In a brilliant and deeply moving event attended by more than 350 people, the Greek College of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, “St. Cosmas of Aetolia” (Aetolian College of Hellenic Language and Culture), celebrated the fifth anniversary of its founding on Saturday, July 4, at the packed Stars International reception hall in the Melbourne suburb of Preston, within the Holy Diocese of Choria. The anniversary marked the historic merger of the Afternoon and Saturday Greek Schools of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia in Victoria. The event was a celebration of Greek education, Orthodox faith, and Greek cultural heritage, highlighting the significant work the College has carried out over the past five years in the Greek-language education of the diaspora community.
The evening’s proceedings were hosted by the College’s Director, Ms. Natasa Spanou, who welcomed the officials and the hundreds of guests in attendance. Archbishop Makarios of Australia was represented by the local Bishop Evmenios of Chora, and Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne, while the anniversary event was also honored by the presence of the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Ms. Dimitra Georgantzoglou; the head of the Greek Studies Program at La Trobe University, Dr. Stavroula Nikoloudi; the President of the Union of Communities and Parishes of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia in Victoria and Chairman of the College’s Board of Directors, Mr. Antonios Tsourdalakis; clergy from the Holy Dioceses of Choria and Melbourne; representatives of diaspora organizations and bodies; teachers; parents; students; and numerous friends of the College.
The evening opened with Bishops Evmenios and Kyriakos, who blessed the meal and then read out Archbishop Makarios’s message, in both Greek and English. In his opening remarks, the Archbishop briefly touched on the reasons behind the founding of the “St. Cosmas of Aetolia” College. “The decision to unite our schools was not merely an organizational or administrative choice,” he emphasized, adding: “It was a conscious ecclesiastical decision, born of the deep conviction that education is an inseparable part of the Church’s pastoral mission. Our nation’s own historical journey bears witness to this. In times of hardship, servitude, emigration, and diaspora, the Church stood guard not only over the faith but also over education, language, and historical memory. Through this age-old ministry, our Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated education into an essential expression of its responsibility toward the nation, cultivating letters, supporting schools and teachers, and safeguarding the spiritual continuity of our people.”
His Eminence also made special mention of the great missionary and Teacher of the Nation, Patrokosmas, whose name, he stressed, “should not merely serve as the College’s title, but stand as a constant reminder of his mission: to enlighten, to cultivate, to inspire, and to transform.” He went on to describe the greatness of the Greek language, through which the young people of the diaspora “learn to think, to create, to express themselves, to seek the truth, to love beauty, and to understand their own faith more deeply.” “Greek education is not an accumulation of information,” he declared, “but a way of thinking, a way of relating, and ultimately, a way of life.”
Archbishop Makarios’s message also included heartfelt thanks to all those working for the advancement of the “St. Cosmas of Aetolia” College, along with a wish—and an exhortation: “May it never settle for the role of merely a successful educational institution.” For, as he pointed out: “The true success of the College will not be measured only by how well its students speak the Greek language, but above all by what kind of people they become.” He closed by noting that “our responsibility is not to guard fearfully what we have received, nor to confine it to anniversary commemorations, but to entrust it creatively to those who come after us, so that they too may pass it on. We have no right to hand down to our children a poorer spiritual and cultural inheritance than the one we received. We owe it to them to pass on a living Church, a creative Greek education, and a diaspora community with self-awareness, unity, and vision.”
The Consul General, Ms. Georgantzoglou, then took the floor, speaking about the important role the Greek language plays in the Antipodes. She closed her remarks with a resounding message: that “language and culture coexist, and it is our duty to preserve them, so that future generations may discover their identity through them.”
The evening’s final speaker was the Chairman of the Greek College’s Governing Committee, Mr. Tsourdalakis, who described the College’s creation as one of the most significant educational reforms undertaken by the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. He noted that Archbishop Makarios’s decision to merge the schools created a unified, modern, and well-organized educational institution with a shared vision and high educational standards. He also spoke of the roots of the Holy Archdiocese’s schools, which trace back to the 1960s, when the first Greek immigrants founded parish Greek schools to safeguard the Greek language, culture, and Orthodox faith for future generations. Finally, Mr. Tsourdalakis presented the College’s major achievements over its first five years, including the development of a comprehensive curriculum fully aligned with the Victorian state curriculum, students’ active participation in cultural and community activities, the College’s membership in the “Pharos” Alliance and the Greek Language Teachers’ Association, the operation of adult classes, and the development of partnerships and sister-school relationships with schools abroad.
One of the evening’s most moving moments was the presentation of honorary awards to eleven educators who devoted between four and six decades to Greek-language education, serving in the schools of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. The College honored Andreas Tsitsanis, Georgia Lianou, Eleftheria Laouta, Patroklos Georgiou, Koula Theocharou, Socrates Tsourdalakis, Efstathia Asimakopoulou, Amalia Vasiliadou, George Seferles, Kostas Dimaras, and Stamatis Sklavounos, expressing gratitude for their lifelong and invaluable contribution to preserving the Greek language and cultural heritage in Australia.
The evening continued with a cultural program. The dance segment was performed by students from the Keilor and Reservoir units, under dance instructor Mr. Yiannis Pilalidis, who presented three traditional dances. The musical portion of the evening was led by the college teacher, Ms. Georgia Rapou, who delivered an outstanding performance of song and violin, rendering beloved Greek melodies. A particularly memorable moment was the symbolic dance of Zorba, in which all the students from the College’s school units took part, drawing warm applause from the audience.
Following the official program, the anniversary event turned into a great celebration for the Greek community. The dance floor filled with students, parents, teachers, alumni, and friends of the College, who celebrated late into the night. With music by the beloved DJ Kostas Ourliaris, the festive spirit remained undiminished throughout the evening, creating a unique atmosphere of joy, unity, and optimism.
The strong turnout confirmed that the Greek College is not merely an educational institution, but a large family that continues to faithfully serve the values of Hellenism and Orthodoxy. The first five years are only the beginning. With unity, cooperation, and faith in the values of Greek education, the “St. Cosmas of Aetolia” Greek College will continue steadily on its path, aspiring to become an even stronger beacon of the Greek language, culture, and Orthodox tradition for future generations of Greek Australians.
