NEW ZEALAND
With Fear of God and Faith and Love, Draw Near The Maori, Polynesian natives of mainland New Zealand, and the Greeks have a common history. During World War II, the 28th Maori Battalion fought and gave 677 dead for the freedom of Crete and Greece, in the Battle of Crete. This sacrifice and common history is still respected and honored to this day by many Maori people. For the past two years, by the grace of God, priests of our Metropolis/Diocese have begun a systematic missionary effort near the Maori, the people of Aotearoa (as the Maori call New Zealand). They are people with a strong tradition and culture, which are supported in various ways 6
by the official state, to be kept alive and grow. Today, almost 80 years after the first contact, many Maori people are being catechized. The first fruit, to the Glory of God, is the baptism of the first Maori family, Peter and Mary King and their children (Demetrios (15), Athanasia (11), John (9), and George (1)). The family is now preparing to baptize their newborn child. It will be named after Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis, the Miracle Worker, whom Peter loves very much. There are many references to the presence of the Saint in many Christians in New Zealand!
