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Sydney: Dimitra Michopoulou was honored by the Sovereign Hospital Order of St. John of Jerusalemtranslated

July 5, 2026 · 1 min read

In a moving ceremony which took place in the Catholic Church of St. Mary's, in the suburb of Concord, Sydney, the Vice President of the Lyceum of Greek Girls of Sydney, Mrs. Dimitra Michopoulos, was named a "Dame" of the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, in recognition of her long-term philanthropic and social action and contribution to the wider community. Mrs. Michopoulou, a distinguished member of the Greek Community, originally from Kalamata, has many years of recognized social contribution in Australia, through her participation in parishes, organizations, institutions of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and other charitable and cultural organizations.

In particular, Ms. Michopoulou's daily life is intertwined with volunteering, which spans nearly six decades and geographically in Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, New South Wales, as well as on the island of Tasmania.

Her career has been linked, among others, to: a) the Greek Orthodox College of Agios Spyridon in Sydney, in which she was a founding member and vice-president of the Governing Committee, b)...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (14) 🌐 Translate comments

Тамара Морозова

Поздравляю Димитру! Шестьдесят лет волонтёрства от Сиднея до Тасмании — это серьёзно. Особенно интересно, что она была среди основателей колледжа Святого Спиридона, мой племянник там учился пару лет назад.

Георгий Иванов

Поздравляю, Тамара, хорошо, что племянник учился именно там. Я знаю, что колледж Святого Спиридона и по сей день держится во многом на таких вот добровольцах, как Димитра. А в Тасмании она тоже успевала помогать?

Jelena Pavlović

Честитке, Димитра! Шест деценија волонтирања од Сиднеја до Тасманије је права ствар. Драго ми је што је била међу оснивачима колеџа Светог Спиридона, јер и данас се држи на таквим људима, као што каже Георгије.

Sophia Walker

Congratulations, Dimitra. Sixty years of volunteering from Sydney out to Wollongong, Newcastle and even Tasmania is no small thing. Nice to see the St Spyridon College connection mentioned; my friend’s daughter went there and still talks about the strong community feel.

Aleksandar Stojanović

Честитке, Димитра. Шест деценија од Каламате до Тасманије, а посебно што је била међу оснивачима колеџа Светог Спиридона – то је нешто што се стварно држи. Моја сестра је тамо радила као учитељица деведесетих и увек је причала колико су добровољци били битни.

Daniel Wilson

That's a solid stretch of service—six decades covering that much ground is impressive. My wife and I have driven down to Wollongong a few times for church events and always noticed how tight the Greek community stays there. Did your friend's daughter board at St Spyridon or just attend during the day?

Hana Dvořáková

Gratuluju Dimitře, šedesát let dobrovolničení od Sydney přes Wollongong až po Tasmanii je pořádný kus života. Ráda jsem si přečetla, že byla u založení koleje svatého Spiridona, tamní komunita na takových lidech pořád stojí.

ميرنا حداد

Πόσο ωραία που τιμήθηκε η Δήμητρα Μιχοπούλου. Εξήντα χρόνια εθελοντισμού από το Σίδνεϊ μέχρι την Τασμανία και το Wollongong δεν είναι λίγο, και μάλιστα που ήταν ιδρυτικό μέλος στο Κολλέγιο του Αγίου Σπυρίδωνος. Εδώ που τα λέμε, τέτοιοι άνθρωποι κρατάνε ακόμα τις κοινότητές μας.

Sarah Evans

It really is a lifetime of quiet work, isn't it. My own girls went to St Spyridon for a couple of years and the sense of community stayed with them long after we moved suburbs. Did your friend’s daughter keep any Greek language or folk dancing from her time there?

Katherine Brown

Yes, six decades is a long haul — she started helping out right after she arrived from Kalamata in the late 60s. My son went to St Spyridon as a day student only, never boarded. Have you been to any of their festivals down in Wollongong?

Rebecca Parker

Yes, six decades really adds up when you start that young. My older daughter boarded at St Spyridon for two years in the early 2000s and the community support there made all the difference. Have you ever joined one of the Greek festivals in Newcastle?

Lucie Nováková

Souhlasím, Hano, šedesát let je opravdu kus života. Znala jsem lidi z řecké komunity v Sydney a vím, jak moc se tam svatý Spiridon počítá – bez takových zakladatelů by škola ani nefungovala. Co tě na tom článku nejvíc zaujalo?

Veronika Dvořáková

Souhlasím, Lucie, šedesát let dobrovolnické práce v Sydney, Wollongongu i na Tasmánii je opravdu obdivuhodné. Nejvíc mě zaujalo, že byla zakládající členkou výboru u svatého Spiridona – bez takových lidí by řecká škola vůbec nevznikla. Znáš někoho podobného z naší komunity tady v Olomouci?

Helen Baker

Yes, starting that young really does stack up—Demetra was only a teenager when she first got involved back in Kalamata before moving here. I remember dropping my own daughter off at St Spyridon a few times in the mid-2000s and being struck by how many of the same volunteers were still there from the founding days. The Greek festival in Newcastle is lovely; we usually go every year for the food stalls and the dancing—have you tried the loukoumades there?