The Church of Panagia Eleousa is a small church built three decades ago in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, by diaspora Greeks who worked on farms in the area.
In recent years, this church has been the center of the celebration of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the second day of Christmas. So this year, the Archepiscopal Vicar of Northcote, Archimandrite Eumenios Vassilopoulos, accompanied by clergy of Northcote Region, visited the Bacchus Marsh on Saturday morning and officiated the service at the Church of Panagia Eleousa in the presence of the faithful.
In his sermon, Fr. Eumenios referred to the important role of the Virgin Mary in the main event of the plan of the Divine Economy, the Incarnation of the Lord, explaining that the Virgin Mary became the bridge that united God with people. “Through love, self-sacrifice, support for our neighbor”, he underlined, “we also become God-bearers, bringing Christ into the lives of those in pain, loneliness and trials.”
Afterwards, Fr. Evmenios conveyed to the faithful the wishes and the blessing of Archbishop Makarios of Australia while he also announced that a Sunday Divine Liturgy will be held once a month in the Church of Panagia Eleousa from January 2021. A priest from Melbourne will travel to Bacchus Marsh to serve the believers’ needs in the wider area (Melton, Darley, Maddingly, Pentland Hills), who are currently forced to travel long distances to attend the service.