The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was celebrated in Sydney with ecclesiastical grandeur and solemnity.
The centerpiece of the celebration was the Greek Orthodox Church in the suburb of Kogarah, where Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the Resurrection Ceremony. He was joined by Bishops Iakovos of Militoupolis and Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of Australia and Hierarchical Head of the celebrating parish.
Once again, the turnout of pious believers was massive and deeply moving. Thousands of Greeks, along with Orthodox Christians of various ethnic backgrounds, filled the beautiful church, its courtyard, and the surrounding streets from early in the evening.
Holding candles in their hands, singing the solemn hymns of the Resurrection, and with their eyes turned to the sky, the faithful waited with patience and reverence to hear the triumphant paean: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…”
Emotion reached its peak at midnight, when the Archbishop proclaimed the joyful message of life’s victory over death. At that very moment, countless flames from the candles of the faithful formed a luminous veil that pierced the darkness of the night.
In this deeply devout atmosphere, the Paschal Encyclical of Archbishop Makarios was read in both Greek and English by the Bishops of Militoupolis and Magnesia, respectively. The Divine Liturgy followed, presided over by the Archbishop, with the concelebration of the aforementioned Hierarchs and the clergy of the celebrating parish.
The splendid celebration of the Resurrection in Kogarah was attended by several distinguished guests, including the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, and the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, both accompanied by their spouses. Also present were Federal MP of the Liberal Party and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, David Coleman; New South Wales Minister for Multiculturalism, Stephen Kamper; State MP and Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper; Municipal Councillor of the Georges River Council, Ashvini Ambihaipahar; Liberal candidate for the seat of Barton, Fiona Dushkou; and Archon of the Great Church of Christ and Vice President of the Archdiocesan Council, Theodosios Penklis.
