With ecclesiastical splendor and deep reverence, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia celebrated the feast of St. Paisios the Athonite, the patron saint of the Orthodox Church in the Fifth Continent and Australia, on Sunday, July 12.
The center of the celebrations was the Holy Diocese of Chora, specifically the Cathedral of the Theotokos “Axion Esti” in Northcote, Melbourne, where Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the festal Divine Liturgy. He was joined by Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Evmenios of Chora.
Concelebrating were clergy from across the State of Victoria, as well as Patriarchal Deacon Evlogios Tsatsas, Codicographer of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, who is currently visiting Australia.
Among those present were Greece’s Consul General in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgantzoglou, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Antonios Tsourdalakis and Marios Kalogiannis, Nikolaos Archontonis—the brother of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew—and his wife Aikaterini, as well as Marinis Pirpiris, representing the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria.
In his homily, Archbishop Makarios spoke warmly about the life, virtues, and spiritual gifts of St. Paisios, sharing personal memories from visits he made to Mount Athos during his years as a student at the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School and later as a young deacon.
“The first thing that St. Paisios teaches us is that holiness is not a state that is far removed from us,” the Archbishop emphasized. He noted that holiness is possible in every age and for every person and depends on the personal relationship each individual cultivates with God.
“We can all follow the path of holiness,” he underlined.
Reflecting on the saint’s spiritual gifts, Archbishop Makarios observed that St. Paisios possessed the rare ability to express profound theological truths and teachings of the Church in simple and accessible language.
He also highlighted the saint’s unwavering loyalty to the Church during difficult periods marked by disputes, challenges, and temptations.
“St. Paisios, who lived during difficult years on Mount Athos, never considered turning against the Church, against the bishops, or against the Patriarch,” the Archbishop said. “Not only did he refrain from doing so, but he would always say that God had sent the right Patriarch at the right time.”
The Archbishop further recalled that St. Paisios strongly rejected the spirit of judgment and condemnation and was careful never to disturb the inner peace of those who sought his guidance.
“People would go to St. Paisios, sit beside him, and not want to leave,” Archbishop Makarios noted. “They felt freedom and spiritual joy because they were in the presence of someone who did not judge them, even though he knew who they were. Today, people often have the bad habit of judging others without truly knowing them. Such behavior is incompatible with holiness.”
At the conclusion of his address, Archbishop Makarios welcomed Patriarchal Deacon Evlogios, describing him as a young cleric “who gives us all confidence that he will honor his cassock and the spiritual legacy he has received from our Ecumenical Patriarch.”
The Archbishop expressed his hope that Fr. Evlogios’ stay in Australia would be both pleasant and spiritually fruitful and asked him, upon his return to Constantinople, to convey to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the love, respect, honor, and above all the devotion of the Orthodox faithful of Australia.
