Archbishop Makarios of Australia makes historic visit to Greek Orthodox Community of SA

·

On Sunday, November 12, during a Pastoral visit to the capital of South Australia, Archbishop Makarios of Australia made a historic visit to Olympic House, where he met with and addressed more than 300 members of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA).

Joined by Bishop Silouan of Sinope, Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis, and the Reverend Archdeacon Athinagoras, Archbishop Makarios was welcomed by members of the Administrative Council at the historic hall of the Community for the first time in over 60 years.

Archbishop Makarios (left) with GOCSA President, Peter Gardiakos. Photo: The Greek Herald / Martina Simos.

Addressing the attendees, Archbishop Makarios said: “I am moved today because we are all together,
and I see your faces, for what is most important in human interaction is what is communicated
through the eyes.”

“I can see people blessed, with light on their faces. All of you love God, the Church, and Hellenism,
and because of this, my concern as the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is for
that love not to be divided.”

Archbishop Makarios added that his vision “is for Hellenism to become stronger.”

“For this to happen, we need to be united. There is no room for division,” the Archbishop said. “I did not come here to judge the past but to tell you that we need to seek ways to collectively shape the future.”

gocsa meeting with archbishop makarios
It was a full house at the historic meeting. Photo: Sofia Mavrides/GOCSA.

GOCSA President, Peter Gardiakos, expressed his gratitude to the members in his opening speech for their “open minds and open hearts” and thanked them for showing strength and courage.

“I understand that for some of you, it takes strength and great courage to be here with us, and for that, I say thank you,” Mr Gardiakos said.

“This indeed is a significant occasion for our Community. I believe it to be the first time since 1960 that an Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia has openly visited us and welcomed dialogue.”

During the hour-long Q&A session that followed, Archbishop Makarios answered questions from members regarding how a potential reunification would affect GOCSA’s ecclesiastical services, issuance of certificates, the clergy and the Community’s property.

gocsa meeting with archbishop makarios
During the hour-long Q&A session that followed, Archbishop Makarios answered questions. Photo: Mark Petropoulos.

Speaking to the younger members of the Community, Bishop Bartholomew reinforced Archbishop’s remarks, stating “unity is all we want. His Eminence has said, and he is willing to write it, we don’t want money. To the contrary, we want you to have more than you already have and we want to assist you through our various programs. We want your community to grow. We want you to have children and youth.”

The event concluded with Mr Gardiakos gifting the Archbishop an orchid as a sign of respect and hope, before Archbishop Makarios took his time to personally greet and speak candidly with members present.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

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

Advertisement

Latest News

Historic first: Divine Liturgy in Volos celebrated with sign language interpretation

At the Church of Saint Nicholas, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated for the first time with simultaneous interpretation in sign language.

Bridging academia and diaspora: Dr Ifigeneia Dosi’s research visit to Macquarie University

Macquarie University’s School of International Studies recently welcomed Dr Ifigeneia Dosi, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics.

A lifetime at Kingsgrove North: Dianne Tsitsos’ 40 years of dedication to students

For over 40 years, Kingsgrove North High’s Dianne Tsitsos has inspired generations of students with her warmth and passion.

Young filmmakers shine at inaugural Greek Film Festival of Sydney competition

The next generation of Greek Australian storytellers took centre stage as the 1st Greek Australian Youth Filmmaking Competition debuted.

Eugenia Mitrakas wins Australasian Lawyer Elite Women 2025 award

Eugenia Mitrakas, principal of EMR Mitrakas, has been recognised as a winner of the prestigious Australasian Lawyer Elite Women 2025 award.

You May Also Like

Greek PM calls for more resources to tackle climate change at UN summit

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called for more resources to tackle the impact of unprecedented climate shocks in Europe.

Greek Community of Melbourne issue statement on wildfires in Greece

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) have issued a statement about the wildfires that are still raging across Greece this week.

28 African asylum seekers have applications rejected due to lack of interpreters in Lesvos

The Regional Asylum Office (RAO) - the Greek government organisation responsible for implementing international, ratified protection laws - rejected 28 African asylum seekers from...