The great Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was celebrated at the Church of the Annunciation in West Perth on Saturday, 15 August 2026, with Bishop Elpidios of Perth presiding over the Matins Service and Divine Liturgy.
Among those in attendance was the Consul of Greece in Perth, Mrs Eleni Georgopoulou, together with students, staff, management and parents of the Greek Language and Culture Institute of Evangelismos (GLCI), which operates under the auspices and with the support of the Greek Orthodox Community of Western Australia.
Towards the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Elpidios read the festal message of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. In his message, His Eminence reflected upon the profound hope and joy that the feast brings to the faithful, stating:
“Today, the Church does not mourn a death, but celebrates a translation from death to life; the Church does not lament a separation, but rejoices in the passage from the temporal to the eternal, from earth to heaven, from corruption to incorruption, and from the vanity of this world to the true life. For this reason, the Dormition of the Theotokos is for all of us a feast of hope, consolation and joy, since we feel that, through her translation from death to life, Panagia is even closer to us and remains beside us. As the Apolytikion of the feast proclaims: ‘In your Dormition, O Theotokos, you did not abandon the world.’”
Following the Divine Liturgy, the celebration continued with a festive luncheon in the church hall, organised by the Parish Committee. The gathering provided an opportunity for parishioners, families and members of the wider community to come together in fellowship and to share in the joy of one of the most beloved feasts of the Orthodox Christian calendar.
