The Greek Orthodox Parish of Saint Charalambos in Templestowe, marked the feast day of its patron saint with a series of well-attended celebrations, culminating in a festive Divine Liturgy on Sunday.
Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne presided over the service, leading the congregation in honouring Saint Charalambos, the Asia Minor-born hieromartyr. The previous evening, the Great Vespers service took place, also officiated by Bishop Kyriakos, with the participation of local clergy.
Among the attendees at the Vespers were Greece’s Consul General in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgatzoglou, Manningham City Councillor Jim Grivas, and Federation of Elderly Greeks President Yiannis Kostoulias, among other community figures.
The legacy of Saint Charalambos
Saint Charalambos, originally from Magnesia in Asia Minor, lived between 89 and 202 AD. He was a priest known for his unwavering faith, which led to his persecution under Roman Emperor Septimius Severus. Arrested by the governor of Magnesia, Lucian, during the Christian persecutions around 198 AD, he endured brutal torture before being beheaded at the age of 113, possibly in Antioch of Maeander.
The Orthodox Church honours his memory on February 10, bestowing upon him the title of Hieromartyr. Also commemorated on this day are Saints Porphyrios and Baptos, two soldiers ordered to torture him, who, moved by his steadfast faith, converted to Christianity.
