On Friday, March 13, Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited the Parish of Saint Andrew the First-Called Apostle in the suburb of Gladesville, Sydney, where he presided over the Service of the Third Stasis of the Salutations to the Most Holy Theotokos.
Before the dismissal, His Eminence addressed the faithful, speaking about the revered person of the Virgin Mary. He also congratulated the parish priest, Fr. Anastasios Kalogerakis, on his recent appointment, and expressed heartfelt thanks to the Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, Fr. Angelos Alifierakis, for his many years of ministry and service both to the Parish of Saint Andrew in Gladesville and, more broadly, to the Orthodox Church in the fifth continent.
More specifically, the Archbishop began his address by reminding the faithful that participation in the liturgical life of the Church—and especially in devotional services such as the Salutations to the Most Holy Theotokos—renews and spiritually strengthens believers. It helps them face the daily obstacles and trials of life, move forward, and strive to become better and holier.
He then made particular reference to the Akathist Hymn, recalling the year 626 AD, when it was first chanted in the Church of the Theotokos of Blachernae. He explained that this masterpiece of Byzantine hymnography was an expression of the deep piety of the people of Constantinople, who wished to express their gratitude to the Theotokos for the miraculous deliverance of Constantinople during the siege by the Avars.
As His Eminence characteristically noted, “In the past, people used to say ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ much more often than we do today.”
Emphasizing that Greeks, in particular, have many reasons to give thanks to the Virgin Mary, since she has been the protector of the motherland at critical moments in its history, he underlined that the foremost reason for expressing our gratitude to Her is the liberation of the humankind from the bonds of sin.
He also referred to the verse “Rejoice, through whom Paradise was opened”, which is heard in the 15th Stanza of the Akathist Hymn, reminding the faithful that if the Virgin Mary had not responded to the Angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word,” the humankind would have remained in darkness.
“Therefore, we owe to our Panagia, above all and foremost, our salvation,” he stressed.
Following this, Archbishop Makarios encouraged everyone to set as a spiritual goal the cultivation of a more personal relationship with the Theotokos:
“Let us develop a personal relationship with the Virgin Mary, because she is our mother, our sister, our protector, and our intercessor before God. Let us pray to her and speak to her—not with complicated, embellished, or artificial words, but with our hearts. Let us tell her whatever we feel, just as we feel it, and regard her as our only refuge.”
Concluding his address, His Eminence extended his wishes to the faithful for the remainder of Great Lent, while also encouraging them to surround their new parish priest, Fr. Anastasios, with love and with a spirit of unity and cooperation.
Referring to him as a worthy clergyman with many gifts and virtues, the Archbishop expressed his conviction that, under his guidance, the Parish of Saint Andrew will continue its upward course.
At the same time, he thanked Fr. Angelos for his invaluable contribution, noting that “through great effort and struggle—especially during the difficult years for our Greek community here in Australia—he built the parish from the ground up, established the ‘Estia’ foundation, and did more than anyone could have expected. Now he has decided to rest, to enjoy the fruits of his labors, and to take care of his health.”
