GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA HELLENIC COMMUNITY OF WA PARISH & COMMUNITY OF STS. CONSTANTINE & HELENE PARISH NEWSLETTER

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1 GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA HELLENIC COMMUNITY OF WA PARISH & COMMUNITY OF STS. CONSTANTINE & HELENE PARISH NEWSLETTER Archimandrite Fr. Elpidios Karalis (T&F) (Mobile) address: Rev. Fr. John Athanasiou (Mobile) Address: Issue: Sunday 14 October

2 Perth Parishioners Visit Sydney 2 Fr Elpidios Fourteen parishioners of Sts Constantine & Helene, Perth, WA, together with their parish priest, Archimandrite Elpidios Karalis, went on a pilgrimage trip to Sydney during the month of September. For some parishioners it was the first time that they were visiting the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia Our first day in the Harbour City included visiting St Basil s Nursing Home in Lakemba that operates under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Here we were greeted by the Rev. Nicholas Stavropoulos who gave us a tour of the entire nursing home which started off in the beautiful chapel of St Basil. Following St Basil s Nursing Home the group made their way by bus to the Greek Orthodox Church of St Athanasios in the Rookwood cemetery. Here the Rev. John Grillis warmly welcomed the group in the church and gave us a brief talk on the history of the cemetery. Parishioners were given the opportunity to visit the graves of the various bishops and priests who were buried adjacent to the church. Our next stop was the Estia Foundation of Australia in Gladesville, an initiative of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Here we were met by a team of very dedicated and passionate workers. We were given a brief explanation about Estia which provides 24 hour respite care for young adults of all nationalities and denominations with special needs. The parishioners of Perth were deeply moved after seeing and learning about the great work carried out by the staff of the Estia Foundation. Next on our list was our visit to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia in Redfern. His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos welcomed the Perth group in the Cathedral of the Annunciation and spoke to us about the history of the cathedral. Following His Eminence s talk everyone received the blessing of the Archbishop as well as a small gift. As we exited the cathedral everyone made their way to St Andrew s Greek Orthodox Theological College where the registrar of the College, Mr. Tasos Kalogerakis, addressed the group in the Main Hall. After here we all visited the college chapel, St John the Theologian, as well as the college library and the Archdiocese s book centre.

3 Following our visit to the Archdiocese, everyone made their way back onto the bus and drove down Cleveland St, one of the main roads in the suburb of Redfern. We were now on our way in visiting the Church of the Holy Trinity, the first Greek Orthodox Church to be built in Australia with the foundations being laid in Here the Rev. Thomas gave a brief outline on the history of the church. Following the Church of the Holy Trinity we made our last stop for the day to the Church of St Catherine in Mascot. Here we were greeted by the Rev. Athanasios Giatsios and the ladies from the philoptochos who prepared a light supper for the group. On the second day of our trip in Sydney, everyone was up early in the morning waiting anxiously to set off for yet another great day. Firstly, our bus driver, who we must state went out of his way to ensure that we all were having an enjoyable time, took the group on a three hour sightseeing trip. Following our sightseeing we visited the St Spyridon College in Kingsford and were given a tour of the entire school. Following the school visit we made our way next door to the St Spyridon Church where we were welcomed by the Very Rev. Steven Scoutas. Our next stop was Newtown where we visited the Church of Sts Constantine and Helene. Here we spent time with the parish priest, Archimandrite Nektarios Zorbalas. Sunday morning was another early start as we had to be at the Church of St Stephanos in Hurlstone Park by 8am. Following the Divine Liturgy the parish priest, the Rev. Stavros Ivanos, together with the ladies of the Philoptochos prepared an outstanding lunch for the entire Perth group. Following lunch, on the way back to the Novotel Hotel in Darling Harbour, we made a brief stop at the Church of St Nectarios in Burwood. On the evening of the same day we visited the largest parish in all of Australia The Church of the Resurrection of our Lord in Kogarah. As informed by the parish priest, Archimandrite Sophronios Konidaris, the Kogarah parish has a total of approximately parishioners. On the evening of our visit to the Kogarah parish His Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apollonias presided at the Vesper Service for the feast of the Lady of Myrtles (24 September) assisted by the local clergy of Sydney. Following the Vesper Service the faithful made their way to the hall next door where the Philoptohos Committee had prepared a beautiful supper for all. A special table was set aside for the Perth group. The final two days of our trip were spent visiting the three Greek Orthodox Monasteries in NSW. We firstly visited the Holy Monastery of St George of the 3

