On Monday, July 28, the funeral service of the late Archimandrite Nektarios Zorbalas was held at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Sydney. The service took place in an atmosphere of deep emotion.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the service, which was concelebrated by Bishops Kyriakos of Melbourne, Evmenios of Khoras, and Bartholomew of Brisbane, all of whom are members of the Holy Eparchial Synod. Other participants included Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Bishop Christodoulos of Magnisia, and Bishop Themistocles of Nicopolis (from the Patriarchate of Alexandria); the Very Reverend Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne, Christophoros Krikelis; the Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia; numerous clergy; and Archdeacon John Chryssavgis of the Ecumenical Throne, a Sydney native.
Crowds of the faithful gathered at the cathedral to venerate the body of the revered and beloved clergyman who selflessly served the local church for more than half a century. Among those present was the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr. Ioannis Mallikourtis.
Archbishop Makarios conveyed the heartfelt condolences of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the family and spiritual children of the late Fr. Nektarios.
“In human terms, we feel sorrow and pain because a person is departing this world – someone about whom each of us could share personal experiences of his kindness, good deeds, and kind words, as well as the spiritual and material support he offered us,” the archbishop noted at the beginning of his eulogy. “At the same time,” he emphasized, “we must not forget that Fr. Nektarios bore witness to this moment throughout his life – the passage from death to life.”
The Archbishop then briefly outlined the key milestones in the virtuous life and God-loving ministry of the late Fr. Nektarios within the Orthodox Church on the fifth continent. Referring to his early priestly steps in the 1970s, when he served under challenging conditions at the Parish of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the remote town of Innisfail in northern Queensland, the Archbishop stressed: “The priesthood was like a university for him because he did not enter the Church on his own terms or with demands. He entered unconditionally and gave everything to the Church.”
Finally, the Archbishop referenced the late Archimandrite’s many years of service at the parish of Saints Constantine and Helen in Newtown, Sydney. There, he served for over three decades and developed remarkable philanthropic work through the “Soup Kitchen” program. Beyond charity, considered a fundamental Christian virtue, the Archbishop highlighted Fr. Nektarios’s unwavering commitment to the truth of our faith. He preached it with divine zeal without judging or condemning others.
Following the conclusion of the funeral service, the burial took place at the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park Cemetery in Sydney.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
