Around 400 Orthodox young attendees from New South Wales flocked to Saint Euphemia Greek Orthodox church in Bankstown, Sydney, on Saturday, September 21 to participate in the state’s Orthodox Youth Conference.
The conference began a Divine Liturgy followed by morning tea.
Keynote speaker Greek Orthodox Archbishop Makarios of Australia spoke on the topic of ‘We are ready for the future.’
“Think of a person we love, our best friend. We feel comfortable knowing that he or she is with us, that they are by our side. We rest in their presence, which fills us with joy. This is what Christ offers us. He wants us to find rest in Him. And we achieve this by putting Him in everything we do,” Archbishop Makarios said.
Topics such as ‘My Future in Orthodoxy’ by converts Jonathan Willmot and Harrison Whitefield, and ‘The Church and the Future’ by Dr Philip Kariatlis, were presented.
A panel discussion with Fr Timothy Klintsaris, Fr Asterios Zouriakos and his Presbytera, Dr Kariatlis, Evan Nuner and Isabella Olgers also took place.
Workshops were offered to the youth attendees including making a prosphoro hosted by Lambros Lambrou, Byzantine changing and music hosted by Basilios Psilacos, Iconography hosted by Kosta and Anastasia Mitsis, and church etiquette hosted by Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia.
