A Holy Vigil on the feast day of Saint Paisios the Athonite was held on Tuesday evening, 11 July 2023, at the Parish of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene in Bentleigh, Melbourne, and was presided over by Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis, who was joined also by Fr. Christos Dimolianis, in the presence of a large congregation.
In his sermon, the Bishop Kyriakos, after conveying to the faithful the blessings of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, referred to the person of Saint Paisios and the numerous miracles he has performed.
Bishop Kyriakos made a special mention of the personal connection Archbishop Makarios of Australia had with Saint Paisios in his youth. In particular, His Grace recalled that the Archbishop, before he became a monk and was ordained a priest, often visited Mount Athos and Elder Paisios. He also focused on the gift of insight which Elder Paisios attained, thanks to which he had essentially predicted the Archiepiscopal ministry of the Archbishop in Australia, as well as revealing to him that he would undertake a high ecclesiastical office and that when he leaves this present life he will not be in Greece.
Also, Bishop Kyriakos emphasised the very strong bond that Saint Paisios had with Australia, recalling that he had visited the country in 1977 and had touched the hearts of the clergy and people. He also pointed out that, thanks to the described connection with Archbishop Makarios, the spiritual bond of the Christian plenitude of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia with the great modern Saint of Orthodoxy still exists.
After the conclusion of the Holy Vigil, a traditional Athonite fish soup was offered by the Philoptochos Association of the Parish to all those who attended.
