Letter by Vlachs to Sevastianos in 1992

Right Reverend,

By God’s will we, the much suffered Vlachs, Greek Epirotans living in N. Epirus, are now able to communicate with you and directly contact you as so far we have been listening to you on the quiet and timorously. We were contemptuously called “Mijitianis” as to be insulted. However we took it as a boast because we are fair Greeks. Our fathers and grandfathers have come from Mijitie (Kefalovryso), Metsovo and elsewhere.

“I was hanged upside down for 15 days” says Christos “because I was Greek, they were shouting that I was a spy for the Greeks”.

Just out of a single village, Antonis Potsis, 20 Vlachs were thrown in jail and other 15 were sent to exile while the whole village was constantly under surveillance. First they took all our holdings away from us and then they turned against ourselves. They scattered us around various Albanian villages so that we lose Greek language. They took us everything, however Christianity and the Greek conscience no, never did they manage to take away from us.

This is the first letter we, as a group, are addressing someone in Greek. And this one is you, the spiritual leader of N. Epirus. You, who is always next to us, our great father Right Reverend Sevastianos. There has been no one else to do what you have done for N. Epirus. We thank God for that. We congratulate you for your great hassle about all N. Epirotans including us, the pure Greek Vlachs and we gratefully kiss your hand.

Now we wish to request one more thing. We want to have churches, Greek schools, unhampered communication with our motherland Greece, our wish is what you contemplate. We wish that our homes in N. Epirus would not get ravaged. We desire also something more: To see and embrace you some day in our land.

Lintzouria 23/8/1992

The Congregation’s Committee