With the blessing of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane visited the Greek Orthodox Parish of St. Anne in Gold Coast, Queensland, at the height of the festivities for its patron saint, St. Anna, in celebration of her recent dormition commemoration on July 25.
The Bishop led the Orthros service on Sunday and presided over the Divine Liturgy for the feast of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou and Saints Prochoros, Nicanor, Timon, and Parmenas. He was accompanied by the parish’s Hierarchical Head, Fr. Romanos Stergiou, and Fr. Stavros Karvelas at the Church of Saint George in Brisbane.
Following the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a procession of the holy icon of Saint Anne took place.
The Bishop also read a prayer for the blessing of the apples of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou.
Immediately after the Divine Liturgy, the Bishop of Brisbane attended the traditional Greek feast held in the hall adjacent to the church.
Both Fr. Romanos and the President of the Parish, Sandra Voukelatou, welcomed Bishop Bartholomew and congratulated him on his election as the first Bishop of Brisbane.
In reply, the Bishop thanked both for their kind words, and conveyed to everyone the love and blessings of Archbishop Makarios.
In addition, he expressed his gratitude to Fr. Romanos Voukelatou, the Parish Council, the Ladies’ Philoptochos Society, and all those who serve the Parish and Community of St. Anna for their dedicated efforts in the Gold Coast. He also stressed that the pioneers of the establishment of the Parish and Community should not be forgotten.
In conclusion, the Bishop of Brisbane spoke about the significant upcoming visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia this October. He encouraged the devout Christians of the Gold Coast to travel to Sydney to witness the Ecumenical Patriarch, listen to his words of love and wisdom, and receive his blessing. Noting that future generations will speak of the “Green Patriarch” and his tireless efforts for peace and environmental preservation, he concluded his remarks with an exhortation: “Let us take advantage of and attend the various events honoring this important and sacred figure of the Christian Church.”
