On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited the Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
During the visit, zoo officials guided him through areas dedicated to educational programs for school students. They provided him with information about Australian wildlife and the conservation efforts in place to protect it.
The Ecumenical Patriarch and his entourage had the opportunity to observe Australian animals up close, including kangaroos and koalas.
Patriarchal Praise for the Contributions of the Welfare Center of the Holy Archdiocese
Later that same day, he blessed a luncheon hosted in his honor by the Welfare Center of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. He congratulated the Center’s administration, employees, and all the volunteers involved in initiatives to support those in need.
In his address, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized the following:
“Today’s Greek-Australian community is a fully respected and equal part of this great and hospitable country. Yet, they also share in the challenges, anxieties, concerns, disappointments, and difficulties of our times. Thus, the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and the Greek Welfare Center do not limit themselves to providing financial assistance alone. They embrace nearly every aspect of contemporary life. The Center offers services ranging from psychological and social support to specialized programs for families, the elderly, youth, and the sick, and facilitates connections with government services, as well as many other specialized and pioneering services. Its support to the people of God during the pandemic was especially critical, providing 24-hour phone support in both English and Greek, helping to combat depression and prevent numerous suicides.
For the overall contribution and testimony of the Welfare Center, we extend our warmest congratulations and prayers from the Holy Great Church of Christ and from myself personally to His Eminence Archbishop Makarios, under whose blessing and guidance this work continues. We also extend our gratitude to its General Director, Mr. Stylianos Magdalopoulos, who, with a profound sense of responsibility, fear of God, selflessness, and dedication, offers his invaluable services and oversees the smooth and effective operation of the Center. Of course, nothing in the Church is the work of a single individual, as our Holy Church is a community and communion of persons… At the Greek Welfare Center, 287 individuals work with exemplary dedication and commitment, with divine zeal and devotion, while many others offer their services voluntarily, either on a permanent or occasional basis. To them, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and deepest gratitude.”
Photo credit: Nikos Papachristou
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
