“Volunteering is a concept inherent in the Christian conscience and the Christian life,” stressed, among other things, Archbishop Makarios of Australia in his message on the International Volunteer Day.
Firstly, the Archbishop referred to the current pandemic and made special reference to the “modern ‘Good Samaritans’,” who, he said, “highlights the value of volunteering as a force of cohesion, hope and perspective for every community and society.”
Emphasizing elsewhere that volunteering is a living experience within the Orthodox Church during its two-thousand-year course, he referred with pride and gratitude to the countless “Good Samaritans” who have dedicated their lives to the work of its parishes and charitable institutions of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. “May God strengthen them and bless their ministry, so that they may continue to inspire us with their example,” he concluded.