On Monday, 11 August 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia paid a visit to Saint John’s College in Preston, Melbourne, and conducted the Holy Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, and was joined in prayer by the local Bishop, His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora, His Grace Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne, clergy of the Holy Archdiocese, as well as by the staff and students of the School. The service was extremely moving, as the students of the College chanted the Supplicatory Canon to the Virgin Mary.
At the end of the service, His Eminence spoke from the heart about the venerable person of the Mother of God and loving Mother of all people, urging the students to turn to Her through prayer, to express their anxieties and concerns to Her and to ask for Her help and support. “Just as a good mother never tires of hearing her child say ‘help me,’ so too does our Virgin Mary never tire of hearing your prayers,” he assured and added: “She is never too busy. She never says ‘Not now.’ She never forgets you.”
His Eminence then emphasised the deep faith and piety that the Virgin Mary had from a young age, as well as her miraculous obedience to the will of God. Recalling that during the Annunciation she responded to the Angel: “let it be to me according to your word”, he pointed out that “this is what makes the Virgin Mary so special: Not only that she gave birth to Christ, but also that she did it with absolute trust and love”.
Urging the students to imitate the example of the Ever-Virgin Mary, the Archbishop noted that “you don’t have to wait until you grow up to be close to God. You can pray now. You can be good from now. You can make the sign of the Cross now, say your prayers before you go to sleep, light a candle, say ‘thank you’ and forgive your friends when they hurt you. This is how saints are made.”
Addressing the older students, who are experiencing greater pressures at school and among their peers, but also due to uncertainty about the future, His Eminence assured them that they have a valuable compass that will help them not to become disoriented. This compass is Christ and his Church, he pointed out and added that “the safest path to Christ is the one that the Virgin Mary walked. Follow her example. Say “yes” to difficult choices. Say “no” to temptations. Say “help me” when you are weak. And always keep your heart pure, because Christ desires to dwell there. You do not need to be perfect. Just keep walking towards Christ.”
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios concluded his address by extending his paternal wishes to everyone for the upcoming feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. He then had the pleasure of personally communicating with the Principal of the College, Mr. Andrew Ponsford, with the members of the Board of Directors, as well as with teachers and students, to be informed about the life of the school community of Saint John’s and to bless the activities and initiatives of the school.
