The feast of St. Paraskevi the Great Martyr was celebrated with great solemnity on Sunday, July 26, at the parish dedicated to the Saint in St Albans, Melbourne, within the Holy Diocese of Chora, drawing a large number of faithful.
The festal Divine Liturgy was presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, concelebrating with Bishop Evmenios of Chora and Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne.
They were joined by clergy of the local Church, including Fr. Demosthenis Nikolaou, parish priest of St. Paraskevi, and Fr. Synesios Frangos, the parish’s first priest, who led the establishment of the parish and the construction of the church 35 years ago.
Marking the parish’s 35th anniversary, Archbishop Makarios expressed his gratitude to all those who contributed to its founding.
“This church was built during a difficult period to meet a real need, and it truly fulfilled that purpose,” he said. “We remember all those who struggled to bring us to where we are today. We pray that God grants rest to those who have departed this life and many blessed years to those who are still with us, so they may continue to rejoice in the fruits of their labor.”
The Archbishop also addressed Fr. Synesios personally, thanking him for his long-standing service to the local Church and, in particular, for his dedication to the Parish of St. Paraskevi during a challenging period marked by divisions and schisms.
“Be proud that you were the first to begin this work,” Archbishop Makarios said. “People left the schism and returned to the canonical Church.”
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service was held for those who lost their lives during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Archbishop Makarios prayed for the reunification of Cyprus.
“We pray that God will soon grant a solution and that we will see Cyprus united and strong,” he said, expressing his conviction that “the final word in human history belongs not to people, but to God.”
He added: “I am certain that God will bless us and that in our lifetime we will hear good news. We will have a united Republic that will make us all proud and help us move forward without ever forgetting those who struggled and sacrificed heroically.”
Among those attending the Divine Liturgy and memorial service were Nikolaos Ioannidis, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection of the Republic of Cyprus, and Antonios Sammoutis, Cyprus’ High Commissioner to Australia.
Archbishop Makarios warmly welcomed the Deputy Minister, congratulating him on his visit to the large Cypriot community in Australia and stressing the importance of strengthening its ties with the homeland.
“We must strengthen this bridge,” he noted, “not only with Cyprus, but also with Greece and with our ecclesiastical center, Constantinople.”
At the conclusion of the celebration, Archbishop Makarios presented Antonios Sammoutis, who is soon completing his diplomatic service in Australia, with the Order of the Philochrist. He thanked the High Commissioner for his service to the Cypriot community and for his close cooperation with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, assuring him that the local Church and the Greek Cypriot community would always welcome him.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a traditional Greek festival was held on the parish grounds, attracting a large crowd and featuring a rich cultural program.
