On Thursday, December 12, at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Sydney, an official Doxology was celebrated to welcome Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymno and Avlopotamos, who is visiting Australia and bringing with him relics of the Holy New Martyrs of Rethymno—Manuel, Angelis, George, and Nicholas.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia warmly welcomed Metropolitan Prodromos on behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod, the clergy, and the faithful of the local Church. Joining the Metropolitan were Archimandrites Vasileios Papadakis, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St. Anastasia the Roman of Rethymno, and Theologos Papalevyzakis, Ecclesiastical Counselor of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Arkadi. Archbishop Makarios conveyed the blessings of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and, with deep emotion, reflected on his long-standing acquaintance and spiritual connection with Metropolitan Prodromos. He described him as a charismatic church leader endowed with many virtues and boundless love for the Church and the people of God. He particularly highlighted the Metropolitan’s unifying and peacemaking spirit, calling it one of his distinctive gifts. “One of the promises we make as bishops is to ensure peace within the Church,” Archbishop Makarios noted, addressing the Metropolitan, and emphasized, “You embody this calling to the highest degree. Your witness and ministry could serve as a model of a unifying bishop.”
Archbishop Makarios concluded his address by assuring the Metropolitan, “Consider Australia your second home,” and noted that “the Archdiocese of Australia is a welcoming and spacious place that embraces and loves everyone.”
In his response, Metropolitan Prodromos, who is visiting Australia for the second time after participating in the Clergy-Laity Assembly of the Holy Archdiocese in September 2023, expressed his gratitude to God for granting him the opportunity to meet and interact with the faithful of the local Church. “Upon returning from my first visit, I spoke dozens of times about Australia, praising everything we experienced here,” he remarked.
He also expressed heartfelt thanks, on behalf of himself and his delegation, for the warm reception they had received during this visit, describing the moments they shared as “blessed and unique.” He observed, “The moments in our lives become blessed and unique through the people we encounter,” and added, “When we reflect on such moments, we see that they are always connected with people we met along our life’s journey. We praise God for allowing us to see these individuals as messengers of His will, bringing the good news to our souls. I glorify God for granting me the privilege of being in this blessed place, bringing with us the most precious treasure of the Church of Rethymno—the relics of the Holy New Martyrs, which we will present in Melbourne, at the request of the Cretan community there. This request was first made 17 years ago.”
Metropolitan Prodromos highlighted the blessed coincidence of the centenary of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and the 200th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Holy New Martyrs of Rethymno. As a token of spiritual connection between the Churches of Australia and Rethymno, he presented commemorative and symbolic gifts to Archbishop Makarios, culminating in a reliquary containing the relics of the Holy New Martyrs. He requested that it be placed in the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Sydney to bless the ministry of the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese.
Archbishop Makarios warmly thanked Metropolitan Prodromos and wished the distinguished guests a pleasant and spiritually enriching stay in Australia.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
