Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane had the honour of welcoming, on behalf of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, a delegation from the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS), who arrived in Australia for the commemorations marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
The delegation included the Chief of Staff of the HNDGS, Lieutenant General (P) Konstantinos Bouzos, First Lieutenant (ABDF) Eleni Theodorou, Head of the External Affairs Department of the Directorate of Public Relations, and Staff Officer Lamprini Kokkori.
Also in attendance were the Military Attaché of the Greek Embassy in Canberra, Colonel Kyriakos Kyriakakos, the Honorary Consul-General of Greece in Queensland, Mr George Mastrocostas, and the President of the Cretan Association of Queensland, Mr Anthony Katsanevas.
The morning commenced with a visit to the Church of Saint Paraskevi, where His Grace informed the guests about the parish and its history, noting that the church was consecrated last year and this year marks forty years since its establishment.
The delegation had the opportunity to light candles, venerate the holy icons, and pay reverence to the many sacred relics housed within the church.
Following the church visit, the delegation was welcomed by His Grace at the Offices of the Diocese of Brisbane, where light refreshments were served. Bishop Bartholomew spoke about the various initiatives of the Diocese and thanked the delegation for their visit, emphasising the importance of receiving distinguished guests from the homeland. He noted that visits such as these provide strength, comfort and joy, reaffirming that the efforts of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in preserving our faith, language, history and culture are recognised and appreciated.
Bishop Bartholomew conveyed the love and blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia to the delegation. His Grace also reflected on the deep love for Crete shared by both the late Archbishop Stylianos of blessed memory and the present Archbishop Makarios, noting how they have instilled this love for the island in generations of Greeks throughout Australia.
