With due splendour and reverence, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos was celebrated in the “heart” of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Sydney.
The two-day festal celebrations were presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who was joined by Hierarchs and a multitude of clergy of the local Church, with a large participation of the devout and Christ-loving faithful.
On the eve of the feast, Tuesday 24 March, Archbishop Makarios presided at the Great Feast day Vespers, concelebrating with Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia, Choroepiskopos Bishop Athinagoras of Canberra, and the Assistant Bishops: Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint George at Yellow Rock; Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod; and Bishop Christophoros of Kerasounta, Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese.
During the service, the festal homily was delivered by Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia, while the Archbishop announced the appointment of Fr Panteleimon Toumbelekis, Parish Priest of the Church of Saint Gerasimos in Leichhardt, as the responsible priest for pastoral ministry within the New South Wales Police Force. His Eminence read the relevant prayer and offered appropriate words of encouragement to Fr Panteleimon for the new ministry he is undertaking. The presence of a delegation of officers of the NSW Police Force, led by Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald, Commander of the Inner West Police Area Command, was also notable, as well as that of the Anglican priest, the Reverend Fr Murray Woolnough, Senior Chaplain in the NSW Police.
On the feast day itself, Wednesday 25 March, a Festal Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated, presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, with the aforementioned Hierarchs concelebrating. During the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence’s Message for the feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos and the Greek National Regeneration was read in church.
Among the congregation were Greek Members of Parliament visiting Australia as representatives of the Hellenic Parliament for the commemorative events marking the Anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821. Heading the Inter-Party Parliamentary Delegation was Mr Maximos Charakopoulos, Member of Parliament and Secretary of the Parliamentary Group of New Democracy, accompanied by Mr Filippos Fortomas, Member of Parliament of New Democracy and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Greek Diaspora, Mr Stavros Michailidis, Member of Parliament of PASOK, and Mr Konstantinos Barkas, Member of Parliament of SYRIZA. Accompanying the delegation to Australia was Mr Georgios Parisis of the Directorate of International Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament, while present with them at the Cathedral was Mr Athanasios Lambrou, Head of the Office of Public Diplomacy of the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney.
The Archbishop warmly welcomed the representatives of the Hellenic Parliament, describing their presence as an honour and thanking them for the effort of their long journey. He emphasised that a priority of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia is the strengthening of the bonds of the Greek Diaspora with the national centre and, therefore, visits by institutional representatives of the Hellenic State encourage and reinforce these efforts. He also wished the Members of Parliament a pleasant stay in Australia and expressed his conviction that, upon departing for Greece, their suitcases would be filled with beautiful memories. “The experiences you will live-out these days here,” he concluded, “take them back to our beloved homeland and tell everyone that in Australia another Greece is flourishing, a great Greece, which strives greatly to preserve our language, traditions, and Orthodox faith. And that the people who came here by the tens of thousands, especially during the difficult years of migration, did not forget their origin, their national identity, or their faith. And they are very proud to be Greek and Orthodox.”
Before the Dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service was held for the repose of the soul of the late Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, who fell asleep in the Lord seven years ago on the very day of the feast of the Annunciation. Archbishop Makarios of Australia spoke with emotion about his ever-memorable predecessor and expressed his own gratitude, as well as that of the entire flock of the Holy Archdiocese. “Every year, on this day,” he noted, “we cannot but remember the late Archbishop Stylianos, who served our local Church for 44 years.” “And we do not remember him merely formally,” he added, “but with deep gratitude, offering thanks, honour, and respect to his venerable person for all that he offered to the Holy Archdiocese of Australia during those 44 years. We pray for God to grant him rest among the Saints and the Righteous.”
