Parish Priest at St Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in East Malvern, Father Andreas Papadimitropoulos, passed away on Saturday afternoon after a battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
The announcement came via the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia – District of Melbourne’s Facebook page.
“It is with deep sadness that we inform the faithful that Fr Andreas Papadimitropoulos, Parish Priest at St Catherine Church, East Malvern, has fallen asleep in the Lord early this afternoon Saturday 13th February, 2021,” the statement reads.
“Father’s family thank you for your prayers and condolences. Funeral details will be released shortly.”
Parishioners who had been touched by the presence of Father Andreas flooded the post with heartfelt messages of condolences and at times, reminisced on his incredible influence on their lives.
“Priest for my wedding and my daughter’s christenings, he was one of the most understanding and caring priests we know. Thoughts are with his family in this time of need,” wrote one parishioner, Dimi Dimas.
Only two weeks earlier, the parish had held a special Euxelaion Service for the health and recovery of Father Andreas.
