His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia has underscored the central role of Greek Orthodox education in safeguarding the future of the Greek-Australian community, describing schools as “our most precious treasure.”
The remarks were delivered during the official dinner held in honour of his name day on Saturday, 17 January, at the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park, which brought together hundreds of clergy, faithful, and representatives from political and diplomatic circles across Victoria.
Despite the ballroom being filled to capacity, the evening retained the character of a warm and familial gathering, marked by a prevailing spirit of unity and fraternity within the Greek Orthodox community.
At the heart of his address, Archbishop Makarios emphasised that it is within the classroom that the future of the diaspora is shaped – where the Greek language, customs, traditions and the heritage of forebears are cultivated and preserved.
“Our schools are the most precious thing we have,” he said, noting that education remains fundamental to sustaining Greek identity and faith across generations.
In line with this vision, and at the Archbishop’s request, the proceeds from the name day dinner will be directed towards supporting the ongoing needs of St John’s College, Preston, reaffirming the Holy Archdiocese’s commitment to strengthening both Greek and theological education throughout Australia.
Earlier in the evening, a visibly moved Archbishop Makarios thanked attendees for their presence and offered praise to God for the blessings bestowed upon the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
“The glorification of God, in word and in deed, is the quintessence of our life within the Church,” he said. “It is the foundation of our spiritual life and existence.”
Reflecting on the role of faith in daily life, His Eminence noted that God works through people, urging the faithful to remain open to one another.
“May our hearts and our very being always be open and receptive to the presence of our neighbour,” he said.
Archbishop Makarios also expressed gratitude for the service of Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Evmenios of Chora, describing both hierarchs as “a gift and a blessing of God” for Victoria and Australia more broadly.
He further acknowledged the tireless efforts of the clergy and laity, many of whom contribute voluntarily to the life of the Church. As a formal expression of gratitude, His Eminence conferred the Medal of the Order of the Philochristoi upon 39 individuals who have distinguished themselves through their service to the local Church.
In closing his address, Archbishop Makarios conveyed the patriarchal blessings and warm wishes of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, noting the significance of his spiritual guidance.
“It is now self-evident to all of us that whatever takes place in the Holy Archdiocese of Australia bears the blessing and approval of our Patriarch,” he said, adding that this support provides confidence as the Archdiocese looks to the future.
One of the most moving moments of the evening came with a fraternal address by Bishop Prodromos of Toliara, who presented the missionary work being undertaken in Madagascar with the support of the Orthodox Church in Australia. As a token of gratitude, Bishop Prodromos bestowed upon Archbishop Makarios the highest distinction of the Holy Diocese of Toliara and Southern Madagascar, together with an icon of Saints Constantine and Helen.
The program was further enriched by hymns, songs and traditional Macedonian dances, with performances by a student choir, the choir of the School of Byzantine Music, and the Florina Dance Ensemble “Aristotelis.”
Among those present at the official dinner were Metropolitan Ezekiel of Dervis; the High Commissioner of Cyprus to Australia, Antonios Sammoutis; the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgantzoglou; Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; Victorian State MP David Davis, representing the Leader of the Opposition Jess Wilson; and Nikolaos Archontonis, brother of the Ecumenical Patriarch, accompanied by his wife Aikaterini.
Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Philochristoi:
Nikolaos Avramopoulos, Ioannis Anagiannis, Genovefa Vlachou, Theodosia Vlachou, Kalliopi Vraka, Anastasia Gelli, Georgia Georgiou, Christos Dimitriou, Pavlos Douvartzidis, Konstantinos Emmanouil, Georgios Kailis, Dimitrios Karavasios, Stefanos Karamoschos, Matthaios Karakinos, Ioannis Kargas, Christos Koniditsiotis, Konstantinos Kolokythas, Petros Kotopoulos, Sofia Koutoula, Androula Leria, Maria Moutafi, Vasileios Bereveskos, Athanasios Binios, Martha Bitsola, Spyridon Bouziotis, Michail Xafis, Andreas Panagias, Theodora Panagiotou, Efthymios Paronis, Theodoros Politakis, Athanasia Tzimou, Panagiotis Tziotzis, Efstatios Tsalikidis, Anastasios Philippou, Georgios Charalambopoulos, Christodoulos Charalambous, Eleftheria Chatzipanagiotou, Georgios Christofis and Christos Christofis.
