The 12th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA) was officially opened on Monday, September 25 at St Spyridon College in Kingsford, Sydney.
This is the first time the Congress has been held since 2013. More than 650 community representatives (including clerics) from across Australia attended this year’s event.
The Clergy-Laity Congress is typically held every four years for representatives of the GOAA to discuss religious topics of interest amongst the clergy and public. This year’s event will last until Wednesday, 27 September.
The Congress was opened by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who thanked everyone for attending. Archbishop Nikitas of Thyatira and Great Britain, who is representing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Congress, then performed the Commencement Service – Agiasmos.
Also present on the day were visiting Hierarchs from Greece including the Metropolitan Athenagoras of Ilion, Acharnes and Petroupolis; Metropolitan Gerasimos of Petra and Cherronesos; Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia; Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymnos and Avlopotamos; as well as Bishop Silouan of Sinope; Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis; Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia; Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta; and Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis.
The Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, was also present.
