On the occasion of the celebration of the name day of Archbishop Makarios of Australia in Sydney, the new President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand, Manolis Mountakis, met the Archbishop to extend his wishes and receive his blessing.
Mountakis, situated in Sydney, takes on the role of leadership within the Cretan Federation of Oceania for the upcoming three years, serving until January 2027. He succeeded the outgoing President, Antonis Tsourdalakis, headquartered in Melbourne, who concluded his four-year term (2020–2024).
Both President Mountakis and former President Tsourdalakis extended their heartfelt wishes to the Primate of Orthodoxy in Australia for many blessed years. They prayed for the Almighty to grant him robust health and longevity, enabling him to persist in his remarkable work on the fifth continent.
In the course of the discussion between the Archbishop, Mountakis, and Tsourdalakis, the Archbishop touched upon various matters, emphasizing the significance of this year’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. He sought the wholehearted participation and support of all compatriots, particularly the Cretans of Oceania, in the comprehensive program of anniversary events. The apex of these celebrations is expected to be the visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia in October 2024.
Translated by Thanos Chrysanthopoulos
