The festivities in honor of Panagia Myrtidiotissa culminated on Sunday, September 29, in the Sydney suburb of Kogarah.
Many devout Christians from the local Parish – Community of the Resurrection of Christ, Panagia Myrtidiotissa, and Agia Elessa, along with visitors from other parts of Sydney, participated reverently in the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia. Following the liturgical service, attendees enjoyed a full-day cultural program featuring traditional dances, music, and flavors from the homeland, celebrating their heritage with joy and unity.
During the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios was joined by Bishops Iakovos of Militoupolis and Christodoulos of Magnesia (Hierarchical Head of the celebrating Parish), as well as the Protosyncellus of the Holy Archdiocese, Archimandrite Christoforos Krikelis of the Ecumenical Throne. Several clergy from the city of Sydney, including Fr. Stavros Aggoroudis, who was honored by His Eminence with the Offikion of Archimandrite, were also present.
Addressing the honored clergyman with paternal care, Archbishop Makarios encouraged him to continue his work with even greater zeal and a heightened sense of responsibility. He reminded him of the sacred duty towards the holiness and salvation of the faithful entrusted to his care by the Church.
“Every honor, promotion, and elevation,” the Archbishop emphasized, “is accompanied by a great responsibility: the responsibility of holiness and salvation. This is the responsibility you take on today, not only for yourself but also for your neighbors. As we’ve mentioned before, salvation within the Church is not merely a personal matter. We desire paradise to be for everyone, so that we may all be there together, just as we are now during the Divine Liturgy.”
The Archbishop then expounded on the day’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of Luke, where the Lord taught about loving our enemies. “With ‘love your enemies,’ Christ introduced a religious and social revolution,” he said, noting that this teaching is unique and not found in any other religion. “No other religion teaches what we heard today in the Gospel,” he remarked, and emphasized: “This is the greatness of our faith.” “This is the life of people who love Christ and strive to follow the Holy Gospel,” he added.
Before concluding his speech, the Archbishop highlighted the upcoming Apostolic Visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia and extended an invitation to all to express their love and respect for the Ecumenical Patriarch during his reception and stay in Sydney.
“Be there to welcome the Patriarch of the Nation, the First among the Orthodox Church, and to address him with one voice and one heart, saying, “As you were present, Your All-Holiness, Father and Master,” he urged.
In conclusion, he extended his warm wishes to the members of the Parish-Community of Kogarah, invoking the blessing and grace of the Most Holy Theotokos upon them. Additionally, he offered paternal wishes for the name day of Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne.
The events in honor of Panagia Myrtidiotissa in Kogarah, Sydney, were attended by notable figures such as Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Immigration of Australia; David Coleman, Federal MP and Shadow Minister for Communications; Simon Kennedy, Federal MP; Mark Coure, State MP; Sam Stratikopoulos, Councillor of the Georges River Council; Vicky Poulos, Councillor of the Bayside Council; Barbara Zantioti, President of the Kytherian Brotherhood of Australia; and Anastasia Karakominaki, President of the Pan-Macedonian Association of New South Wales, among others.
