New South Wales Governor Margaret Beazley was presented with the Order of the Philochrist by Archbishop Makarios of Australia on Sunday, May 5.
Ms Beazley was presented with the star during the Vespers of Love service held at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Redfern, Sydney.
The Vespers was presided over by Archbishop Makarios, alongside Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevastia, Bishops Iakovos of Militoupolis and Christodoulos of Magnesia, and other clergy from Sydney. The service was also attended by the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, and the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis.
During the Vespers, the resurrection message of the Gospel (John 20:19-25) was read out in various languages.
When presenting the Order of the Philochrist to Ms Beazley, Archbishop Makarios stressed that the NSW Governor has “been a steadfast friend and a passionate supporter of the Greek Orthodox community.”
“Your presence here today exemplifies the mutual respect that defines our multicultural society and the spirit of unity that you tirelessly promote,” the Archbishop said.
In response, Ms Beazley, who was accompanied by her husband Denis Wilson, expressed her gratitude for the honour, as well as her deep appreciation for the Greek diaspora and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
Source: Orthodox Times.
