On the evening of Monday, June 10, the Great Hierarchical Vespers was celebrated at the Holy Monastery of Axion Esti in Northcote, Victoria, in honor of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos “Axion Esti” and in commemoration of the Holy Glorious Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas. Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided, accompanied by Bishops Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Silouanos of Sinope, Evmenios of Kerasounta, and Bartholomew of Charioupolis.
There was a large and moving turnout of faithful from the city of Melbourne and other areas of the state of Victoria, who reverently venerated the icon of the Theotokos and fervently prayed together in heartfelt solidarity for the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is celebrating his name day.
Among those present were the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Mr. Emmanuel Kakavelakis, the Federal Member of Parliament of Greek descent, Ms. Maria Vamvakinou, the President of the Intercommunity Council of Victoria, Mr. Anthony Tsourdalakis, the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne, Mr. Vassilis Papastergiadis, the biological brother of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr. Nikolaos Archontonis, together with his wife, Aikaterini, and others.
At the end of Vespers, Archbishop Makarios gave a brief presentation of the history of the miraculous icon “Axion Esti”, describing the miracle of the Archangel Gabriel on Mount Athos. He then briefly mentioned the lives and deeds of the venerable Apostles and asked the faithful to mentally transport themselves to the revered center of Orthodoxy to share the joy of the Ecumenical Patriarch in celebrating his name day. Speaking with great respect and gratitude for the Ecumenical Patriarch, he noted, among other things, that “God has blessed us, for approximately 33 years now with a great Patriarch on the throne of the Orthodox Church. Great not in age, but in spirit. Our Patriarch is great in value, in gifts, and contribution.
At another point, he emphasized the strong spiritual ties between the faithful of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and the Primate of Orthodoxy, noting that “the Ecumenical Patriarch is our father. This is what the Patriarch is to the Greeks, to our expatriates and the entire flock of our Holy Archdiocese,” he emphasized. He then asked all present to unite their prayers and ask God to grant the Ecumenical Patriarch many more years “so that he may stand with all his strength, with a pure heart and a clear mind, and serve for the glory of Christ and His Holy and Great Church.
Archbishop Makarios concluded his speech by congratulating Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta and Father Philip Papagiannopoulos for organizing the Feast and their overall service. He also warmly welcomed Father Varsanoufios, a monk of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of Konstamonitou on Mount Athos, who was born and raised in Melbourne. Finally, he congratulated and thanked the singers for their flawless performance of the hymns of the service and expressed his emotion that the School of Byzantine Music of Australia, which he founded a few months after taking office, was already bearing rich fruit. “One of my many concerns in the past was what would happen to our chant. But now, seeing so many young and good singers, I no longer have such worries and thoughts,” he remarked.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
