Archbishop Makarios of Australia at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of Holy Monastery of Saint Nectarios, Adelaide
On Sunday, 12 November 2023, in Adelaide, in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the official celebratory dinner for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nectarios, Croydon Park, took place in a joyful and emotionally charged atmosphere.
The dinner, which included traditional music and dancing, was attended by Their Graces, Bishop Silouan of Sinope, and Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis, Archiepiscopal Vicars of Adelaide and Canberra respectively, the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, Mr. Georgios Psiachas, the Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Energy of the South Australian State Government, Mr. Tom Koutsantonis MP, and the Federal Member of Parliament for Adelaide Mr. Steve Georganas MP.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, during the warm greeting he delivered, referred with words of gratitude to the people who played a significant role in the establishment and subsequent development of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nectarios. The Archbishop first mentioned the late Archbishop Ezekiel of Australia, under whose direction a small plot of land had been purchased in Croydon Park, with the vision of hosting a monastic community and an aged care facility for the elderly there.
Next, His Eminence described the history of the construction of the Monastery, which functioned as a Parish of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, and made special mention of the valuable contribution of the late Archimandrite Gervasios Kambourakis. He also expressed the gratitude of the local Church to the founding members of the church council and its first President, the late Mr. Stylianos Kontoleon, to the donor of the initial capital for the construction of the Monastery, the late Mr. Konstantinos Liascos, and to all, throughout time, both donors and benefactors, as well as to the faithful who have contributed so that the Holy Monastery of Saint Nectarios could develop into a dynamic Parish, offering rich ecclesiastical, spiritual and social works.
His Eminence did not fail to mention the contribution of the clergy who served at the Holy Monastery of Saint Nectarios, firstly, the late Bishop Nektarios of Madagascar, who stood out for his missionary spirit and was a source of inspiration for the younger generations of clergy. Afterwards, he mentioned with praise the person of His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope, who had ministered in a God pleasing manner to the Parish of Croydon Park for more than a decade, until his elevation to Bishop of Sinope. As His Eminence recalled, among the many fruits of the ministry of His Grace Bishop Silouan, is the operation of the community hall of the Parish, which has become the focus of activities not only of the local community, but of the entire Archdiocesan District of Adelaide.
Finally, the Archbishop, after pointing out that the vision of his predecessor, Archbishop Ezekiel, was completely fulfilled with the operation of Saint Basil’s Aged Care Facility nextdoor to the Holy Monastery of Saint Nectarios, His Eminence expressed his paternal satisfaction for the fact that Fr. Panagiotis Kouvoussis, Parish Priest of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nectarios, continues with great enthusiasm and dedication the great legacy he has received. He also praised the President of the Parish, Mr. Vladimir Devrelis, and the members of the parish council for their hard work.
Concluding, His Eminence emphasised to everyone that “our Holy Archdiocese is proud of you” and assured that it will continue to support their struggle for further development and progress of the Parish in the coming decades. His Eminence then prayed that the patron saint of their Parish, Saint Nectarios, would continue to bless the works and direct their steps.
