First visit in 24 years of an Archbishop to Greek Orthodox Church in Canberra

·

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios made a historic visit to Canberra over the weekend, marking the first time in over two decades an Archbishop has served a liturgy in the local St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

“If I had known, I would have come from the first Sunday I was here in Australia,” His Eminence said in a speech during the liturgy. “Now that I learnt this, I hastened to come.”

Among the dozens of faithful who attended the church service were the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Mr George Papacostas, the High Commissioner of Cyprus, Mrs Martha Mavrommatis, and the President of the Greek Community of Canberra, Mr John Loukadellis.

Parish priest, Father Petros, was also promoted and recognised by His Eminence during the service as ‘Protopresvytero’ or High Priest.

The historic day was concluded with a luncheon at the Hellenic Club which according to Mr Loukadellis, was a huge success.

“Thank you to everyone who attended and made this such a special day. Thank you to our beloved community for your continued love and support of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra committee and our St Nicholas Church,” Mr Loukadellis tells The Greek Herald.

Official opening of the new ‘Meals for the Poor’ initiative in Queanbeyan, Canberra:

The official opening of the new ‘Meals for the Poor’ initiative.

During his visit, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios also visited the town of Queanbeyan and officiated a service at the Greek Orthodox Parish of Saint Dimitrios.

This was followed by the official opening of the new ‘Meals for the Poor’ initiative, which aims to support those most in need in the local community.

His Eminence urged the faithful to embrace this new charitable effort of the Church.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

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

Advertisement

Latest News

The man for all jobs: How a Greek migrant turned setbacks into 7-figure success

When Christof Mantzanas stepped off the plane in Melbourne on 10 March 2015, he had just $1,000 in his pocket.

Jimmy’s Kitchen brings authentic Greek hospitality to The Rocks

Sydney diners can now experience the warmth, flavour, and soul of a traditional Greek taverna without the flight to Greece.

Greek Community of Melbourne enhances safety with defibrillator training seminar

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) took a notable step towards enhancing community safety by organising a defibrillator training seminar.

Wills without the Trojan War

After nearly 15 years in the legal industry, I’ve lost track of how many matters I’ve worked on involving family disputes over estates.

From tech to health: Greek Australians driving innovation in 2025

Australia’s Top 100 Innovators celebrate those who turn setbacks into breakthroughs. This year, three Greek Australians are among them.

You May Also Like

First Olympic Agora to be held in Tokyo for 2020 Olympics

Tokyo will host the first-ever Olympic Agora in the Japanese capital's Nihonbashi district to celebrate this year's Olympic Games.

‘A Spectrum of Possibilities’: GOCSA takes a step forward to support the Autistic community

For the first time in its history, the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA) marked World Autism Month with a special event.

Sydney’s Lemnians enjoy annual Liberation of Lemnos Dance

The Lemnian Association of NSW "Maroula" gathered members, families, and friends for a vibrant celebration of the Liberation of Lemnos.