Andreas Hadjisavvis, Priest in the Holy Church of St. John the Baptist on Wightman Road. I am sure that it is now widely known that I am seriously ill with brain cancer. Unfortunately, I am facing the spectre of death. The doctors cannot help me, and they’ve given me about three months to live.
I have been in England for about sixty years, and forty years as a priest. Along with other immigrants, we had the concern of our community not to assimilate and lose our distinctive identity. We all worked hard to keep our ancestors’ language, customs and traditions, establishing Greek schools and societies. We endeavoured to maintain a close bond with our beloved homeland Cyprus and mother Greece. In particular, we set up Greek Orthodox churches to keep our ancestral faith alive.
I greatly appreciate the efforts made by the whole community, the political parties, the societies and the associations and our religious parishes for their outstanding contribution over the years. Many eponymous and anonymous community members made sacrifices and wholeheartedly offered whatever they could to safeguard our traditions and Greek Orthodox Christian identity.
I am writing this open letter to the whole community to offer some thoughts from my own experiences and life in this welcoming country.
I would like to encourage everyone to stay strong and united as a community. There were, there are, and there will always be adversities, problems and differences. However, every single difficulty can be overcome with goodwill, patience and cooperation. I would like to ask everyone to cherish and respect one another, because unity is precious and leads to progress.
With new technologies and the rapid acceleration of our daily lives, society and life are ever changing, especially for our youth. That is why I would ask everyone to stand by our young people with love, understanding and patience. Above all, let us retain our churches and our faith in God, as faith gives strength and meaning to our lives.
Let us always be positive in life. Ignore the negatives that cause discord, disharmony and division. Do not judge our fellow human beings. Do not rush to see the mistakes of others since, unfortunately, we all make mistakes and errors. Do not speak ill or look for faults in others and avoid disagreements which cause divisions.
Let us always have the goodwill to understand each other and be prepared to compromise with the aim of achieving unity and working towards the common good. Have love and faith in Christ, since our life acquires meaning and essence only when we have faith and care for others.
I would like to apologise to the whole community for any mistakes and errors I have made or if I have inadvertently upset anyone. I also apologise if I have not paid due attention to anyone facing difficulties or problems in their lives.
I thank and praise God because He gave me a wonderful wife and a loving family. I am also fortunate because I have met wonderful people throughout my life. I have received a lot of love from the community, to an extent that I did not expect. I wish to thank everyone for all their overwhelming kindness throughout my life.
I also wish to express my wholehearted love and best wishes to the whole community. May the Risen Christ bless you all and give you the strength so that your life is full of God’s blessings and joy.
