The traditional blessing ceremony marking the start of the new academic year at the Christian Union of Women (XEN) of Rhodes took place on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at XEN’s Historic House on Ippoton Street in the Old Town. The ceremony was conducted by Father Myron, a representative of the Holy Metropolis of Rhodes.
The event was attended by the Mayor of Rhodes, Alexandros Koliadis; the Deputy Regional Governor for Culture, Kallistos Diakogeorgiou, representing the Region of South Aegean; Deputy Mayor Thomas Sotrillis, and Christina Karagianni, Director of Social Welfare for the Municipality of Rhodes. In their remarks, they praised the important social and volunteer work of the Rhodes Women’s Association, expressing their support for the continuation of its activities.
Despoina Moutafi, President of the Rhodes Women’s Association, in the presence of the Board of Directors, welcomed the attendees and thanked them for their support, emphasizing that the driving force behind the association lies in the participation of volunteers, members, organizations, and partnerships. She also introduced the new volunteer, Eftychia Papalou, a lawyer and school mediator, who will be taking charge of the campaign against femicide in Rhodes.
During the event, the Secretary-General read a detailed report on the organization’s activities over the past year, and the new program of activities and workshops was distributed to attendees.
This year’s opening was combined with an information and awareness-raising campaign on women’s health, featuring a presentation by the obstetrician – gynecologist, oncologist, and breast surgeon Dr. Irini Angelidou-Chairi. Dr. Aggelidou addressed issues related to the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer, and then answered questions from the audience about modern diagnostic methods.
After the presentations, refreshments were served to the attendees.
