On Monday, October 6, the Minister of Culture of Greece, Ms. Lina Mendoni, attended the annual Catechism Schools Picnic of New South Wales, where she met hundreds of Greek children of the diaspora — the “offspring” of the Greek omogeneia and the Orthodox Church in Australia.
The event took place at Gough Whitlam Park in the Sydney suburb of Earlwood and was attended by the minister and Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
Also present were Bishop Elpidios of Perth, Bishop Athanasios of Canberra, Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, and Bishop Christoforos of Kerasounta, along with clergy of the Holy Archdiocese; Stavros Venizelos, the Greek Ambassador to Australia; Georgios Skemperis, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney; and Anna Panagiotarea, a journalist and special advisor to the minister.
The children of the catechism schools warmly welcomed their shepherd and the Greek minister of culture. Dr. Ioannis Psarommatis, president of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, which organizes and coordinates the catechetical ministry in New South Wales, extended a heartfelt greeting to the distinguished guests on behalf of the organization.
With fatherly love, Archbishop Makarios addressed the children, urging them to never forget that Christ is the source of life and that His Church is the source of spiritual strength. Minister Mendoni and Ambassador Venizelos also offered warm greetings.
The boys and girls of the Catechism Schools then proudly sang the national anthem of Greece, followed by the apolytikion of Saint Paisios the Athonite, the patron saint of Australia and the holy archdiocese.
Over 400 children and their parents, and family members took part in the annual Catechism Schools gathering of the Parishes of New South Wales. After enjoying a picnic lunch, the children participated in Olympic-inspired games and activities.
Members of the catechism schools from different parishes joined forces to form teams. The combined team of the parishes of St. Nicholas (Marrickville), Transfiguration of the Savior (Earlwood), St. Stylianos (Gymea), St. Gerasimos (Leichhardt), and Holy Cross (Wollongong) achieved the highest score of the day. They were proclaimed champions of the 2025 annual catechism schools picnic.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
