With the blessing of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the Archdiocesan District of Adelaide gathered again for the annual traditional celebration—the shared ritual observed by all its parishes and communities in Adelaide—for the blessing and cutting of the vasilopita.
On the evening of Wednesday, January 3, the clergy, including Fr. George El Tahan of the Antiochian Church, and a crowd of believers from all over Adelaide prayed together at the Archdiocesan Church of the Wisdom of God. There the Archdiocesan Vicar of Adelaide, Bishop Silouan of Sinope, blessed the vasilopita, along with Fathers Panagiotis Fotakis (working in the offices of the Holy Archdiocese) and Ioannis Saridakis (newly appointed Head of the Archdiocesan Church).
In his address to the congregation, the Bishop referred to the ecclesiastical history of the celebration of the New Year and urged them to devote part of their precious time to prayer and the study of the Holy Bible and the life of the Saints.
Then, the members of the Youth Center of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nektarios in Croydon Park performed traditional Christmas and New Year carols from various areas of Greece. The attendees found joy in witnessing the new generation being inspired by the Greek Orthodox tradition and actively participating with enthusiasm
Last year’s vasilopita blessing and cutting ceremony marked the conclusion of an era, taking place for the final time at the old offices of the Holy Archdiocese in the courtyard of the Holy Church of St. Panteleimon in Glenelg. This year’s event, held at the Archdiocesan Church of the Wisdom of God, signifies the historic commencement of a new era, a tradition that we hope will endure for many years to come. The faithful of the Archdiocesan District of Adelaide were graced with their presence at this historic occasion for the local Church, eagerly anticipating the continued blessings bestowed by the grace of God in the years to come.
