On Saturday, December 21, the courtyard of the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Redfern, Sydney, was filled with the spirit of Christmas as the Greek Orthodox community gathered for the annual Christmas Carols event hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA).
The event featured a rich musical program, blending joyful Christmas and New Year’s carols with church hymns and songs tied to the Holy Twelve Days of Christmas. The diverse array of performances delighted the large audience and captured the deep spiritual joy of the season.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia attended and gave an emotional address. He thanked all those who participated in making the event a success, and reflected on the significance of Christmas.
Also in attendance were notable figures including Archons of the Holy Great Church of Christ, and Athanassios Lambrou, First Counsellor for Public Diplomacy at the Consulate of Greece in Sydney.
The event was organised by the GO Youth NSW and the GO Family & Friends Ministry, under the guidance of His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Christophoros Krikelis, Chancellor and Dean of the Cathedral.
Youth emcees Vasilios Manis and Nikoleta Spyropoulos hosted the evening, while musical performances were provided by the Australian Byzantine Choir, the Melisma Choir under the direction of Dimitrios Koumbaroulis, youth choirs from the Greek Orthodox Christian Society in Sydney, and Pontoxeniteas NSW featuring the Pontian lyra player Kostas Papoulidis.
Children’s choirs from the Sunday Schools of the Parish-Community of the Resurrection of Christ in Kogarah and All Saints in Belmore also took part.
