Northcote: The Feast Day of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, Coburg
The feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Temple was celebrated with due ecclesiastical splendour in the Archdiocesan District of Northcote in Victoria, with the centre of the feast day celebrations taking place at the Church of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg.
The feast day services were presided over by His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta, who was representing His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, and was joined by a multitude of clergy from the State of Victoria.
On the eve of the Feast Day, His Grace officiated at the Great Vespers, while on the main day of the Feast, His Grace officiated at the Matins and presided over the Feast Day Divine Liturgy.
The celebrations culminated on Sunday, 4 February 2024, where after the Matins and the Divine Liturgy, a traditional Greek Festival took place in the courtyard of the celebrating Church, where a large number of Greeks come to participate and support, and were not deterred by the extremely high temperatures.
His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta conveyed to everyone the wishes and blessings of their Shepherd, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, while in his sermons, in the context of the liturgical services, he spoke appropriately about the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. He referred, among other things, to Simeon the Righteous who was made worthy to welcome the divine Infant in the Temple, pointing out that he is a model for all of us, since we are called to have this same meeting with Christ as the destination of our lives. “The Human person’s joy is found there, in their coming to know Christ”, he underlined.
Moreover, His Grace Bishop Evmenios, on behalf of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, congratulated and thanked the Parish of the Presentation of Our Lord for the extensive charitable work it carries out, specifically for the implementation of the “Our Daily Bread” Programme, with which, for over 10 years, has been supporting more than 500 people weekly with food and other means of support.
Finally, Bishop Evmenios made a special mention of this year’s 100th anniversary of the founding of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and underlined the important role played in the history of the local Church by the Parish of the Presentation of Our Lord in Coburg, which was founded nearly half a century ago. His Grace also made mentioned of the anniversary events that will take place during this year, as well as the Apostolic Visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew next October.
