Special event held in Canberra to celebrate the name day of Saint Nicholas

·

By Evelyn Karatzas.

On Sunday, December 6, the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra celebrated the name day of Saint Nicholas, of which the church is named after, holding a special service followed by plenty of food and dancing from the Hellenic dancers.

The celebrations consisted of many special guests including Ms Tara Cheyne, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister to the Treasurer & Senator for the ACT representing the Prime Minister, Mrs Maria Vamvakinou MP, Mr Steve Georganas MP, His Excellency, Ambassador of Greece Mr George Papacostas, Her Excellency, High Commissioner of Cyprus Mrs Martha Mavrommatis, His Excellency, Ambassador of Austria Mr Wolfgang Lukas Strohmayer, President of the Greek Community, Mr John Loukadellis, as well as former Parish Priest George Carpis, current Priest of St Nicholas, Father Petros Kipouros and current Priest of St Demetrios, Father Iakovos Syriotis.

Politicians and prominent members of the Greek community attended the special event. Photo: Eva Karatzas.

Mr Seselja conveyed Scott Morrison’s well wishes at the beginning of the ceremony and welcomed His Eminence to the capital.

“I can not stay until the end of today’s celebration but I came, even for a while, to convey to you the wishes of the Prime Minister of the country and to welcome you to the Australian Capital on his behalf and on behalf of the Australian Government,” Mr Seslja said.

It was a big day for the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church as the original priest of Canberra’s parish, Father George, was promoted to High Priest and Father Prochoros was announced as the Archdiocesan Vicar of the newly announced Archdiocesan District of the ACT. This was a huge honour for the Canberra community and church, showing a bright future for our faithful in the ACT.

The event had a great turnout of people, including special performances from the Canberra Hellenic Dancers who performed some traditional Greek dances, showcasing our culture and traditions that continue to be embraced.

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios shared his positive feedback on the celebrations and how he looks forward to seeing the Greek Community of Canberra grow and continue to embrace their faith and culture.

READ MORE: St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church in Canberra finishes storm restoration.

“I am very happy. The community of Canberra is very warm and they love the church,” His Eminence said in a speech at the event.

In a speech during the service, His Eminence also thanked Mrs Tara Cheyne, State Minister for Human Rights, Culture and Business, and the expatriate Federal MPs Maria Vamvakinou and Steve Georganas, from Victoria and Adelaide, respectively, for their constant support to the Greek diaspora and to the Holy Archdiocese, especially for the clear position they took on the issue of condemning the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

READ MORE: Greek community of Canberra celebrates 80th anniversary of OXI Day.

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios (centre) thanked Steve Georganas MP (left) and Maria Vamvakinou MP (right) for their support of the Greek diaspora. Photo: Facebook.

His Excellency, Ambassador of Greece, Mr Papacostas, shared: “We are very happy that the Archbishop came and honoured us with his presence today. The church was full and this means that Hellenism respects its traditions and will continue to be so.”

President of the Greek Community, Mr John Loukadellis, stated: “After a long 15 hour day, it was an amazing day and I wish everyone celebrating a joyous and love filled day.”

Following this successful festivity of celebrations for Saint Nicholas, parishioners were welcomed to catch a bus to Nimmitabel, to visit the burial plot of Gikas Voulgaris, who was the first Greek Australian Pioneer.

His Eminence Makarios presided a memorial service to recognise and celebrate the life, sacrifice and love for Gikas Voulgaris. A wreath was laid by Archbishop Makarios on behalf of the Archdiocese of Australia and the President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis also laid a wreath on behalf of the Community & St Nicholas Church.

READ MORE: Paniyiri held in Canberra to mark the 108th anniversary of the liberation of Lesvos.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Hellenic Kids returns this month with three days of culture and fun

This April, children from Kindy to Year 6 are invited to dive into the Hellenic Kids Activities Program, running from 15 April to 17 April.

Coalition pledges $2 million to upgrade Heidelberg United Alexander FC facilities

The Coalition has recently announced a $2 million funding commitment to Heidelberg United Alexander Football Club.

HACCI National Federation holds online event on Greek-Australian trade relations

HACCI National Federation marked a milestone with its inaugural online event ‘Bridging Markets: Greece-Australia Trade Insights’ on March 20.

Genocide mentioned in Victorian Parliament

The movement for the recognition of the Genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks has gained momentum in Victorian Parliament this week.

Evzones to lead ANZAC tributes and cultural celebrations in Adelaide and Sydney

The Evzones will visit Australia from 23 April to 4 May 2025, participating in Anzac Day and a series of cultural events.

You May Also Like

Key, icons, costumes and manuscripts: Journey to the heyday of Asia Minor

These are just some of the artefacts telling myriads of stories at the exhibition, titled Asia Minor: Reflections of Daily Life.

Giannis Antetokounmpo responds to Donald Trump’s remarks on his Greek heritage

Former President Donald Trump raised questions about Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greek heritage.

Greek PM calls for EU deal on COVID stimulus

Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis,wants to agree on a mass economic stimulus to kickstart growth in an EU impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.