With due ecclesiastical splendor and solemnity, in an atmosphere of spiritual joy and deep devotion, the inauguration of the church in the suburb of Taigum, Brisbane, was held on Saturday, July 26 — the feast day of Saint Paraskevi, the Virgin-Martyr.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the Inauguration Service, flanked by Bishops Bartholomew of Brisbane and Iakovos of Militoupolis, together with clergy from the Diocese of Brisbane.
Following the Typikon of the Church, the service began with the reading of Holy Prayers after Orthros, followed by a procession of the holy relics around the church three times, led by the Archbishop.
At the solemn proclamation, “Lift up your gates, O you princes; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall enter in” (Psalm 23, attributed to David for the Sabbath), the church doors opened and the Archbishop entered, accompanied by the clergy and faithful. The holy relics were then placed in the centre of the Holy Altar Table, in the designated area known as the “fyton”.
After sealing the “fyton”, the Archbishop knelt in prayer, calling upon the Holy Spirit to descend and sanctify the church. The Holy Table was then washed and anointed with holy oil, the antimensia were consecrated, and the Table was vested and adorned.
Before the conclusion of the service, the Archbishop inscribed the monogram of Christ on the walls of the church using Holy Myrrh and lit the vigil lamp of the Holy Table.
Hundreds of faithful filled the church, following the sacred proceedings with reverence, as young members of the Christian Union of Sydney chanted devout hymns.
Immediately following the inauguration, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the newly consecrated Holy Table. Archbishop Makarios presided, with Bishops Bartholomew and Iakovos concelebrating.
Before the Dismissal, Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane addressed the Archbishop, conveying the gratitude of the clergy, the parish council, the Philoptochos Brotherhood, and the faithful of the Holy Archdiocese in Queensland.
“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the great joy and blessing we experienced today,” he said, expressing the shared feelings of all present, and offered heartfelt wishes for the Archbishop’s health and many blessed years, through the intercessions of Saint Paraskevi.
In response, Archbishop Makarios expressed his deep appreciation and emphasised the ecclesiastical importance of the event. “With today’s inauguration,” he noted, “we entrust this sacred space to the Holy Spirit, who from now and unto the ages will be present, sanctifying all that is accomplished here.”
He further explained that “through the Holy Spirit and the priests, who become vessels of God, Divine Grace is transmitted to the faithful.” In his concluding remarks, Archbishop Makarios highlighted the historic significance of the event, noting that it marked the first inauguration of a Greek Orthodox Church in Brisbane in 65 years.
Among those present were Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and President of the Parish–Community of St. John the Baptist in Cairns, Theodoros Bakalakis; President of the Parish of St. Paraskevi, Konstantinos Stratikopoulos; President of the Parish of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Mt. Gravatt, Loukas Kominos; President of the Parish of St. Anne in the Gold Coast, Sandra Voukelatou; and Director of the Greek Welfare Centre, Stylianos Magdalopoulos.
