Brisbane’s Greek community enjoys inaugural ‘Christmas Carols by Candlelight’

The Holy Diocese of Brisbane hosted its first-ever “Christmas Carols by Candlelight” on Sunday, December 8, at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George, Brisbane.

The event marked the conclusion of the Queensland Youth Conference and was attended by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.

The evening featured moving performances from the mixed choir of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society of Sydney, the “Ellinikes Fones” choir of the Greek Orthodox Parish-Community of Saint George, and Brisbane’s “Saint John of Damascus” choir.

The choirs performed a rich programme of contemporary Christmas hymns and traditional carols from various regions of Greece, delighting the large audience in attendance.

Prominent figures in the audience included Their Graces, Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane and Bishop Silouan of Adelaide, along with the Archon of the Holy and Great Church of Christ, Theo Bacalakis, the President of the Parish-Community of Saint George, Freda Valassakis, and other community leaders and faithful.

At the close of the event, Archbishop Makarios expressed heartfelt congratulations to the organisers and performers. He praised the Greek Orthodox community for fostering a spirit of love and unity as they approach the great celebration of Christmas.