Archbishop Makarios of Australia attended the commemorative event on “The traumatic consequences of the Asia Minor Catastrophe on the modern Greek nation”, which took place on Sunday, the 20th of September, at the Church of St. Catherine, in the suburb of Mascot, Sydney.
The event was organised by the Parish of St. Catherine in collaboration with the Lyceum of Greek Women in Sydney, on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe. The keynote speaker was Mr Vrasidas Karalis, Professor of the Department of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies at the University of Sydney. There were also traditional songs from Asia Minor played by a band of young people. The Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Christos Karras, also attended the event.
In his speech, Archbishop Makarios referred to a prominent national church figure, St. Chrysostomos, the Metropolitan of Smyrna and spoke of an event which occurred a few years before his martyrdom. He pointed out the love he felt for the Greeks and for the Church and the value of unity.
