On Sunday afternoon, 11 December 2022, in the presence of a large number of faithful, the Festive Great Vespers on the feast of Saint Spyridon Bishop of Trimythous the Wonderworker, took place, at the celebrating Holy Church in the Sydney suburb of Kingsford.
His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia officiated at the Great Vespers, joined by the Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Christophoros Krikelis, and also by a multitude of priests of the city of Sydney. In attendance was, among others, the Labor Party’s State Member of Parliament, Mr. Ron Hoenig.
During his sermon, His Grace Bishop Christodoulos referred to the life and personality of the honoured Saint, the “Bishop of love and humility”, as he described him. His Grace noted, among other things, that Saint Spyridon was not well educated and did not attain university degrees, but he knew how to love God and read the holy Gospel, qualifications which were sufficient to adorn him with divine grace and to be credited with leading many souls of people to the Kingdom of Heaven.
His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia made a special mention of the gift of miracles with which Saint Spyridon was gifted, while he urged the faithful to trust the Saints and turn to them with fervent faith whenever they experienced a certain trial in their lives. “The only ones who are never going to betray us are the Saints of our Church,” he pointed out characteristically and added: “That’s why every time we are faced with a sadness or a difficulty or an illness, we should learn to turn to our Saints and offer our prayer to them, so that, with our own spiritual life, they will come and perform the miracle we ask for”.
In addition, His Grace conveyed to the faithful the love, wishes and blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, congratulating them at the same time for the trust they showed in the person of their Shepherd with their recent decision to turn the Parish – Community of Saint Spyridon into a Parish of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. In fact, he described this year’s celebration as historic, as it is the first to take place under the new regime of the Parish. “Be assured”, he underlined, “that this Parish will be safe under the protection of our Holy Archdiocese and now its history will be written in golden letters”.
Concluding, His Grace Bishop Christodoulos announced in church that on the day of the Feast of Christmas, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia will visit and officiate at the Parish of Saint Spyridon Kingsford, to celebrate together with its members the great event of the Birth of the God-man, as well as the new chapter that opens for Greeks in the district.
