Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne liturgises at the Church of Sts Anargiri and attends the ‘Oakleigh Glendi’
On Sunday, 3 November 2024, His Grace Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne officiated during the Matins Service and presided over the Divine Liturgy which took place at the Church of Saints Anargiri, in the suburb of Oakleigh in Melbourne, and was joined by the Parish Priest, Father Stavros Kakavas and Father Kyriakos Tsapas.
During his sermon, His Grace analysed the Gospel passage of the day, while conveying to the congregation the wishes and blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia. For his part, Father Stavros thanked the Bishop of Melbourne for his constant presence at the Parish celebrations.
Later, His Grace Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and the clergy attended the annual ‘Oakleigh Glendi’ Festival, held in the ‘heart’ of Oakleigh. The Festival included performances by students from Oakleigh Grammar School, who sang two liturgical hymns: the Dismissal Hymn of Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, Patron Saint of Australia, in English, and the Dismissal Hymn of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Greek.
The event attracted a large number of visitors from different cultural backgrounds, while among the many officials who attended were the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne Mr. Emmanuel Kakavelakis, the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria Mr. Bill Papastergiadis, the President of the Greek Community of Oakleigh Mr. Christos Damatopoulos and the Principal of Oakleigh Grammar School Mr. Mark Robertson.
His Grace, being joined by Fathers Stavros and Kyriakos, also performed a Memorial Service at the War Monument in the park where the Festival took place, for the repose of the souls of those who fell during the Epic of 1940. This was followed by the laying of wreaths by Bishop Kyriakos and the other officials, while His Grace addressed a greeting on behalf of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
His Grace then visited several stalls set up for the ‘Oakleigh Glendi’, including the mobile food unit of the Five Loaves programme.
