– The seventeen Catholic parishes of the Archdiocese of Athens –Saint Dionysios Areopagite Cathedral, Athens, Saint Paul, Piraeus, Saint Luke the Evangelist, Heraklion-Attica, parish of the Annunciation of the Virgin, Kallithea, parish of Christ the King, Pagrati, Saint John the Baptis, Palaio Psychiko, Saint Joseph, Academia Platonos, parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint Francis, Agioi Anargyroi, Saint Theresa, Kypseli, Saint Barbara, Voula, Panagia Faneromeni parish, Tabouria, Holy Trinity, Pallini, Saint George, Aigaleon, Saint Andrew, Patras, Transfiguration of the Saviour, Nafplion, Saint Michael, Kifisia (German-speaking)- both individually and in cooperation with the parish Caritas and Caritas Athens are active in many areas to help and alleviate people in need (Greeks, immigrants and refugees). More specifically: distribution of food, provision of basic necessities and clothing, support through the payment of utility bills to vulnerable families, psychosocial support and counseling, blood donation, support for the elderly, emergency situations, support for patients and people with health problems, support for prisoners and the homeless.
Additionally, various Religious Orders and Congregations offer a rich and multifaceted work in the Catholic Archdiocese of Athens: The Assumptionists, the Capuchin Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Lazaristes of Saint Vincent de Paul, the Marist Brothers, De La Salle Brothers,
the Sisters of Mercy of Saint Vincent de Paul, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition, the Ursulines, the Sisters Missionaries of Charity (of Mother Theresa of Kolkata), the Dominican Sisters, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Trinity, the Nuns of Pammakaristos Theotokos and the Catholic Pope John XXIII and Focolare movements.
-After the catastrophic earthquakes of the Ionian Islands, in 1953, on the initiative of the then Archbishop of the Catholicos of Athens, fr. Marios Makryonitis, “Saint Dionysius” orphanage was established in Pefki in order to house children from the affected areas.
Until the 80’s and the suspension of its operation, it could accommodate 20 minors.
CHARITY ASSOCIATION “SAINT ANTHONY”
It is the oldest charity of the Archdiocese of Athens. It was founded in the summer of 1898, on the initiative of the Professor Nikolaos I. Delendas and was recognized in 1915 by the Court of First Instance of Athens .
Quietly but steadily, its activity developed and today it presents remarkable charitable activity both in and outside of Attica, supporting people in need who live in towns or villages, where there are no Catholic parishes. Assistance consists in the provision of regular or emergency financial support, as well as pharmaceutical and health care.
THE ELDERLY CARE UNIT “THE GOOD SAMARITAN”
The Elderly Care Unit “The Good Samaritan” under the auspices of the Archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Athens has been operating since 1976 and is housed in privately owned and custom-built premises in Pefki. It takes care of senior citizens under excellent and safe living conditions, following the basic moral values and principles of the Sisters of Mercy to whom the responsibility of the institution has been assigned.
The history of the institution goes back to 1939 when it was functioning as an organization for the provision of medical and pharmaceutical care. Its headquarters were on Filellinon street. Later on, the Catholic Archdiocese in Athens, in its effort to keep developing the organization’s action, converted it into a retirement home, with the aim of providing food and shelter to the destitute and underprivileged senior citizens.
The Institution has a capacity of accommodating 64 people.
From the very first day of its operation, it has taken care of more than 1000 people with absolute respect and discretion.
THE RETIREMENT HOME “HOLY CROSS”
The Retirement Home “Holy Cross” of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross was established in 1939 and has been operating in the facilities of the Monastery in Agia Paraskevi, Attica, since 1964 with a capacity of accommodating 22 senior women.
The nursing home has served more than 300 people over the years until today. It has specially attended to the fact that every single person must receive the appropriate care and be respected throughout their life.
THE SOCIAL SERVICE AND WORK OF CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS ORDERS
AND CONGREGATIONS IN ATHENS
-The first Marist Brothers, dedicated to Virgin Mary, arrived in Athens from Constantinople in September 1907, following the teachings of their founder St. Marcellin Champagnat. They were immediately interested in the systematic reorganization of the studies and the pedagogical objectives of the “Leonteio Lyceum” on Sina Street, Athens, leading it to an upward course. It should be noted that within five years, until 1912, the number of students tripled.
The remarkable activity in the field of Social Solidarity became evident in 1912 with the presence of the “Student Charity”, an action aimed at raising money and providing basic necessities to people in need. That year, a fundraiser was held among students and teachers, and the amount of 500 drachmas was offered to the mother of a school teacher, named Antonios Loukianos, who had fallen heroically fighting in Bizani battle, Ioannina, Greece, during the First World War. Also, after the Asia Minor Catastrophe, a fundraiser was organized to gather food and bed linen for the refugees who fled to the Greek capital. It is worth noting that the very same action continues in the two Leonteios Schools (Athens and Nea Smyrni) until today.
The involvement of Greece in the Second World War ended abruptly the operation of all schools in the country, as well as that of the two Leontios Schools. During the Greek-Italian War of 1940, the building complex of the “Leonteio Lyceum” in Patissia was converted into a military hospital for the care of the wounded, while the “Leonteio Lyceum” of Sina Street offered a new, complete x-ray unit to the Ministry of Military Affairs’ hospital, which constituted a valuable donation in those difficult years.
During the occupation of Athens by the German troops in April 1941, Marist Brothers organized soup kitchens in the premises of both Schools, where they prepared and distributed more than 3,000 portions of food on a daily basis, a charity action that lasted until April 1945 and was a real relief for thousands of famished Athenians. In fact, 4,032,000 servings of food were distributed within four years.
For the last thirty years, the Leonteios Schools have been conducting special charity initiatives called “Love Missions”, during which students of all levels visit charitable institutions, aiming to come into contact with the reality of people who are experiencing hardships and offer material help and moral support. At the same time, there are student groups which engage in solidarity and voluntary actions in support of refugees, children with special needs, assistance structures for abandoned children, etc. throughout the school year, outside or school hours.
Moreover, Marist Brothers offer, with the voluntary participation of teachers from both Schools, Greek language courses to immigrants who wish to obtain a certificate of language proficiency, as well as tutoring to primary school children for the daily study and homework assignments.
-The Missionaries of Charity (Sisters of Mother Theresa of Kolkata) came to Greece in 1986, after the invitation of the then Archbishop of the Catholics of Athens, fr. Nikolaos Foskolos, in order to serve refugees and marginalized people.
Since then, they have been offering a daily soup kitchen to about 80-100 people, at their home in Akadimia Platonos, Athens, while they also take care of homeless people in various parts of the center of Athens.
Since 1997, they have also been running a shelter for 20-25 mothers and their children in the area of Agios Panteleimonas, Athens.