On the evening of Saturday, December 7, Archbishop Makarios of Australia attended the official dinner of the Youth Conference of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane, hosted by the Parish–Community of St. George in Brisbane.
The beautiful evening featured performances by the dance groups of the Parish–Community of Saint George and the Cretan Brotherhood of Queensland, showcasing traditional dances from Macedonia and Crete, respectively, as well as a presentation by the choir of the Christian Association of Sydney.
The participants in the cultural program touched the hearts of Archbishop Makarios and the other dinner guests, earning their warm applause.
In his greeting, Archbishop Makarios urged the young people to lead Christ-centered lives and remain close to His Church. Addressing the clergy and other laity present at the dinner, he encouraged them to strive for unity and the progress of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, emphasizing the importance of good cooperation with Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane.
As a mark of appreciation for Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane’s devout ministry, Archbishop Makarios presented him with an episcopal engolpion featuring an image of Saint Andrew the First-Called Apostle. Also, Bishop Bartholomew received a commemorative gift from the Central Youth of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane.
The evening concluded with the cutting of the festive cake for the Youth Conference by Archbishop Makarios, joined by Bishops Bartholomew of Brisbane and Silouan of Adelaide, the President of Central Youth Katerina Tsakriou, the President of the Parish–Community of Saint George Paraskevi Valassaki, and the President of the Parish–Community of Saint John the Baptist Theodoros Bakalakis.