4 Mountain in Yellow Rock. The Abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Kyriakos Stavronikitianos, spent the day taking us around the monastery grounds as well as preparing us a delicious Lenten meal. Following our visit to St George Monastery we headed off and visited the Three Sisters which is the Blue Mountains most spectacular landmark. Following the Blue Mountains a brief stop was made at the Greek Orthodox Church of All Saints where we were all greeted by the Rev. Christos Triantafyllou. Our visit to the Monastery of Pantanassa in Mangrove Creek was also a great experience for the entire group. The entire monastic brotherhood together with the Abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Eusebios Pantanassiotis and the former Abbot, Archimandrite Stephanos Pantanassiotis, welcomed us in the Monastery s Katholikon (main church) where we all chanted the Supplication Service to the Mother of God before going on a monastery tour. Following the tour we all returned to the monastery s dining room where together with the entire brotherhood we all enjoyed a delicious cooked monastic lunch. Following our visit to the Monastery of Pantanassa, we made our way to the female Monastery of the Holy Cross in Mangrove Mountain. Here we were welcomed by the sisters where we were briefed on the progress of the monastery. We were then given the opportunity to venerate the holy relics that are kept at the monastery prior to sitting down for some coffee and biscuits. Overall, our trip to Sydney was certainly one not to be forgotten. The parishioners were already asking when the next Sts Constantine and Helene parish trip will be taking place. Above: His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos welcomes the Perth Group in the Cathedral of the Annunciation at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia in Redfern, NSW. 4

5 Above: Our Visit to the Monastery of Pantanassa in Mangrove Creek Weekly English Divine Liturgies Where: Church of Sts Constantine & Helene, Northbridge When: Every Saturday Night Time: 5pm pm Come Along with the Entire Family Service Booklets Provided Male & Female Chanters are Welcome 5

6 Perth s Church of Sts Constantine & Helene turns 75 6 By Dr John N Yiannakis The bells of Perth s first Greek Orthodox Church, Saints Constantine and Helene, chimed long and loud on Sunday, 16 September, in celebration of the 75 th Anniversary of the Church s consecration.completed in late 1936 after years of effort and endurance by the local Greek population, and then consecrated the following year, the Church has long been one of the main centres for Orthodox worship in Perth. The 1937 Consecration Service was conducted by Metropolitan Timotheos, the then Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia. The State Heritage listed Church is an important part of Perth s culture and history and when it was consecrated, the inner city precinct of Northbridge where it is situated was the heart of ethnic communities and their businesses. Therefore, the celebrations marked an important milestone for the Church, its parish, the Hellenic Community of WA, and the city. A large congregation was in attendance to witness the auspicious occasion. The Church celebrations included: A Divine Liturgy conducted by various local priests, namely; The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St John of the Mountain, Archimandrite Evagrios Koutouzis The Parish Priest of Sts Constantine & Helene, Archimandrite Elpidios Karalis The Assistant Priest of Sts Constantine & Helene, Rev. Fr John Athanasiou The Rev Fr Kosmas Damianides Rev Deacon Evangellos Battalis A Memorial Service for all the founders of the Church A special blessing of the loaves service for all the Church parishioners A procession around the Church with the icon of Saints Constantine and Helene

7 At the end of the service, Parish Priest Archimandrite Elpidios Karalis read the names and then presented specially medallions to recognise those parishioners still alive who were present at the Consecration Service in Archimandrite Elpidios also read a congratulatory message from his Eminence Archbishop Stylianos and then said a few words of his own reflecting on his connections with the Church when, as a youth, he was an altar boy. He then added, These celebrations give us the opportunity to reflect on the past. Firstly, we pay tribute to the blessed and ever memorable founders of our holy church who had both the foresight and enlightenment from above to undertake the sacred task of building the first Greek Orthodox Church in Western Australia. The primary role of our church was always (and still is) to meet the spiritual needs of the Greek Orthodox faithful in Western Australia as well as providing any assistance possible to the local Perth community at large. Secondly, we direct our thoughts to all the living who bring offerings and do good works in our holy and all venerable church; for the men and women who labour in its service. May our Lord continue to grant them strength, patience and faith to continue, under the direction and guidance of our spiritual father, His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, the sacred work of their pioneers for the glory of God and for the progress of our church. The Church and its congregation has been a long-time supporter of the local community, even helping with fund raising for the Australian war effort during World War Two. Today, this charitable work continues with support for the annual Homeless Connect Event in Northbridge, as well as a charity food drives throughout the year to those in need.it has also been involved as a conduit for the collection of funds for causes in Greece including during the recent economic hardship facing the country. After the Church service, members of the local Greek community attended a special luncheon celebrating the landmark event. Over 460 people attended the joyous gathering where a number of VIPs addressed the crowd, including the former Governor of WA, Dr Ken Michael; the President of the Hellenic Community of WA, Gary Mitchell; and historian, Dr John Yiannakis. Overseeing proceedings was MC, Dr Angela Evangelinou-Yiannakis. A special commemorative anniversary book, written by Dr John Yiannakis, was distributed to all those in attendance as a memento of both the day and the Church s 75 year history. 7

