The Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales celebrated on Monday, in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios, the feast-day of the Holy Spirit at the Parish of The Holy Trinity in Surry Hills, Sydney.
A feast day of particular importance in the Greek Orthodox Church, His Eminence become the first Archbishop, after almost half a century, to cross the threshold of Australia’s oldest church in the southern hemisphere.
“This is a development with special importance, but also substance, as it signals the opening of a new page in the relations between the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, to which the church belongs,” The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia wrote in a Facebook post.
The Archdiocese also recognised the event as historic occasion as it, “signals the opening of a new page in the relations between the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, to which the church belongs.”
The President of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, Mr Harry Danalis, applauded His Eminence’s spirit of solidarity and unity.
“I would like to thank you because, from the day of your arrival, you have shown genuine love and an outlook of unity for our society and love for our Community, and we know that this will continue,” Danalis said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a limited number of people were permitted to attend the ceremony, with invitations sent out only to the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, Greek Diplomatic Authorities and to select Greek community representatives.
Expatriates who did attend, most of whom were present during the Divine Liturgy, mainly resided outside the Temple.
