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September 13, 1986... Forty years since the Kalamata earthquaketranslated

September 13, 2026 · 1 min read

With the holding of a memorial service on Sunday, September 13, 2026, the memory of the 20 victims of the devastating earthquake of September 13, 1986 was honored. The memorial service was held, by the Municipality of Kalamata, at the Holy Church of Agios Nikolaos Flarios, which was then severely damaged by the earthquake and remained closed for 9 years. The holy memorial and the Divine Liturgy that preceded it were presided over by the Protosygellos of the Holy Metropolis of Messinia Archim. Philippos Hamargias, who before the end, after referring to the reconstruction of the city, which was reborn from the ruins, then congratulated the Mayor of Kalamata for this initiative, stressing the need for prayer for our sleeping brothers.

The memorial service was attended by the Mayor of Kalamata, Mr. Ath. Council, representatives of the 9th S.P., the Hellenic Police, the Fire Brigade, the Coast Guard, the O.A.K. and the Red Cross.

After the end of the memorial, everyone went in a procession to...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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Michael Turner

The church of St. Nicholas in Flarios stood locked up for nine whole years after that quake. Good to see the mayor thought to hold the memorial right there instead of somewhere new. Forty years is a long time; those twenty souls still deserve the prayers.

Атанас Ангелов

I agree with Michael, they did well to do it right in the St. Nicholas Church in Flario and not somewhere else. Nine years in prison - that's a long time, one imagines how they prayed in the open. And 40 years later they gather again to pray for those 20 people, that's right.

Emily Young

The nine years that St. Nicholas in Flarios stayed locked after the quake really stuck with me too. Holding the memorial right there where the damage was worst feels right. Forty years on and they still turn out to pray for those twenty people—good on the mayor for making sure it happened.