On Sunday, August 10, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited the Parish of Panagia Kamariani in Red Hill, Melbourne, and celebrated the Divine Liturgy with His Grace Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora.
The church was filled with parishioners and official guests including Consul General of Greece in Melbourne Dimitra Georgantzoglou, Federal MP Zoe McKenzie, and representatives from parishes, communities, and Greek organisations.
At the close of the service, the Archbishop tonsured two young parishioners, Ioannis Kozis and Ioannis Lam, as Readers, and awarded the Medal of the Order of the Christ-Loving to Antonios Antoniou and Maria Sakoula for their significant contributions to the parish.
Parish Priest Archimandrite Irinaios Koikas welcomed the Archbishop warmly, outlining parish projects including major renovations, the opening of a Greek school under the “Aetolian College”, and preparations for the parish’s 50th anniversary in 2027. He announced the Parish Council’s unanimous decision to name the new Spiritual Centre after Archbishop Makarios.
In his address, the Archbishop expressed joy at the unity of the faithful, but also reflected on the parish’s past challenges. The parish was previously under the care of Father Eleftherios Tatsis (Papa Lefteris) who was later defrocked.
“The ministry of the Archbishop is not always pleasant,” the Archbishop said, noting that his duty was to keep the Church “united in truth, not in falsehood.”
Referring to past teachings that he said strayed from Orthodox doctrine, the Archbishop praised the congregation for returning to the canonical Church.
“After all, it is not the persons within the Church that have value, but the Church itself… When we move away from the truth of the Church and from the canonical Church, we wither spiritually and fade away,” he said.
He concluded by commending Fr Irinaios, saying that in just one year he had “truly revitalised the Parish and the community,” and that his gifts, when devoted to the Church, could “literally work miracles.”
