ITHACA, N.Y. –
Robert Cantelmo, the new mayor of Ithaca, and two members of Ithaca’s City Council, Aldermen Patrick Kuehl (4th Ward) and Clyde Lederman (5th Ward), joined the parish community of St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Ithaca this past Sunday, March 24th, to commemorate the 203rd anniversary of Greek Independence Day.
Mayor Cantelmo presented the St. Catherine’s community with a proclamation on behalf of the city. The text of the proclamation reads as follows:
“Whereas, March 25th, the Orthodox Christian feast of the Annunciation, also marks the 203rd anniversary of the day the people of Greece heroically declared their independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, and went onto form the Modern Greek State;
“Whereas, all sons and daughters of Greece – and all who are familiar with the Greek nation’s rich and illustrious history – have good reason to celebrate Greece, the bedrock of Western Democracy for well over two millennia;
“Whereas, citizens of Ithaca played key roles during the Greek War of Independence to help elevate local awareness about the noble Greek cause to attain freedom and liberty after more than four centuries of subjugation and ruthless oppression under brutal Ottoman rule;
“Whereas, St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, a historic parish located in downtown Ithaca, offers spiritual haven and comfort to all people, and helps preserve the cultural identity of its members by faithfully observing Greek Independence each year;
“Whereas Ithaca, our fair city named for the Ancient Greek polity, highlights a clear and enduring connection to the cultural and historical legacy of Greece;
“Whereas, the City of Ithaca traditionally commends the community of St. Catherine Church for commemorating Greek Independence Day each year, and recognizes the important contributions of Greek history and culture to America, and wishes to reaffirm its respect for Ithaca’s citizens of Greek heritage and all their friends in Tompkins County;
“And Whereas, the ongoing crisis raging in the Orthodox Christian land of Ukraine is also a powerful reminder of the aggression the Greek liberation effort endured at the hands of a powerful adversary;
“NOW THEREFORE, I, Robert Cantelmo, Mayor of the City of Ithaca, New York, do hereby proclaim Monday, March 25th, 2024 as:
Greek Independence Day in Ithaca, New York
“And urge all residents and citizens of Ithaca and the surrounding area to observe March 25th, 2024 as a celebration of this momentous day in history; to remember and be cognizant of its truly undaunted spirit; and to participate fittingly in its observance.
“In Witness Whereof, I have hereto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the City of Ithaca to be affixed on this Proclamation on the 24th day of March in the Year 2024.”