8 PARISH NEWS Infant Baptisms The following parents recently baptised their children at the Church of Sts Constantine and Helene: Paul Bouloudas and Alix (nee) Blight. The child received the name Ioannis. The godfather was Dionysios Rompotes. Daniella Hanspach. The child received the name Hariton. The godmother was Maria Naomis. Michael Vassiliou and Renee (nee) McClymont. The child received the name Anastasia. The godfather was James Vassiliou. Lance Toutountzis and Anthea (nee) Anastas. The child received the name Pavlos. The godmother was Elise Papamihail. Cameron Palassis and Lenise (nee) Rompotis. The child received the name Efstathios. The godmother was Meliesse Palassis. Adult Baptism Congratulations to Darren Wilson who was recently baptised into the Greek Orthodox Church. Darren received the name Constantine. The godmother was Marigo Pesqua. Marriages Congratulations to the following newly weds who were recently married at the Church of Sts Constantine and Helene: Sean Scheffer and Kaliope (nee) Pattes. The Bestman was Shannon Meldrum. Brent (Lavrentios) Moyle and Fiona Topalis. The Bestman was Alexander Zuccarino. 8

9 Funerals Our deepest sympathy to the families of the following people who recently reposed in the Lord. May their memory be eternal. Jack Tsakalos aged 89 John Michael aged 79 Vaios Toutountzis aged 87 Week Day Church Services (8-10am) Thursday 18 October (Luke the Evangelist) Tuesday 23 October (James the Brother of the Lord) Friday 26 October (Greatmartyr Demetrios) Thursday 1 November (Sts Kosmas and Damian) Thursday 8 November (Synaxis of the Archangels) Tuesday 13 November (St John Chrysostom) Wednesday 14 November (Apostle Philip) Thursday 15 November (St Elpidios) Friday 16 November (Apostle & Evangelist Matthew) Wednesday 21 November (Entry of the Theotokos) Church Database The Sts Constantine and Helene Church Database has approximately 900 addresses. If you have a friend or relative who would like to join the Church Database then us their name and address to p.karalis@bigpond.com. This will allow them to keep updated with various activities taking place in the parish as well as receiving an electronic copy of the Church bulletin. 9

10 We are all Fellow Travellers 10 Fr John Athanasiou It occurs to me that we humans are a funny lot. Our ability to emotionally respond to a given matter depends upon our world view and how we see ourselves as functioning members of our society. What may be a tragedy on a grand scale does not emotionally outrage us, however, what may be a personal tragedy to a person that is near to us may emotionally devastate us. There seems to be anonymity and indifference when things occur on a grand scale whereas at a direct level they can be fundamentally profound. Further, our ability to be emotionally engaged seems to be proportionate to our ability to impact upon a situation. The common catch cry is worry about what you can do and don t worry about what you can t do. Accordingly, we take the attitude that world poverty and social and economic upheaval overseas is something that we can do nothing about. If, on the other hand, the hungry person was before us we could strive to help them whilst morally outraged that in such a lucky country people are fundamentally going without. Even in our affluent society we have little empathy, sympathy or understanding for the suffering and dispossessed. We rationalise that it is their fault they have failed society. We take the view that everyone has an equal opportunity (as if that were true) to make it. Accordingly, we may feel resentment at having the poor foisted upon us. After all, we did not contribute to their social or economic or any other problem that there may have. We reason that they should get themselves out of the blind they created in the first place and become productive members of society. Social welfare handouts do no more than create long-term dependency and should be replaced with something more productive. This rational reasoning has no place in Christianity. Christ tells us time and time again what we need to do. Love one another in the Lord and love the Lord. Love without practical implementation is a lie. It is dead and a grotesque caricature of what is required of those by the Lord. Sister Theresa was once asked how she helped so many people. She responded by saying that she helped so many people one at a time. Sister Gavrilia once said that when we must be helped, God will send someone to us. We are all fellow travellers. It seems to me that these two statements contain the key to our self-awareness: in this life we are all in the same boat and must help one another. This we do face-toface and on a one-to-one basis. Now this may sound paradoxical when we apply it

