Last week, St George Greek Orthodox Church in Thornbury, Melbourne, welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia for a pastoral visit — the first visit by an Archbishop to the parish in close to half a century.
Accompanying the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia were Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Evmenios of Chora.
The evening service on Thursday, 14 August, marked the renewed connection between the Church and the local community. It was also a celebration of the eve of one of the most significant dates in the Greek Orthodox calendar — the Feast of the Dormition (Koimisi) of the Virgin Mary.
The Dormition commemorates the falling asleep (death) of the Panagia (Virgin Mary) and her assumption into heaven. In Greece, the feast is marked with major liturgies, processions, and festivals, often referred to as the “summer Pascha.”
The pastoral visit underscored the strengthening relationship between the Church and the Greek community, and a shared commitment to preserving faith, culture, and intergenerational connection.
In attendance were the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), Bill Papastergiadis OAM, GCM Secretary Associate Professor Marinis Pirpiris, and board member Nick Koukouvitakis.
“We welcomed Archbishop Makarios and Bishops Kyriakos and Evmenios to St George Church,” said Papastergiadis.
“The pastoral visit and service was the first attendance in 49 years of an Archbishop to our church.”
Papastergiadis highlighted the spirit of collaboration and unity within the Greek diaspora in Australia now.
Divisions between secular communities and the Church in Victoria were healed in the mid-1980s; the schism remains in South Australia, where the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA) recently failed to achieve the two-thirds majority needed among its members to reconcile with the Archdiocese.
Papastergiadis also said members of the Hellenic Parliament that he’d met over the years had pointed to a lack of cohesion in parts of the global diaspora.
“Hence, we must work collectively and collaboratively -our relations with the Archdiocese and the Archbishop are strong.
“We welcome the Archbishop’s visit to our Church, and his presence was welcomed by our parishioners,” Papastergiadis said.
Asked by Neos Kosmos how he felt about the new closeness between the Archdiocese and the GCM, Papastergiadis said that “the relationship is one of mutual respect”. “We each have a key role to play in the broader community with intersection through our church ownership and pastoral services.”
Asked about how he sees the relationship impacting the future, particularly on services and projects provided by GCM and the Church, Papastergiadis said that “open communication is critical”.
“The Archbishop always picks up the phone when we call, as do the Bishops on the ground in Melbourne.
“Dialogue and communication between us are critical to a better functioning Greek diaspora.
“We have nothing to lose by this relationship, and the broader community has everything to gain by a strong and united community and church,” added Papastergiadis.
He went on to thank Father Haralambos and the church committee for their hospitality and dinner following the service.
“Everyone was made to feel welcomed, and this is at the essence of our Hellenic values and faith.”
Nick Koukouvitakis echoed the sentiment of unity, “The Community and Church must work collaboratively where needed.”
Associate Professor Marinis Pirpiris reflected on the significance of the visit and said “The Archbishop’s presence was a blessing to our parishioners and highlighted the partnership between Community and Church.”
