On Thursday, May 15, the University of Sydney campus was abuzz with excitement as more than 60 students came together for one of the most anticipated Student Society events of the year, the Annual Forum hosted by the Sydney University branch of the Student Orthodox Fellowship in Australia (SOFIA USYD).
Founded in the 1980s, SOFIA has been a pillar of support for Orthodox Christians on campus, offering them, through regular meetings, a space to more deeply engage with their faith and build lasting friendships with other like-minded youth. It has also played a crucial role in facilitating engagement with those of non-orthodox convictions, providing them with a friendly space to learn about the Orthodox faith.
This year’s forum, titled Sacred Union: Navigating Love and Faith in the Orthodox Life, was delivered by three esteemed priests of the Orthodox Church: Fr Gerasimos of St George Greek Church in Rose Bay; Fr Phillip of St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in Punchbowl; and Fr Timothy of Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Crow’s Nest. They concisely summarised the Church’s extensive teaching on marriage, illustrating how this sacred union can help us reach salvation in a world that increasingly promotes lust and conditional love as the norm in relationships.
The youth were especially enthused by the presence of Fr Phillip, whose lively and engaging character has resulted in a significant following, both at his Church and youth groups, as well as on their social media pages.
Christine Karabalis, the Associate Vice President of SOFIA USYD, played a key role in organising this event, facilitating the involvement of Fr Phillip, and extending the invitation to the wider Antiochian community in Sydney.
Christine described the event as “an incredible experience, and I was enthused to see so many Orthodox youth from different parishes come together to hear an insightful talk by the three speakers.”
Christos Missiris, President of SOFIA USYD, stated: “Each father at tonight’s Q&A forum brought a unique and valuable perspective. As the President of SOFIA USYD, I’m grateful we could host such an open and honest discussion. The topic of love, relationships, and marriage is not only relevant, but deeply significant, especially for us as young Orthodox Christians navigating a world that often holds very different values.”
Moreover, Nektarios Karpouzis, the Vice President, noted that “it was wonderful for SOFIA USYD to host a talk on this topic of paramount importance, given that the Orthodox understanding of ‘marriage as a path to heaven’ is often unknown and overlooked, with many in society going so far as to derogate marriage as a restrictive and oppressive institution, and thus it was deeply encouraging to have it firmly placed within its sacramental context.”
Pertinently, the Forum speakers illustrated the primacy accorded to the Orthodox Church’s teaching concerning marriage and ‘dating’ to the Orthodox youth, which they readily accepted, a seismic achievement within today’s increasingly secular and relativist society.
The youth eagerly engaged the priests with their questions concerning love and relationships, and were in turn provided with comprehensive theological and practical answers by the panel. Many of the attendees were profoundly moved by the talk, describing it as a truly transformative insight into the orthodox view of love, and they are eagerly anticipating future events.
Learn more about SOFIA USYD on Instagram at @sofiausyd.
*Photos by Chris Cheng (@chrischunger), Steven Karabalis and Jacob Doman (@lensycpatures).
