“Stay in the Church. Because “I am in the Church” means “I am in the port”. And when someone is in the port, there are no shipwrecks. Therefore, regardless of the circumstances in your life, remain close to the Church. And build strong Christian families, for this is what society needs and what we expect from you.” This was one of the heartfelt and loving exhortations from Archbishop Makarios of Australia, directed towards the young people of the Holy Diocese of Adelaide.
During the Conference held on Saturday, July 20, at the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Norwood, Adelaide—the ‘city of churches’—Archbishop Makarios had the opportunity to engage with the Orthodox youth of South Australia. The newly elected Bishop Silouan of Adelaide and the holy clergy who serve in South Australia were also present.
The Youth Conference, which attracted over two hundred participants, provided a vibrant forum for engaging talks and intellectually enriching discussions among the young attendees. In his keynote speech, Archbishop Makarios said: “The Church is not a place where we simply learn about God. The Church is not a place where we believe in certain ideas or philosophies. The Church is where we cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our role model. It is here that He becomes real to us, and we come to love Him deeply. We come to know and experience His presence through the Holy Mysteries and the overall life of the Church. It is crucial to solidify this understanding because if we view the Church as anything less than this, we may struggle to endure the difficulties and challenges that life presents.
Elsewhere, the Archbishop urged young people to nurture a personal and unbroken relationship with Christ, assuring them that they would find rest and fulfillment in His living presence within their lives. “Let’s put Christ in everything we do,” he stressed and continued: “Not only when we say a few prayers at the beginning or at the end of the day, or once a week when we go to Church on Sunday morning. But every day, in everything we do, in every situation we encounter—whether in success or failure, in good times or challenging moments. Remember Jesus! Put Christ in your heart and mind. Make Him a priority.”
After concluding his speech, Archbishop Makarios made a heartfelt appeal to the young attendees: to maintain their connections beyond the Conference, emphasizing that this should be done not only through the internet and social media, but more importantly, through personal interaction and, above all, through prayer. In closing, he assured them of his ongoing prayers and requested that they keep him in their prayers as well.
