Visit to the “Holy Unmercenaries” Residential Care Home for Adults with Special Needs

“...their Angels do always behold the face of

My Father Which is in Heaven....”

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (Old Style)

On Wednesday, December 11,2024 (Old Style), with the blessing and participation of His Eminence, Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Phyle, a visit was made to the “Holy Unmercenaries” Residential Care Home for Adults with Special Needs.

Having receiving permission from the Board of Directors to visit the facility, Metropolitan Cyprian and a group of twenty people were granted to venerate our Coming Christ in the person of the “least brethren” who reside there. The Director and Social Worker welcomed the “pilgrims” and led them into the reception hall, where the Director spoke to them about the history of the institution:

The non-profit Association of Parents and Guardians of People with Mental Retardation was founded in 1983 by a nucleus of thirty-eight families united by a common concern for the future of children with severe mental retardation: where would they live; who would take care of them when their relatives were no longer around; what control could they have over their living conditions? These concerns prompted the families to take the initiative to create their own residential care facility where their children would have a permanent home, with the best possible security and care, in a dignified and humane environment. After many hard and persistent efforts, they achieved their goal.

The Care Home began operation on September 1, 1997. The operating permit specifies the facility as a home for disabled persons with an IQ lower than 30. Today, 45 residents, aged 26 to 75, live there.

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Our “least brethren” then came in, with the help of their loving caregivers, to listen to the young members of our “Hellenic Orthodox Heritage” instrumental and choral ensemble, under the direction of Father Dionysios Agiokyprianites. In a family atmosphere, the choir sang Christmas carols and folk songs for the enjoyment of the residents, staff, and visitors.

Once again it was evident how much such songs and instrumental melodies are appreciated and how uplifting they are. Many of the melodies were of course familiar to the residents, some of whom started dancing with the visitors!

This first visit ended with His Eminence giving thanks to our Lord for the experience, promising to return, and distributing gifts and blessings to those present. The gracious hosts had also prepared gifts for the guests.

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Let our prayers accompany our Lord’s disabled brothers and sisters, as well as their self-sacrificial helpers. And let us also recognise in them the Great Visitor, the One Who comes in extreme humility to minister unto our salvation.

The “pilgrims” returned home with feelings of gratitude for this new experience, during which they were granted to experience that in God’s love we are all children, and that in the company of the Angels the “last” are first....