Looking to those affected by the deadly bushfires, Epiphany was celebrated in Yarra Bay, Sydney.
This year’s Epiphany celebration also become an opportunity for charity, since the Archdiocese of Australia had announced that during the event the Youth Central Committee of the Australian Archdiocese would raise money from the generous donations of the participants, which would be made available to support those affected by the fires.
Archbishop Makarios expressed his gratitude for the people’s heartwarming response to the initiative to support those affected by the deadly bushfires while stressing the need to continue this strenuous effort and called for an even greater offer.
The Archbishop of Australia performed the Great Blessing of the Waters at the picturesque site of Yarra Bay, accompanied by the Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese, Bishop Aimilianos of Meloe, the clergy of Sydney, in the presence of thousands of faithful, who attended the rite despite the bad weather conditions.
The swimmer who managed to catch the Holy Cross first was Anastasios Bakoulis, from the Parish of St. Gerasimos in Leichhardt.