Adelaide: Fruitful works at the Parish of Prophet Elias, Norwood

The Church of Prophet Elias, Norwood and Eastern Suburbs of Adelaide, is truly blessed to have put in place a number of fruitful works to help many of those in need in our community. Together with the love, devotion and hard work of our wonderful committees, groups, volunteers, Greek school, and parishioners, Reverend Father Ioannis Choraitis has been blessed to launch a number of initiatives since starting at our Parish in February 2023.

The Norwood Ark Youth Group, with so many wonderful, hard-working and dedicated young people who help people in need in South Australia, have embraced many tremendous works. Since February last year, under the spiritual guidance of Father Ioannis, the Neighbours in Need, Christmas Toys Donations and the Australian Red Cross-Lifeblood programs have been introduced.

The Norwood Ark Youth Group provide the Neighbours in Need program, collecting and delivering hundreds of essential food packages to the homeless and those in need. Members of the Youth group along with Father Ioannis pack and deliver these across Adelaide.

Another initiative arranged by Father Ioannis with the Youth Group is a Christmas Toys Drive for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, organising toy donations by our parishioners to help brighten the lives of many children in hospital. Last year they collected more than 600 new toys, which were distributed to over 230 families during the Nativity Season. The Women’s and Children’s Hospital presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Parish of Prophet Elias, noting this was the largest single donation of toys they had ever received from an organisation.

Following a donation of blood to Lifeblood earlier this year, Father Ioannis organised, along with the Norwood Ark Youth Group, the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Initiative. It was a truly joyous occasion when, following the Church Service on Sunday, the 8th of December, the Prophet Elias Church Norwood – Lifeblood Team was launched. By giving blood themselves and encouraging our parishioners to do the same, they will be joining donors in the selfless act of giving blood to help save lives. Two donation days have been arranged on Saturday, 21st and Monday, the 23rd of December. Christmas is always challenging for the Australian Red Cross as there is still a demand for blood, however many blood donors are not available because they are away on holidays. Almost 4,000 bags of blood are needed by hospitals every day across Australia to help patients in times of trauma, major surgery, cancer treatment, pregnancy and for a range of other medical conditions. Just one donation could help save up to three lives.

Earlier this year, through the tireless efforts of our Philoptochos Society, Father Ioannis launched the Five Loaves Initiative, providing sandwiches and rolls to families in emergency housing. This program started with the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia and His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide embracing and supporting Father Ioannis’s efforts to extend this initiative to the Parish of Prophet Elias. The generosity and love of all those who contribute financially and those who volunteer to come and make sandwiches have significantly assisted in making this initiative such a great success. Recently our Parish was blessed to be able to expand the program to include the donation of 100 toaster presses to families in emergency housing to enjoy warm meals during the cold winter months. Through the hard work of the Co-Ordinator Mary Bambacas, and our Philoptochos Society this initiative continues expanding and growing every day helping countless families in need in Adelaide.

Under the guidance of Father Ioannis as Principal and the Vice-Principal Aleka Papakostas, the Greek School has expanded to a record of 170 student enrolments. As part of the State Government’s Community Language Schools of South Australia, the Greek School has received numerous awards of excellence in teaching and maintaining the Greek language and culture, promoting cultural understanding and harmony.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the Parish and Community of Prophet Elias was honoured in South Australia’s State Parliament on Wednesday, 11 September this year, for their tremendous work and contribution to the community. The local Member for Dunstan, Cressida O’Hanlon MP, presented a motion congratulating the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia for their 100-year anniversary in Australia and the great contribution of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, “who is so supportive of the clergy and volunteers here and recently visited Prophet Elias for its name day in July.”

The State Member also noted that she “has had the deep honour of becoming acquainted with Father John. He is a remarkable person possessed of both extraordinary humility and zeal. His love and devotion must surely be exceptional in his celebration of faith and spirituality as he tends to his flock…” In particular, she congratulated the many fundraising efforts of our Parish of Prophet Elias in supporting the homeless and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital; our Philoptochos Society for embracing the Five Loaves Initiative in providing food for families in emergency situations; and the success of our annual Norwood Greek Festival.

Following Cressida O’Hanlon’s MP speech, a number of the State’s other distinguished Members of Parliament including Tom Koutsantonis MP, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Minister for Energy, Jack Batty MP, Member for Bragg and Manager of Opposition Business, David Pisoni MP, Member for Unley and Opposition Whip, and Lucy Hood MP, Member for Adelaide, added their support for the Parish of Prophet Elias and reinforced the on-going great work of our tireless and hard-working volunteers.

The invited guests to Parliament House included His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide, Father John Saredakis assisting His Grace, our current Parish Priest Father Ioannis Choraitis and Presvytera Angeliki, former Parish Priest Father Stavros Psaromatis and Presvytera Kyriaki, and John Kiosoglous MBE, Archon Ekdikos of the Ecumenical Throne. More than thirty-five of our parishioners, many who are long-serving and hard-working volunteers of our Parish, including Members of the Executive Committee, Philoptochos Society and the Norwood Youth Ark Group were also present at this wonderful event.

Following this, in November this year, the Hon Jing Lee MLC, Member of the Legislative Council and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, also presented a motion in the South Australian Parliament Legislative Council congratulating the Parish of Prophet Elias, Norwood and Eastern Suburbs, for their significant 65^th milestone anniversary and for all their works and their many community programs, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia on achieving their 100-year anniversary in 2024. This motion was passed by the Legislative Council of the South Australian Parliament, and she subsequently presented an Award of Excellence to our Greek Orthodox Community and Parish of Prophet Elias, Norwood and Eastern Suburbs.

Our Parish and Community of Prophet Elias is deeply honoured for the continuing bi-partisan support shown by South Australia’s State Members of Parliament.