Archbishop Makarios makes historic visit to Saint Eleftherios Church in Melbourne

·

The Great Hierarchical Vespers for the feast of Saint Eleftherios the Hieromartyr was celebrated at the Church of Saint Eleftherios in Brunswick, Melbourne on Saturday, December 14.

The service was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, marking a historic milestone as it was the first time since its founding in 1968 that an Archbishop had visited the church.

The Archbishop was welcomed by the faithful, with youth presenting him with a bouquet of flowers at the church entrance.

Parish priest Father Kyriakos Peripetsakis and Bill Papastergiadis, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), both highlighted the significance of the Archbishop’s visit and the occasion. Mr Papastergiadis also emphasised the importance of unity and solidarity in the community, and stressed the role of past President Dimitrios Elefantis in the establishment of the church.

In his address, Archbishop Makarios spoke with deep emotion about the importance of unity for the advancement of Orthodoxy and Hellenism, offering blessings for the church and its families.

The Vespers service was attended by several dignitaries, including His Eminence Metropolitan Ezekiel of Dervis, His Eminence Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand, and His Eminence Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymno and Avlopotamos, who delivered the sermon at the Archbishop’s request.

Their Graces Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Evmenios of Chora, as well as Ioannis Chrysoulakis, Greece’s former Secretary General of Greeks Abroad, were also present.

The event marked a historic and deeply emotional moment for the church and the Greek Orthodox community of Melbourne.

greek film festival 2025

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Step into the world of mental health with Georgia Cassimatis’ latest book

Greek Australian author and journalist, Georgia Cassimatis, has released a book all about exploring the world of mental health.

GOCNSW Welfare Service to put a spotlight on cyber security awareness

The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW’s (GOCNSW) Welfare Service has organised three Cyber Security Awareness education and training workshops.

Marriage of a Greek woman abroad: What to watch out for

It is during this registration process that numerous problems arise, which are not dealt with immediately but later on.

Athena Competition Greek winners show olive oil diversity

By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold. At the 10th anniversary edition of the ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition in Chania, Crete, Greece in May, 175 Greek olive oils...

Greece’s island communities face population crisis

The demographic decline in Greece is hitting its islands hard, with Lemnos and Agios Efstratios showing alarming signs of aging populations.

You May Also Like

Greece’s telecom infrastructure to receive 2 billion euro upgrade

Balkan media company, United Group, plans to invest 2 billion euros to upgrade Greece's telecoms infrastructure

Peter Dutton MP sends hopeful Christmas message to Greek Australians

Australia’s Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton MP, has sent a hopeful message to the Greek Australian community to ahead of Christmas.

Bust of ancient Greek figure found during archaeological dig in the UK

An archaeological dig in Cockermouth, England, the United Kingdom, discovered a bust of the ancient Greek mythological figure, Silenus.