Dear Brother Archons and Friends,
The following reflection was offered by my brother, Regional Commander Dr. Cary J. Limberakis and his beloved wife, Alexis, following their recent visit to Alatsata, the ancestral home of our family in Asia Minor. I wanted to share their moving account, as it brings to life not only our family’s deep connection to Alatsata, but also the rich history, faith, and enduring heritage of the Greeks of Asia Minor who once called this historic town home. Their experience is a poignant reminder of the importance of remembering where we came from and preserving these stories for generations to come.
In the Service of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis
Archon Grand Aktouarios
National Commander
On a recent visit to Chios to attend a dear friend’s wedding, Alexis and I realized how close we were to the town of Alatsata, birthplace of three of our grandparents. From Chios we could clearly see Cesme, the port city of the Cesme peninsula leading to Izmir (formerly Smyrna). Between Cesme and Izmir was the town of Alatsata. It became our mission to visit Alatsata, after the festivities of the wedding had concluded, and to walk the cobblestone streets where our παππου Αντϖνιος, γιαγια Ευαγγελια and νενε Πολυξενη had walked over one hundred years ago. We boarded a ferry boat early in the morning and sailed one hour across the Aegean to the port of Cesme where we hailed a taxi and drove another 20 minutes to Alatsata. With no address to guide us to where they lived, as all records were destroyed by the Turks, we strolled through the cobblestone streets of “old” Alatsata, now called Alacati. As we walked the narrow roads of old stone homes, shops and boutique hotels all brightly trimmed with Mediterranean hues and enhanced with multi-colored bougainvillea, we imagined our grandparents as children playing and running through the town, living life in a totally Greek city in Anatolia. While exploring, we came across a building which, given its exterior architecture, resembled a church even though there was a minaret present. And indeed, it was a church, the Church of the Εισοδοιον Της Θεοτοκου (Presentation of the Virgin Mary), built in 1832, which, no doubt, was attended by our progenitors. The church had been converted to a mosque, yet when we walked inside, we were amazed to see that the well-preserved marble and gold-leaf iconostasis, although deliberately veiled behind tall drapes, was still in magnificent condition. The major icons on the lower tier had been removed but the second and third level tier icons were untouched and beautiful. A profound sense of heritage directly connected us to our grandparents, but we also felt sadness for what they went through to leave their home, escape oppression and to seek freedom. Many Alatsiani settled in Somerville, Massachusetts, where my grandparents, Αντϖνιος and Ευαγγελια Λυμπερακης, joined their siblings and raised their family. Growing up, our parents, Father John and Presvytera Elizabeth Limberakis and Jack (who was born in Constantinople) and Dolly Demetris, educated us and inculcated in us the history and pride of being Μικρασιατες, never to forget our Alatsatiani heritage.
Archon Cary J. and Alexis D. Limberakis
Regional Commander, Philadelphia
