You could be fooled into thinking the white eklisaki with the blue roof next to the beach is nestled in the Greek islands, but no.
The Panagia Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church is situated on none other than Bribie Island, about 40 minutes drive from Brisbane airport. The island is mostly national park, making for an untouched, pristine location. It definitely lacks the tourist hustle and bustle that has become so synonymous with the Greek islands. Linked to the mainland by a long bridge, the island still feels like it’s a world away from the city. That’s why the location has a uniquely spiritual affect, the perfect place for private prayer.
The church is the first of its kind to be built in Australia and is managed by the Greek Orthodox Community.
The church and subsequent retreat, which will be finished this year, was the brainchild of Limnian migrant Tom Lemnos. He bequeathed his land at Bribie Island to the Orthodox Church in the hopes it would be used for a theological purpose. The Church then took the land, sold it and with the help of the State Government bought another more suitable site on the island, away from the approaching suburbia. It is now a site with a purpose, to be used as a youth camp and retreat for groups and schools.
The church itself took about four years to build, and in 2001 the church held its first liturgy, with more than 700 people attending.
Although it doesn’t have a resident priest, throughout the year during the main celebrations of the ecclesiastical calendar, the church overflows with the Greek community of Queensland and Australia.
The annual panigiri in August is the highlight of the year, with food, dancing, stalls and even a food eating competition.
Father Dimitri Tsakas, the Archepiscopal Vicar for Queensland says with the strong Greek community around the island, the church has been a hit.
“So at this stage, we have our parish, and the Parish community of St George. We’ve got two priests who do regular services there through the year. It’ll be based on taking bus groups up there, a philoptohous usually go up after Easter, the Hirodites take them up to do Panagia Tsandika. I take the Cypriots up to do Agio Andrea, the Peloponnesians like to do post pascqual May Day panigiria up there,” he tells Neos Kosmos.
Father Tsakas has overseen the project since its inception and is so proud of the way the church looks and feels.
“I love it. It’s small, it’s doesn’t have pews -it’s got chairs-, it’s the closest thing you’re going to get to a little nisiotico church that I’ve seen in Australia.
“You don’t hear traffic noise; you just hear the birds chirping away, at night the old dingo comes walking through the place. It sooths your soul, it gives rest to your spirit when you’re there,” he says.
With the first stage of the building process complete, the project has now moved onto building facilities for a multi-purpose youth and community retreat centre. It’s a facility that encourages spiritual, social, cultural, educational and sporting developments in a Orthodox Christian framework.
Stage two of the building is to be finished mid this year, and will include twenty cleared campsites, toilet/laundry/shower block and one self-contained accommodation unit.
There will be accommodation cabins for 100 people, a central dining and lecture auditorium, playing field, caretaker’s residence and associated facilities. And with it’s proximity to the beach, the camp affords itself to a variety of water sport activities.
Chairman of the project, John Panaretos says the retreat is designed for community purposes.
“It’s not a hotel, it can act as a retreat, it’s surrounded by bushland on two sides at least, and national park and state forest. It can be a spiritual retreat, but also very useful for environmental education,” he says.
All the facilities are designed to be very environmentally friendly, with a 5 star eco rating for the facilities, and have been designed to meld well with the surrounding bushland.
The project is also under the wing of St Andrew’s Theological College and the retreat will act as the Bribie Island Campus for students.
Despite it’s purpose to act as an orthodox church centre, the project managers say it will be open to all denominations and those in need.
“We do expect the Greek orthodox schools around Australia will be using the site. It will be available to all denominations and all walks of life, we’re not limiting that,” Mr Panaretos says.
The site is already taking bookings, and is almost sold out this year.
It is an area of opportunity for the church to really address the issue of youth disengagement with the church. It’s an issue Father Tsakas worries about daily, and feels there must be a shift in the church to really address the needs of the young members of the church.
“I very strongly believe this is the direction the church should be taking anyway, really reaching out into the mainstream rather than just to our own,” he says,
“We’ve moved I think from an era in the church – some people would deny this – but we’ve moved from an era of authority, into a new era of connection. That’s got to be the way”.
For a long time now, the church hasn’t been able to properly sustain a dialogue with its young patrons, neither has it really tried. The youth camp at Bribie Island is the first real attempt to create a two way dialogue with the young orthodox community in a fun and interesting way.
“I hear too many negative things about young people,” says Father Tsakas.
“My experience of young people is that they have an incredibly productive vitality, they’ve got great ideas and not as negative as we are as we’re told, and they’ve got a lot to offer. But they need to be held and nurtured while they’re sorting themselves out. That’s what I think the centre is about.
“If we’re not connecting at a one-on-one relationship level with our young people, we haven’t got a future.”
That’s why the small white washed church on the island is so important. It represents not just old memories of the patrida, but a chance to connect with a group feeling neglected by their church.
With the sea breeze and the smell of the native trees surrounding it, it’s a truly unique Greek Australian experience.
For more information on Bribie Island, its church and retreat, visit www.gobribieisland.org/