On Wednesday evening, December 11, the Vespers to celebrate the feast day of St Spyridon, the Miracle Worker, was held at St Spyridon Greek Orthodox church in Kingsford, Sydney.
The Vespers was officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, flanked by a multitude of clergy from the city of Sydney, including parish priests Fr Steven Skoutas and Fr Stavros Ivanos.
His Eminence Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymno and Avlopotamos, their Graces Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis and Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia were also present.
Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymno is visiting Australia from Crete, bringing fragments of the holy relics of the Holy Four New Martyrs of Rethymno, Manuel, Angelos, George, and Nicholas. He is accompanied by the Most Eminent Archimandrites, Vasilios Papadakis and Theologian Papalevyzakis.
Also present were the Federal Minister for Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite MP, the State Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig MP, and the Mayor of Randwick, Dylan Parker.
Archbishop Makarios warmly welcomed the Metropolitan of Rethymno and his entourage, as well as the representatives of the political leadership and local government.
After thanking everyone for their honorary presence at the Vespers, he gave the floor to the Minister for Immigration to address a brief greeting.
Mr Thistlethwaite spoke warmly of the valuable contribution of the Greek diaspora to Australian society, while praising the leadership of Archbishop Makarios.
At the end of the Vespers, the awarding of the Order of the Philochrist, the highest honorary distinction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA), took place.
The distinction was given to four women who have dedicated their entire lives to the preservation of the Greek language, the Orthodox faith and the Greek Orthodox traditions.
They were described as four “teachers of the Nation” by Fr Steven, since “they have offered national and spiritual work, with a sacrificial spirit, under the most adverse conditions of exile here in the Antipodes.”
Those honoured by Archbishop Makarios with the Order of the Philochrist were:
- Artemisia Ierokli, originally from Kos, who has been teaching Greek in the schools of the GOAA since 1970, particularly at St Spyridon.
- Varvara Lykoudis, from Monopolata, Kefalonia, who served since 1973 and for 50 years in the schools of the Parish of St Spyridon.
- Anna Lambrou, originally from Kythera, who for 65 years kept thousands of Greek children in touch with the language and faith of their ancestors.
- Sofia Haska, from Rhodes, who has emerged as the “Mother” of Greek dance in Australia, as she has been teaching Greek dancing to members of the Greek diaspora for almost seven decades.
