With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Father Athanasios Giatsios has been appointed as the new Orthodox Chaplain at Macquarie University, marking a significant step forward in fostering spiritual life and Hellenic identity on campus.
In his new role, Fr Athanasios – who is also parish priest at the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Kogarah – has already begun forging strong connections with the university community.
He recently met with key figures including Dr Patricia Koromvokis, Head of Modern Greek Studies, Paris Paranomos, President of the Macquarie University Greek Students Association (MUGA), and Alexander Justinek, a student and member of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, SOFIA MQ.
The meeting focused on exciting collaborative efforts to grow and promote the Orthodox presence on campus, particularly through SOFIA MQ. A dedicated space for regular fellowship gatherings has already been secured, providing a spiritual home for Orthodox students to come together.
In a warm gesture of welcome, Fr Athanasios was gifted a MUGA hoodie by Ms Paranomos – a symbol of the growing unity between the Greek student community and the Orthodox chaplaincy.