On Saturday, 22 February 2025, the Golden Jubilee of the Parish of St. Sophia and Her Three Daughters was celebrated in Sydney. The official celebratory gala dinner, which was held at an events venue in Hyde Park, was attended by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who also delivered a heartfelt paternal greeting.
In his opening remarks, His Eminence commemorated with words of gratitude the pioneers of the establishment of the Parish, beginning with the Late Archbishop Ezekiel of Australia. He also commemorated the late Archbishop Stylianos, during whose time the church in Surry Hills was purchased, while he thanked and praised for their dedicated ministry all the clergy who have served in the Parish: Fr. Stephanos Pantanassiotis, then Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, Fr. Gervasios Koutsouras, Fr. Nektarios Zorbalas, Fr. Ioannis Evangelinidis, Fr. Panagiotis Baskoutas, Fr. Agathangelos Masteas and Fr. Irinaios Triantis.
“We are also grateful,” he pointed out, “to countless people, some of whom have departed this present life, but who had worked hard and contributed in various ways, visibly and invisibly, to our reaching this remarkable milestone. All worked harmoniously with the clergy to support the progress of the Parish. We thank them; as we thank the benefactors and donors for their generosity and contribution.”
The Archbishop did not fail to extend his warm thanks to all the members who continue to work for the further progress of the Parish, led by the Parish Priest Fr. Irenaeus Triantis, the President Mr. Con Zannetides, the members of the Parish Council and the tireless ladies of the Philoptochos Association. He also congratulated everyone for the various activities implemented by the Parish, including the “Feed the People” Program, the Senior Citizens’ and “Parea” Groups, the Greek Dancing Group and its Youth.
In conclusion, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios discerned that the half-century journey of the Parish of Saint Sophia and Her Three Daughters provides the younger generation with valuable lessons on the importance of “remaining united, in a spirit of love, and cooperating under the umbrella of our Holy Archdiocese for the positive development of the life of the Parish and the living witness of Christ in society.” “If we maintain these principles,” he added, “then we can be optimistic that our efforts will continue to bear fruit in the future. Personally, I assure you of my paternal support and I promise to be by your side as you continue to grow in the decades to come. May God bless you all and your families.”
It should be noted that in addition to His Eminence Archbishop Makarios, the event was also graced with the presence of the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, who delivered a speech and congratulated the Greek Orthodox Parish of St. Sophia and its contributors. Also present were Federal Minister, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, State Minister, The Hon. Sophie Cotsis, MP, Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr. Ioannis Mallikourtis, Deputy High Commissioner of Cyprus in Australia, Mr. Nikolaos Varellas, and others.
