On Tuesday, 25 March 2025, the beautiful Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady, in Sydney, celebrated with due ecclesiastical splendour. On the great feast of the Annunciation, a Poly-Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated and presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who was joined in concelebration by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia, and Their Graces, Bishop Prodromos of Toliara and Southern Madagascar, Bishop Elpidios of Perth, Bishop Iakovos of Melitoupolus and Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of Australia, the Chancellor and Dean of the Cathedral, Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Christophoros Krikelis, and other clergy of the city of Sydney.
During the Divine Liturgy, the message of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios for the double feast of 25 March, the Annunciation of the Ever-Virgin Mary and the Greek Revolution of 1821, was read to a large congregation, in both Greek and English. “The event of the Annunciation was the prelude to a new era for humankind, an era where darkness recedes and light spreads, where despair is replaced by joy in Christ and the hope of eternal life,” the Archbishop noted, among other things, in his message.
Before the Dismissal of the Divine Liturgy and in an atmosphere of deep emotion, a memorial service took place for the repose of the soul of the late Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, on the sixth anniversary of his passing away. “We remember him with much gratitude, because he was truly a great and brilliant ecclesiastical and theological personality,” Archbishop Makarios said in his introductory remarks about his late predecessor. “I praise God,” he continued, “that I have taken on this great and historic Eparchy of our Ecumenical Patriarchate after the prelacies of great and worthy Hierarchs, among whom was Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, who served our people in difficult times, with many problems, with many divisions and with great poverty. And above all, he, together with his immediate predecessor Archbishop Ezekiel, faced the great wave of immigration from Greece.” “Undoubtedly, the late Archbishop Stylianos handed over the Holy Archdiocese of Australia in a much better state than he had received it,” he emphasised elsewhere, while in conclusion he prayed for God to rest him with the Saints and the Righteous.
Present among the congregation were the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr. Ioannis Mallikourtis, the Members of the Hellenic Parliament, Messrs. Stavros Keletsis, Athanasios Papathanasis, Stephanos Parastatidis and Miltiadis Zamparas, members of a delegation of the Hellenic Parliament visiting Australia for the celebrations of 25 March, and Mr. Theo Penklis, Archon of the Great Church of Christ and Vice-President of the Archdiocesan Council.
