On Saturday evening, 7 December, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia attended the official dinner of the Youth Conference of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane, which was hosted by the Parish-Community of Saint George, Brisbane.
The beautiful evening was graced by the dance groups of the Parish – Community of St. George ‘The Hellenic Dancers’ and the Cretan Association of Queensland, which presented traditional dances of Macedonia and Crete respectively, as well as the choir of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society of Sydney. The participants of the cultural program moved the Archbishop and the other dinner guests, and received their warm applause.
During his greeting, His Eminence reiterated the exhortation to the young people to make their lives Christ-centred and to remain close to His Church, while addressing the clergy and other laity who participated in the Dinner, he implored them to work for the unity and progress of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, in good cooperation with His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane.
In recognition of the Bishop of Brisbane’s God-pleasing ministry, the Archbishop presented him with an Hierarchical engolpion, depicting the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. His Grace Bishop Bartholomew also received a commemorative gift from the Central Youth of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane.
The evening concluded with the cutting of the Youth Conference celebratory cake, in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, together with Their Graces, Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane and Bishop Silouan of Adelaide, the President of the Central Youth, Ms. Katerina Tsakrios, the President of the Parish – Community of St. George, Ms. Freda Valassakis, and the President of the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Cairns and Archon of the Holy Great Church of Christ, Mr. Theo Bacalakis.
