Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Greek Church of Saints Constantine and Helen Johannesburg .

The Beginnings

The Hellenic Community of Johannesburg where the majority of Greeks in South Africa lived after the Anglo-Boer war was established in 1907, following the amalgamation of the three political and benevolent associations, “Hellenismos”, “the Mutual Help Association” and the “National Mutual Help Association”. These were groups of Greeks which helped the newcomers, organised national meetings, collected funds e.t.c. All Greeks during that period were members of the Hellenic Community of Johannesburg. After 10 days of its birth the community numbered 200 members. They paid a subscription of 5 schilings per month. A “Ladies Benevolent Association” was also established simultaneously.

The “Ladies Benevolent Association” collected funds for the community and especially the building of the church. Pioneers in these efforts were Mrs Mentis, Mrs Michalopoulos, Mrs Pergioudakis, Mrs Marinakis, Mrs Fardoulis, Mrs Stathakis and others. The pioneers that built the foundations of the Hellenic Community of Johannesburg through their energies and leadership qualities were I. Chrysovelonis, Th. Mentis, C. Phytides, M. Fardoulis, D. Binos, S. Michalopoulos, the Stathakis brothers and many others. Instrumental in the community was also Th. Mavrokordatos the Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Department, who was a powerful political figure at that period.

The Greek Orthodox Church

The strong unbreakable, bonds between the Greek people and the Greek Orthodox Church are rooted in the very existence and historical process of the nation. This is why throughout the Diaspora, the first priority of the Greeks was always the erection of the Orthodox Church.

Until 1907 when Archimandrite Nicodemos Sarikas arrived in Johannesburg, the Greeks in the city had religious services in mostly Anglican churches. Sarikas was a missionary and a visionary and the Greek pioneers were lucky to acquire his services. He became a monk at 17 and in 1907 he was ordained. He travelled through Beira and Southern Rhodesia (today’s Zimbabwe) and arrived in the Transvaal in November 1907.In November of the same year he discovered that the Greeks in Johannesburg needed a spiritual leader. He volunteered.

The Greeks in the city and their leaders wrote to the Patriarch of Alexandria to thank him for sending Sarikas to them.

Sarikas travelled extensively throughout the Transvaal and surrounding areas in order to collect funds for the church. By late 1909 early 1910 the community of Johannesburg numbered over 600 paid-up members after a concerted recruitment effort.

The unfortunate departure of Sarikas left a spiritual and religious vacuum in the community and had an initial effect on the fund-raising campaign. This did not last long as the executive committee of the community led by T. Mentis and S. Michalopoulos established correspondence with the Greek Holy Synod and the Patriarch of Alexandria asking for a new priest. In January 1911 Archimandrite A. Alexiou arrived in Johannesburg amid a religious fervour. Letters were sent to the Greek communities of Pretoria and Cape Town asking for contributions to the church fund, which was now under the auspices of the elected Executive Committee of the Hellenic Community of Johannesburg.

Additionally the Church Fund received a boost with the arrival of another Archimandrite destined to become for many years to come a great spiritual leader of South Africa’s Hellenism: Athanasios Nikolopoulos who arrived in Pretoria on 10 January 1911. Within a period of two years of hard work the sum of 3.300 pounds was collected. It took eight months for the church to be built. It opened on the 5th of January 1913. There was an enthusiastic crowd of over 1000 people from throughout the Transvaal. On the official platform was the first Greek Consul in Johannesburg, Anastasios Vorres who had arrived days earlier. Amongst the other dignitaries were Government Officials including Jan Smuts.

The Church was built in a traditional Byzantine Greek Orthodox style and for many years became the spiritual and social center of Hellenic life in the city. The Johannesburg Greek Community continued to collect money for the church as icons had to be purchased as well as all the other vestments.

In these efforts the pioneer work was performed by the “Ladies Benevolent Association”. The completion of the work on the church occurred in 1923.

It was a handful of dedicated and committed community leaders and members who built the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen which today is one of South Africa’s National Monuments. This was done with the active participation and contributions of Greeks throughout South Africa.

Despite the adverse economic conditions and financial climate of that period most Greek people donated generously for the Church to become a reality. The newer generations can only learn fruitful lessons from such dedication and commitment.