Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew led a memorial service (Trisagion) at Station Pier in Melbourne on Wednesday, commemorating the souls of Orthodox immigrants who had arrived in Australia through this port.
The Patriarch was warmly welcomed by the Mayor of Port Phillip Heather Cunsolo, at the pier before visiting the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne, where he was greeted by the President of the museum, Harry Stamoulis, along with CEO Sarah Craig and their associates.
The Patriarch toured the museum, housed in the former Royal Mint building, and admired its collections.
At midday, Patriarch Bartholomew blessed a luncheon hosted in his honour by the president.
Stamoulis gave a speech reflecting on the history and establishment of the museum.
In response, Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his admiration for the museum and noted:
“The Hellenic Museum of Melbourne tells the timeless story and historical continuity of our nation. It was created thanks to the love, patriotism, and financial support of the late Spyridon Stamoulis, a noble businessman and philanthropist. He arrived in Australia at the age of 12 in 1950, achieved great success, but never forgot his homeland and ancestral traditions, remaining humble and devoted to his birthplace (…).”
We are indeed deeply impressed by the tour of the halls and exhibitions of the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne, a rare and perhaps entirely unique institution abroad, exclusively dedicated to Greek culture and the Greek spirit. The museum is housed in the iconic building of the former Royal Mint here in Melbourne, the city of the Greek diaspora. It is no coincidence that Greeks settle in Melbourne with its open horizons and cosmopolitan atmosphere, for Hellenism itself embodies this unique universal perspective of combining Greek culture with Orthodox faith.”
“The Hellenic Museum of Melbourne tells the timeless and historical story of our Nation, a creation born out of the love, patriotism, and financial support of the late Spyridon Stamoulis, a great patriot, businessman, and philanthropist, who arrived in Australia at the age of twelve in 1950, achieved great success, and became a prominent figure, but never forgot his homeland and ancestral traditions, remaining humble and devoted to his birthplace.
As a timeless gesture of gratitude to the motherland, as well as a gift of thanks to his new country, in 2007 the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne was founded with the generous sponsorship of Spyridon Stamoulis, in memory of his prematurely deceased daughter, Nausika, to house just a small portion of the vast Greek cultural heritage. At this moment, we pray for the blessed memory and eternal repose of their souls, father and daughter, and express our deepest gratitude for their invaluable contribution to the Greek-Australian community.”
“Undoubtedly, the existence of a Hellenic Museum abroad, especially one of such high caliber as the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne, serves as a magnet and gathering point for the local Greek community. Its activities are not limited to the permanent display of artifacts but rather it functions as a multi-thematic and multi-faceted cultural institution with the broader aim of preserving, cultivating, and promoting Greek culture and spirit among the diaspora and beyond, through a diverse approach to art, history, and the achievements of human intellect.”
“On the museum’s website, we encounter the phrase of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, ‘Everything flows; nothing stays the same’. We believe that the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne, like every museum, attempts to capture moments from the history of humanity, to somehow halt time, and to bring the past into the present as a legacy for the future. With absolute certainty, we say that the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne has succeeded in an admirable way to capture, through various means, moments or rather glimpses of Greek culture and art, to compose a unique and vibrant spiritual canvas, and to offer it to the diaspora.”
We are particularly pleased to learn that the esteemed Ms Sarah Craig, CEO of the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne, supported by the Board of Directors, with the Honorable Mr Harry Stamoulis as President, continues, with tireless dedication and diligence, the efforts to realize the visions of the late Spyridon Stamoulis, and they are indeed worthy of much praise and congratulations. We depart from the museum with the highest of impressions, confident that the Greek community of Melbourne takes the cause of culture, art, and history very seriously. Dear brothers and beloved children, you are rightfully proud of this gem, which is called the ‘Hellenic Museum of Melbourne’.”
“Once again, we express our heartfelt thanks for the rare opportunity of this visit, warmly congratulate those who manage and work in the museum, and bestow upon all of you our paternal and Patriarchal blessing and wish,” the Ecumenical Patriarch concluded.
