Saint Andrew’s Theological College celebrated its 40th anniversary with an official dinner at Le Montage Reception Hall in Sydney on Tuesday, 30 September, coinciding with the conclusion of the Second Pan-Australian Clergy Synaxis.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia highlighted the College’s central role in shaping the future of the Church in Australia, paying tribute to his late predecessors, Archbishops Ezekiel and Stylianos, for envisioning and realising the school’s establishment.
He reaffirmed his commitment to its growth, noting that “from the very first moment of my arrival in Australia, in 2019, the Theological College has been in my heart and thoughts.”
Looking ahead, Archbishop Makarios said the College’s future is bright, with plans to move into modern facilities and expand academic offerings, including undergraduate studies in Greek and a new Diploma in Byzantine Music.
“These initiatives mark a new period in the life of the School, promising to deepen its offering both to the Church and to society,” he said.
He also thanked the Australian University College of Divinity for its “wise guidance, strict academic supervision, and fraternal support,” which he described as essential to the College’s credibility in Australia’s academic community.
During the evening, Archbishop Makarios conferred the Order of the Christ-Loving on nine individuals for their longstanding contributions to the institution, including Bishop Themistocles of Nicopolis, Fr John Chryssavgis, Fr Miltiades Chryssavgis, Dr Philip Kariatlis, Rev. Alan Galt, Professor Angelos Karantonis, Dr John Lee, Dr Guy Freeland, and Fr Anastasios Kalogerakis.
The event was attended by dignitaries, including Metropolitan Apostolos of Miletus, representing His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, along with several hierarchs, bishops of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and international church leaders.
