More than three hundred young men and women, the flowers of Orthodoxy in the Holy Diocese of Chora, in Victoria, crossed the threshold of the Holy Monastery of Our Lady “Axion Esti”, in the suburb of Northcote, Melbourne, to take part in the three-day Youth Conference (August 16-18) which bore the general title: “We are ready for the future”.
The opening of the Conference was held on Friday, 16 August 2024, and was officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, in the presence of the Their Graces, Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Evmenios of Chora, and many clergy from the two Dioceses of Victoria. The Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Mr. Emmanuel Kakavelakis, and the Greek-Australian Federal Member of Parliament, Ms. Maria Vamvakinou MP, as representative of the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Anthony Albanese, also attended and extended warm greetings.
As this year’s organisation of the Youth Conference coincides with the completion of 100 years since the establishment of the Orthodox Church in Australia, the keynote address delivered by Archbishop Makarios could not be without reference to the challenges that arise for the Christ-loving people of the fifth continent during the entry into the new century. “The mission of the Church throughout the centuries has always been to spread the eternal truth, which is Christ”, His Eminence emphasised, among other things. He implored the youth to walk with a spirit of unity within the body of the Church, while recalling a saying of Saint John Chrysostom, that “the Church is not just walls and a roof, but faith and a way of life”.
As well as this, the Archbishop spoke to the young men and women in a timely and instructive manner, giving them paternal advice for their further spiritual progress. His Eminence urged them to replace useless worldly concerns and habits with beneficial spiritual activities, such as reading the lives of the Saints of our Church and especially those who were recently canonised by our Ecumenical Patriarchate. “Read about these people,” he pointed out, “and see what made them stand out. How did they withstand the pressures of this world? How did they think and react? What did they advise people with problems like ours who went to see them? We are blessed to live in an age where we have access to so much information. We can read minute details about these modern saints. We can see their spirit, get to know their unique personalities and understand how they transformed their lives into a life in Christ.”
In conclusion, His Eminence, after urging the youth to be inspired by the Saints, advised them to make use of the material world and the modern means it offers them, but not to abuse them. “Use them for the glory of God and for our salvation,” he emphasised.
