In an atmosphere of intense emotion and deep sorrow, the funeral service of the Blessed Protobresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, Nikolaos Bozikis, took place in Sydney on Wednesday, February 21.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the service, accompanied by Metropolitan Seraphim of Sebastia, Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Bishop Elpidios of Kyanea, Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, and Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis, along with a large number of clergy and monks from the city of Sydney and beyond, from New South Wales.
The Holy Church of Saint Nicholas in the suburb of Marrickville in Sydney, where the blessed Father Nikolaos had received the second degree of the priesthood in the early 1970s and had served faithfully for six or more years, was flooded by crowds of faithful who wanted to bid him a “final farewell”. Among them were Presvytera Chrysi, the children, grandchildren, and other relatives of the deceased priest, as well as the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, and a delegation of members of the police force, as Father Nikolaos had also served as a police priest in the New South Wales Police Force.
The eulogy was delivered with great emotion by Archbishop Makarios, who conveyed to the family the condolences and wishes of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and of Metropolitan Apostolos of Militoupolis, the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Anastasia Pharmacolytria in Thessaloniki, and all the alumni of the Ecclesiastical School of Saint Anastasia, where the young Nikolaos Bozikis had studied Theology before emigrating to Australia.
The Archbishop described in detail the priestly journey of the venerable and beloved cleric, from the Parish of the Holy Cross in the city of Wollongong to the numerous parishes of Sydney, which he served sacrificially in the last years of his earthly life. As he pointed out: “Wherever the Church called him to serve, he hastened immediately with a spirit of self-sacrifice and obedience to serve the People of God, to assist in the service of the salvation of humanity.
At another point, the Archbishop spoke of a “faithful soldier of the Church”, stressing his dedication, the virtue of obedience and his true priestly character. “He was always a faithful soldier of the Church, without conditions,” he stressed, continuing: “Wherever the Church asked him to go, he went. Without hesitation, without considering the distance, without considering the financial loss, without considering his family, without considering the deterioration of his health. He ran everywhere. To be present. All of you here today have not come to say goodbye to a priest. You came because you knew him, you came because we all have an experience to share about Father Nikolaos. You came here because you saw him at every Vespers service, at every Divine Liturgy, at every event of the Archdiocese. Even in the last period, when he had health problems, he ran and he was the first to be present at all events and in all situations. In other words, he lived the life of the Church.
Finally, Archbishop Makarios, recalling his personal experience of working with the Blessed Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, emphasised his militant and sacrificial spirit of service. “He was not a man who would negotiate the interests of the Church and the nation. He was not a man who would take a step back for the Church and the nation. He took many steps back for his family, never for the Church,” he said. In conclusion, the Archbishop wished that the example of the life of Blessed Father Nikolaos would guide and enlighten the consciences of all.
The funeral service was followed by the burial of the unforgettable Protosyngelos of the Ecumenical Throne at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
