an article for the sixth anniversary of the opening of the first Orthodox church in Dublin

3. Administrative life of our parish: Presidents and Parish Council.

Since the opening of our church we have had three Presidents of the parish appointed by Mr. Archbishop Methodius: Mr Phoebus Moussoulides, 24th May 1981 - 6th April 1986; Dr. Frixos Ioannides, 24th April - 30th October 1986; Dr. Andrew Torrance, 5th November to the present. Each of these has been particularly linked to one of the three periods in the life of our church.

Mr Phoebus Moussoulides concentrated on maintenance, finding financial support in his capacity as President of the Hellenic Society. He made great efforts to bring influential friends here from Greece, such as the Rotarians of Athens.

By the enterprise of Dr. Frixos Ioannides the chapel of Gonzaga College became availabele to us on Sunday, so that the Liturgy in Dublin was never discontinued.

Dr. Torrance found our present place of worship and tactfully brought to fruition the negotiations for our occupancy of the new church.

Our parish acts as a democratic society, with a President and Council appointed by the Archbishop. Its present members are: Vice-President, Andrew Godfrey O'Donnell; Treasurer, John Grant; Secretary, Mary Niamh Gorbally, Assistant Secretary, Georgia Georganta; with Zenon Ellenas, Gregory Strachan, Athena Goulandris, John Johansson, Elias Logothetis, Irineos Thomas O'Carroll and Toula Efthimious-Conran.

Our dedicated parish council happily combines intellectual and practical abilities. They are firmly resolved that the doors of our church shall never be closed again.

The parish council meets monthly, to take decisions of an administrative order by democratic process and ensure that financial assistance from the Hellenic Society and other benefactors, is correctly handled.

It was the Parish Council which wholeheartedly answered Fr. Irineu's appeal to arrange the new church in Ranelagh. Among them Tom O'Carroll publishes our monthly parish newsletter and Gregory Strachan represents our parish at meetings with other local Churches. We benefit besides from the administrative ability of Godfrey O'Donnell and the practical talents of Toula Efthimious-Conran.