Theo and Margaret Goumas receive national honour

BY AMY EDWARDS

Newcastle Herald

PASSIONATE Newcastle cinema identities Theo and Margaret Goumas will receive a national honour next month for their contribution to the industry.

The Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers has named the husband and wife team joint cinema pioneers of the year.

They will be presented with the award at the organisation's 78th anniversary dinner on Friday, November 18, at the Swissotel Sydney.

"Theatre meant a lot in our lives. We were gratefully adopted by the local Newcastle community and they expressed their appreciation by supporting all our cinemas," Mr Goumas said.

Originally from Sydney, the Goumases began in the industry more than 45 years ago when they opened the Newcastle Roma in April, 1966.

They were responsible for a number of cinema "firsts" in Newcastle, including the first airconditioned theatre, introducing subtitled films to a Hunter audience and bringing the first R-rated film Bedroom Mazurka to the region in 1972.

During the 1970s, they operated three successful cinemas in Newcastle - the Roma, Kensington cinema and The Lyric.

They then spent 11 years operating the Showcase City Cinemas in Newcastle before GPT, which owned the premises, suddenly asked them to cease trading in May 2008.

"They said a dividing wall between us and next door was not fire-compliant and we were told to shut the doors immediately," Mrs Goumas said.

During the past three years, Mrs Goumas has become an Australian Red Cross volunteer and the couple have retired.

However they still maintain contact with film distributors, American studio bosses and friends they made during their time in the cinema industry.

"We are movie people," Mrs Goumas said yesterday.

Saint Gerasimos

Saint Gerasimos of Kefalonia (Greek: Άγιος Γερασιμός/'Gerasimos') is the patron saint of the island of Kefalonia in Greece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Fv6JsZUD4

Gerasimos (1506-1579) came from the aristocratic and wealthy Notaras family. He was ordained a Monk at Mount Athos, went to Jerusalem for 12 years, spent some time in Crete and Zakynthos and in 1555 arrived on Kefalonia. He spent his first 5 years in a cave in the area known as Lassi. He subsequently cultivated the area where the monastery of Saint Gerasimos now exists near Valsamata. The monastery which he established cared for the poor and became a center for charity.

Saint Gerasimos is believed by natives of Kefalonia to protect them and to also heal them of illness. Many natives of the island name their children after Saint Gerasimos as a tribute to the saint who protects them.

The body of Saint Gerasimos is guarded and protected in a glass casement at the monastery as it has never decomposed. After his death, his body was buried twice and exhumed intact, thus leading the church to ordain him as a saint. Kefalonians throughout the world still revere and pray to him.

In 1953, immediately after a powerful earthquake on the island of Kefalonia destroyed 90% of the island, there were many sightings of Saint Gerasimos throughout the island who is believed to have comforted and tended to the injured trapped inside homes and buildings.

During the feast of Saint Gerasimos on August 16th, his body is passed over ill and sick persons for the purpose of healing them. His body is also displayed by the church during liturgy at the monastery on many occasions.

A church named after Saint Gerasimos was established in New York City by Kefalonians who emigrated to New York in the early 20th century.