More than 200 parishioners, clergy, dignitaries and supporters from Greek Orthodox parishes across Adelaide gathered on 13 June 2026 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Parish, Noarlunga.
The evening marked an opportunity not only to celebrate four decades of the parish, but also to reflect on a remarkable story of vision, sacrifice, perseverance and faith that defines the parish in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
A vision for the south
The origins of St Andrew’s can be traced to the early 1980s, when His Grace Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis recognised the growing number of Orthodox faithful living in Adelaide’s southern suburbs and the need for a permanent spiritual home. His Grace also recognised the strong devotion many Cypriot migrants held for Saint Andrew the First-Called, one of Cyprus’ most beloved saints.
What followed was a grassroots effort led by committed parishioners including Richard and Stella Harding, who worked to identify Orthodox families across the southern districts and bring them together. Through the support of George Mitropoulos and the Southern District Hellenic Schools Association, the foundations of a future parish began to take shape.
The first service associated with the future parish was celebrated on 29 November 1984, when Great Vespers for the Feast of Saint Andrew was held under a tent erected on the site where the church now stands. The service was presided over by His Grace Bishop Paul of Christianoupolis. Three days later, on 2 December 1984, the first Divine Liturgy was held.
Building a parish from the ground up
Before a church building existed, services were held in the Drama Room of Christies Beach High School. Reflecting on those pioneering years at the anniversary gala, Fr John Psalios recalled the realities of establishing parish life in the southern suburbs.
“We were holding boxes together to take into the drama room and set all the things out ready for a service, and then pack them all up again, and take them away,” he said. “It was a beautiful experience.”
The parish was formally established in 1986 and Fr John became its first permanent parish priest. That same year, the late Archbishop Stylianos of Australia laid the foundation stone of the church, and by October 1987 the building had been completed. Later, Fr Nicholas Pavlou also officiated services for the parish.
The early years were marked by financial hardship, volunteer labour and extraordinary commitment from parishioners determined to see the parish succeed.
“We had to keep paying interest repayments every month to the bank and we, on many occasions, never, ever, ever had that amount,” Fr John recalled. “We just prayed, and a miracle would always happen.”
Those sacrifices laid the foundations not only for a church building, but for a parish culture built upon volunteerism and faith.
Growth across the decades
Over the following decades, the parish continued to flourish through the ministries of Fr John, Fr Konstantinos Skoumbourdis, Fr Michael Psaromatis, and the current parish priest, Fr Armandos Manafis.
Generations of families were baptised, married and buried within the parish. Youth programs, Sunday School, Greek language education, community outreach and cultural activities helped transform St Andrew’s into a centre of Orthodox life in Adelaide’s south.
Among those reflecting on the parish’s development was Fr Michael, who served at St Andrew’s from 2012 to 2020.
“Saint Andrews was a parish of connections, and is a parish of connections,” he said.
He recalled the many families, volunteers and benefactors who welcomed his family and contributed to the life of the parish, describing a community whose strength was found in ordinary acts of service, hospitality and faith.
Looking back on his years in Noarlunga, Fr Michael said: “For me, the story of Saint Andrews has always been this: a humble parish with a big heart.”
He stressed that the parish’s achievements belonged to the whole community.
“Those things did not belong to one person or a group of people, they belonged and belong to the parish,” he said.
Fire, faith and renewal
One of the defining chapters in the parish’s modern history came in March 2024 when the church was devastated by fire during Holy and Great Lent, only weeks before Pascha.
The loss was deeply felt throughout South Australia’s Orthodox community. Yet the response reflected the same resilience that had characterised the parish since its foundation. Fundraising efforts, donations from parishes across the State, and contribution from the South Australian Government, helped make reconstruction possible.
The rebuilding culminated in one of the most significant events in South Australian Orthodox history. On 13 September 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia consecrated St Andrew’s Church with His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide. It was the first consecration of a Greek Orthodox church in South Australia since 1961.
The consecration represented the fulfilment of a vision first conceived more than 40 years earlier and marked a new chapter in the life of the parish.
Reflections on forty years
Addressing the anniversary gathering, Bishop Silouan paid tribute to the generations of faithful who had built and sustained the parish over four decades.
“We honour the memory of all our pioneering forefathers,” he said, describing them as people who “had deep faith in God. They trusted in Him and relied on the protection of the Mother of God.”
He praised the sacrifices of those who established the parish and acknowledged the contributions of the clergy who had served throughout its history.
“A tireless, merciful, hopeful, and authentic example of St. Andrew and its parish highlights the success of the migrant community,” Bishop Silouan said. “It is amazing what a migrant can achieve together with their families and the love of the Australian people.”
The Bishop also drew attention to the spiritual example of Saint Andrew the First-Called, whose life of faith, sacrifice and obedience continues to inspire Orthodox Christians today.
Looking to the future, he encouraged parishioners to approach the next 40 years with the same faith that guided those who built the parish.
Looking to the future
Among the evening’s distinguished guests was Dr Alexandra Theodoropoulou, Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, who reflected on both the recent trials and the enduring significance of St Andrew’s to the Greek Australian community.
Recalling her attendance at a fundraising event following the devastating 2024 fire, she remembered encountering “a community that was hurt, broken, but still with a big willingness to resurrect.”
She described the rebuilding and restoration of the church as a remarkable achievement.
“It was a miracle,” she said. “A miracle that happened with the help of faith, of unity, but also of the support of the state.”
Reflecting on the contribution of Orthodox parishes to Greek community life, she noted that churches serve as far more than places of worship.
“Every Greek Orthodox parish and Orthodox church is a reference of our own unity, but also of the contribution of our culture and of our language to Christianity,” she said.
As the evening concluded, the significance of the anniversary became clear. From a temporary tent in 1984, to services held in a school drama room, to the devastation of the 2024 fire and the historic consecration of 2025, St Andrew’s Parish has repeatedly demonstrated resilience in the face of challenge.
Forty years after its beginnings, the vision first conceived by Bishop Ezekiel continues to flourish. The parish remains a spiritual home for many Orthodox faithful and a testament to the generations who built it.
*All photos copyright: Greek Orthodox Parish of Saint Andrew Noarlunga / Michael Tsakrios
