Tasmania: Historic Day for the local community with the Blessing of the Waters performed by a Bishop for the first time
For the first time ever in the history of Orthodoxy in Tasmania, a Bishop blessed the local waters on the occasion of the Feast of Holy Epiphany.
With the Blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis travelled to Tasmania and with the assistance of the two local priests, Reverend Father Irinaios Kiokas and Reverend Father Dimitrios Katsis, conducted the Blessing of the Waters service in Hobart, Tasmania.
In his speech, His Grace emphasised that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia under the esteem leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios shows love and respect not only to the Greeks of the major capital cities of Australia, the greeks of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide but to all Greeks of Australia.
His Grace emphasised that the people of Tasmania are no longer put aside and forgotten as second class Greeks, we as an Archdiocese, children of the Mother Church of Constantinople love you and value you and we will do everything with the Grace of God to continue to promote Orthodoxy and Hellenism on the island.
His Grace thanked everyone for attending and wished them a fruitful and prosperous new year and pleaded with them to follow Christ in all things. Bishop Bartholomew thanked all the young men for participating in the event by diving in the blessed waters. The cross was retrieved by young John Anagnostis. His Grace wished him abundant heavenly blessings and a blessed year ahead.
Tradition music and food was then organised in the park area giving His Grace Bishop Bartholomew the opportunity to converse with the local Greek Orthodox faithful. This event indeed will remain as a historical and wonderful day for Hobart, Tasmania.
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