The Archbishop of Australia Makarios, visited the regional city of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria last Sunday.
He crossed the threshold of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Archangels of Albury and District and presided over the Orthros service before leading the Sunday Divine Liturgy.
This was the archbishop’s first visit to the Greek Orthodox community of Albury, where he was enthusiastic received.
On behalf of the parish-community Bishop Bartholomew of Harrioupolis welcomed the archbishop and referred to the history of the Greek Orthodox community of Albury and the Holy Church of the Archangels, which was established in 1964 by the late Archbishop of Australia, Ezekiel. He the emphasised “the piety of the Greek community” and his parish’s “gratitude” for the Archbishop Makarios’ visit. He conveyed what he said were their “wishes for his long life and blessed shepherding.”
Archbishop Makarios, then spoke of his arrival at Sydney Airport four years ago, and recalled the June 18, 2019, when he arrived in what he said was a “place essentially unknown” to him, and “embarked on a path” he said that he “never imagined” he would follow.
“I praise God because, as I try to evaluate these four years,” he said, overcome with emotion, “the words of St. John Chrysostom come to my mind, advising his disciples to love people before they know them.”
“That was the sentiment I had before coming to Australia and that is still the sentiment I have today.”
He stressed that despite challenges, the “love” he has “for these people” as so”strong that no force can break it.”
“I came to tell you that you have your priest, you have your Bishop, you have your Archbishop who will not abandon you,” he said.
“We have not forgotten you. You are not alone; we are all together. And that is why you have your priest, to fulfill the liturgical needs of your church, but also to be present at all times, to listen to your problems and provide solutions or assistance for the difficulties you face daily.”
The Archbishop expressed his “paternal satisfaction” that the Greek Orthodox community of Albury has embraced Bishop Bartholomew, the archiepiscopal vicar of Canberra, also responsible for the Albury-Wodonga region, and Fr Agathangelos Mastéa, who was appointed to serve the parish-community and the one in Wagga Wagga.
“We are not only building a bridge that connects the region here with the headquarters of our Holy Archdiocese in Sydney, but we are doing something more significant; we are building the future of the young children. This is the most important thing that our Archdiocese seeks, because we respect the older generations, but we never forget that we must move forward and invest in the new children, who are our present and future.”
The Mayor of the city, Kylie King, greeted the Archbishop at church, was present, along with Justin Clancy the Member for Albury, the Steve Bowen the Deputy Mayor of Albury, and the President of the Parish-Community of the Holy Archangels, Elias Andronikos.
