“When we preserve and pass on the legacy of our ancestors, then we can be sure of a bright future. As this is a heritage permeated with Greek values and our Orthodox faith, with Jesus Christ at its core. With these foundations, we can be sure that our students will always excel. They will be able to dream big and fight with confidence and a strong spirit because their faith will have given them wings. Because they will know the love of Christ and His fullness, the abundance of life He offers.”
A warm greeting, which included the above message, to underline the weighty importance of Greek Orthodox education, was addressed by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia at a celebratory event for the 40th anniversary of St George’s College, Adelaide, which took place on Saturday evening, 21 September 2024.
The event was honoured with the presence of, among others, His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide, the Premier of South Australia, Mr. Peter Malinauskas MP, Deputy Ministers Mr. Tom Koutsantonis and Ms. Andrea Michaels MP, the federal Member of Parliament, Mr. Steve Georganas MP, the state Senator, Ms. Konstantina Bonarou, the Mayor of West Torrens, Mr. Michael Coxon, and the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, Ms. Alexandra Theodoropoulou. Also present were the President of the Parish-Community of Saint George, Mr. Vasilios Terzis, the clergy of the Parish, Father Diogenis Patsouris and Father Konstantinos Skoubourdis, the President of the Board of Directors of the College Mr. Emmanuel Katsidonis, the Principal Mr. Epaminondas Karamoschos, the President of the Parents and Friends Association Mr. Costas Barkoukis and others.
Archbishop Makarios, at the beginning of his address, referred to the recent falling asleep in the Lord of the Late Bishop Pavlos of Christianoupolis, noting among other things that “our Church mourns his loss, but we find hope through our faith in eternal life, so that we can continue the holy mission before us.”
Focusing then on the joyous event of the completion of forty years since the establishment of the first Greek Orthodox College in South Australia, the Archbishop expressed the feelings of admiration and pride of the local Church for the work being carried out at “St. George”; both for the Orthodox ethos that is instilled in the Greek children, as well as for the high-quality education it provides them. “The College not only serves the academic needs of students, but also nurtures their social, emotional and spiritual well-being,” he noted, among other things.
For this achievement and for the continuous progress of the College, His Eminence firstly praised Mr. Katsidonis and the members of his Board of Directors, as well as the Principal Mr. Karamoschos, his colleagues, all the teachers and other staff members of the School Institution. In addition, he thanked Fathers Diogenes and Konstantinos for their dedicated ministry to the school community of “Saint George”, while he did not fail to address, with words of gratitude, also to the parents who were present, who entrusted their children to the Greek Orthodox College.
Concluding, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia paternally wished the educational institution – the “jewel” of Adelaide to continue its successful course for many more decades to come.
It is noted that, on the occasion of his visit to Adelaide, the Archbishop had a special meeting with the Premier of South Australia, Mr. Peter Malinuaskas, with whom, they discussed matters of common interest.
