Nerochori marks 20 years of the Eirynaia festival honouring Metropolitan Irenaeus Galanakis

Summary

The village of Nerochori in Apokoronas held the 20th annual Eirynaia festival on August 25, 2026, commemorating Metropolitan Irenaeus Galanakis, a celebrated figure of Orthodox Christianity who was born there and left a legacy far beyond Crete. The event brought the community together as it has every year, reaffirming the village's commitment to preserving the memory of one of its most distinguished sons. This year's gathering was tinged with grief, as the absence of three beloved figures — Metropolitan Damaskinos, researcher Nikolaos Papadakis, and archaeologist Michalis Andrianakis — was deeply felt by all who attended.

Nerochori Marks 20 Years of the Eirynaia Festival

For the twentieth consecutive year, the village of Nerochori in Apokoronas hosted the Eirynaia — an annual gathering dedicated to the memory of Metropolitan Irenaeus Galanakis, one of the most significant figures of the Orthodox Church to have come from this part of Crete.

A Living Tradition

The Eirynaia are not simply a cultural event. They are a community's promise to itself: that the people who shaped a place will not be forgotten when they are gone. Irenaeus Galanakis was born and raised in Nerochori, a small village in the hills of Apokoronas, before embarking on a life of faith, peace, social justice and solidarity that took him far beyond the borders of Crete and left a lasting mark on Orthodox Christianity.

Twenty editions of this festival are a testament to something rare — a community that genuinely knows its own history and keeps it alive, passing the story from one generation to the next.

Three Absences That Were Felt

This year's celebration carried an added layer of emotion. Three figures who had been central to the Eirynaia in previous years were no longer present.

The late Metropolitan of Kydonia and Apokoronas, Damaskinos, who had blessed and supported the festival for many years, was deeply missed. His presence, those who attended agreed, was still felt everywhere.

Also absent was Nikolaos Papadakis, former Director General of the Eleftherios K. Venizelos Research and Studies Foundation, a man who devoted himself with great consistency to the historical memory and culture of this region.

And the loss of Michalis Andrianakis, a distinguished archaeologist who spent decades studying and championing Apokoronas and Crete, was remembered with equal warmth. His knowledge, his passion and his work left an indelible mark on the region he loved.

All three were absent from their usual places — yet all three were present in the memories of everyone who gathered.

Why It Matters

The Eirynaia carry a simple but powerful message: people leave, but what they give stays. Irenaeus Galanakis did not become great because he came from somewhere grand. He became great because he left a small village and made it known far and wide — through a life built on faith, justice and service to others.

Nerochori gave him his roots. Apokoronas kept him in its heart. And as long as people keep meeting in that village to remember and to celebrate, his legacy — and those of all the others who shaped this place — will continue to live.

Press Release – IRENAEUS GALANAKIS From Nerochori to Eternity!!! A Life, a Great Legacy That Does Not Fade!!

August 25, 2026, 10:14 AM

Twenty years of remembrance, honour and continuity!!

In Nerochori, Apokoronas, the birthplace of the great Hierarch of Orthodoxy, the man of love, peace, social contribution and solidarity, Irenaeus Galanakis, the "Eirynaia" were held again this year.

An event that is an institution, a memory, a duty — the living bridge that connects Apokoronas with a man who set out from this small village and left his mark far beyond the borders of Crete. The "Eirynaia" are being held for the 20th consecutive year, confirming that when a place knows its history, it can keep its great figures alive.

This year, however, the evening carried a different kind of emotion.

Among the people who gathered in Nerochori, the absences of those who for years gave their own distinctive mark to the "Eirynaia", to culture, to historical memory and to our region, were keenly felt.

The absence of the blessed Metropolitan of Kydonia and Apokoronas, Lord Damaskinos, weighed heavily. The man who for years blessed, supported and honoured the institution of the "Eirynaia" was not among us — and yet his presence was everywhere.

Also keenly felt was the absence of the late Nikolaos Papadakis, Director General of the Research and Studies Foundation "Eleftherios K. Venizelos", a man who served with consistency the historical memory and culture of our region.

As was the absence of the distinguished archaeologist Michalis Andrianakis, a man who through his work, his knowledge and his love for Apokoronas and all of Crete left his own indelible mark.

All three were absent from their seats — yet they were present in our memory.

And perhaps that is the greatest meaning of such events: that people are not lost when they leave, but continue to live through what they gave and through those who remember them.

Irenaeus Galanakis set out from Nerochori and walked his path with a deep faith in humanity, in peace, in justice and in social responsibility. His journey and his work left a heavy legacy in Crete and in Orthodoxy — and we have no right to let that legacy fade. The "Eirynaia" are our promise that the memory will remain alive and will pass from generation to generation, because Irenaeus did not become great because he left a great place, but because he set out from a small village and managed to make his homeland known far beyond its borders.

Nerochori gave birth to him, Apokoronas kept him in its heart. And today, through the "Eirynaia", we tell him: people leave, but their work, their values and their legacy remain.

And as long as we gather in Nerochori to remember, to honour and to continue, Irenaeus will always be here: in his village, among his people, in his Crete and in the hearts of us all.