His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia was present and presided at the glorious Feast Day of the Church of Prophet Elias in the suburb of Norwood, of the Holy Diocese of Adelaide, as he is currently conducting a three-day pastoral visit in the capital city of South Australia, the well-known “city of churches”. On the eve of the feast, His Eminence officiated at the Great Vespers, while on the feast day he officiated at the Matins and presided over the Feast Day Divine Liturgy.
At all the church services, the participation of the faithful was overwhelming and moving, as alongside the memory of the Patron Saint of the Parish – Community, Prophet Elias, three important milestones of the local Church were also celebrated: Firstly, the centenary of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia; secondly, the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Parish and the foundation of the Holy Church; thirdly, the establishment of the Holy Diocese of Adelaide, by a recent decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. On this joyous occasion, the Norwood Parish-Community and the Adelaide Greek Orthodox community in general were honoured with the presence of, among others: The Governor of South Australia Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, accompanied by her husband Mr Rob Bunten, the Greek-Australian State Minister Mr. Tom Koutsantonis, representing the Premier of South Australia, the Federal Member of Parliament Mr. James Stevens and the State Member of Parliament Mrs. Cressida O’Hanlon.
Referring briefly to the life of Prophet Elias and focusing on his strong and unwavering faith at a time when the people of Israel had deviated from the way of God, His Eminence implored the faithful to learn from the example of Prophet Elias, to remain oriented towards the true God and committed to the Orthodox faith and traditions of their ancestors.
Thanks to this commitment, moreover, of the pioneers of the Parish-Community of Prophet Elias, with the blessing of the late Archbishop Ezekiel of Australia, their holy struggle began in July 1959 for the construction of a Greek Orthodox church in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide. His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia gratefully commemorated the pioneers of this effort and those who contributed in the following decades to the flourishing and the blessed advancement of the Parish.
Finally, His Eminence made a special mention of the recent beneficence of the Mother Church to the Christ-loving people of the fifth continent, with the establishment of six Dioceses and the election of Regional Bishops. Expressing the deep gratitude of the local Church to the venerable person of our Ecumenical Patriarch, he underlined the importance of the above decisions in light of the start of the new centenary of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. As he characteristically noted: “A hundred years ago a visionary Patriarch founded our Holy Archdiocese and a hundred years later another visionary and Great Patriarch founded the six Dioceses and ecclesiasticised the administration and life of the local Church.
As we said during the Clergy-Laity Congress, “we are ready for the future”. We open the page of the new centenary with great courage and faith and equipped by the Ecumenical Patriarchate with all the necessary guarantees to move forward united and strong”. At the same time, His Eminence congratulated the newly elected Bishop Silouan of Adelaide, and wished him a blessed and renowned ministry as the first Bishop in history to bear the title and name of the “city of churches”.
After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios had a short meeting, in the adjacent area of the Parish-Community Museum, with The Governor of South Australia Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, with whom they had a fruitful discussion on matters of common interest. During the meeting, which was held in an atmosphere of cordiality, His Eminence thanked the Governor for her honourable and first appearance at an event of the Greek Orthodox community and wished her strength and good health to continue working for the common good of the society of South Australia.