11 to the big picture. The economic crisis in Greece comes readily to mind. How do we engage on a one-to-one basis with a country? How can we help and how can we make a difference? To be sure life is very hard in Greece at the moment. Although its woes may have been pushed from the front pages of our newspapers and from Western consciousness the harsh reality of life continues to grind down and sometimes overwhelm people whose fault lay only in the fact that they were members of that society. Recently, I came face to face with the reality of despair in the form of one person who was seeking to escape the poverty of that country. He had no constructive plan other than he wanted to stay in Australia. He sought help. Other than some small material assistance I could offer no real hope. The thought then occurred to me that there perhaps were other members of our society who would be better equipped professionally to provide the sort of assistance that may be required. There is no reason why from amongst our professional and business people we cannot form a working committee to be able to compile a manual for circulation in Greece as to what is required for the purposes of making an application to live in Australia. Further, a network of professionals could be established to assist in job placement and other practical material needs. It is not important as to who controls the process provided that the process is engaged and the job completed. I recall that in the early years of migration Greeks helped each other to establish themselves in a strange country. Indeed there were various associations to assist. There is no reason why we cannot do that again to help our fellow man. This is a Christian thing to do. This is a way of engaging in the big picture and above all this is the way we can help our fellow travellers. It is only a happy circumstance that we are not sharing their current misery. Let us reflect on that and consider how each one of us can play our part to assist them in the name of Christ. After all this is what Christ would have done. STS. CONSTANTINE AND HELENE SUNDAY SCHOOL TIME: AM In the classroom adjacent to Fr Elpidios office during School Term Classes taken by Qualified Teachers during the School Term All Children Welcome to attend 11

12 ANNOUNCEMENT Ι have the pleasure of addressing an open invitation to all the Greeks of Western Australia, to attend the following events for the commemoration of Dimitria and OXI Day: A Doxology at the Greek Orthodox Parish of Sts Constantine and Helene, on Sunday 28 th of October at 10:15 a.m. Lunch of the Pan Macedonian Association of WA at Alexander the Great Hall on Sunday the 28 th of October at 12 noon Cultural Event Odysseus in the Land of the Rainbow Serpent at John Inverariy Music and Drama Centre, Hale School, Wembley Downs Sunday the 28th of October at 3 p.m. All the Greeks of Western Australia are cordially invited to attend the aforementioned events, and thus pay tribute to Greece on this auspicious occasion. The Consul Sofia Choli Sts Constantine & Helene Homeless Connect Appeal Final day of Collection Sunday 11 November Please Help Us So We Can Help Others 12

13 St Andrew s Grammar News Student Exchange Programe By Tanja Ergic, Year 10 Student, St. Andrew s Grammar School On Monday 13 August, Eleni, a Greek exchange student from Kastelorizo, arrived at St. Andrew s Grammar School. Eleni was shown around the school and she then attended class with the Year 10 students. Eleni speaks excellent English as a second language which enabled her to teach us about the culture and history of her island in Greece. She told us many stories of life at her school (she is the only student in her year group at her school) and stories of her life. At St. Andrew s Grammar she attended a variety of different level Greek lessons, helping the Year 3 students in their lessons in the Primary School and attending the Year 11 and 12 Greek classes in the Secondary School. Eleni was also able to experience many other subjects such as Science, Art, English, Maths, Computer Design and Health classes. On Wednesday, 15th of August she attended Sts. Constantine and Helene Church with Mr Midson, Mrs Coate and eight Secondary School students, where she was personally welcomed and acknowledged by Father Elpidios. On Thursday morning Ms Nicholson and the Year 10 Student Councillors, Shaquille Maharaj and I went to the Perth City Council Chambers for the Perth City Council Sister City Morning Tea. We were taught about the history of the Sister City exchange program and met with Eleni Evangel, a Councillor who is originally from Kastelorizo. We discussed Eleni's stay in Perth and the differences between life in Perth in comparison with Kastelorizo. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Eleni and she said that she had a wonderful experience at our school. Click in the link below and listen to the 10 minute bilingual (Greek and English) interview that was recently broadcasted on the SBS Radio about St Andrew s Grammar in Dianella. 13

14 Αγίου Ιωάννου του Χρυσοστόµου Γιατί έρχονται πολλοί στην εκκλησία, επαναλαµβάνουν µηχανικά ψαλµούς και ευχές, και φεύγουν, δίχως να ξέρουν τι είπαν. Τα χείλη κινούνται, αλλά τ' αυτιά δεν ακούνε. Εσύ δεν ακούς την προσευχή σου, και θέλεις να σε εισακούσει ο Θεός; Γονάτισα, λες αλλά ο νους σου πετούσε µακριά. Το σώµα σου ήταν µέσα στην εκκλησία και η ψυχή σου έξω. Το στόµα έλεγε την προσευχή και ο νους µετρούσε τόκους, συµβόλαια, συναλλαγές, χωράφια, κτήµατα, συναναστροφές µε φίλους. Κι όλα αυτά συµβαίνουν, γιατί ο διάβολος είναι πονηρός ξέρει πως την ώρα της προσευχής κερδίζουµε πολλά, γι' αυτό τότε επιτίθεται µε µεγαλύτερη σφοδρότητα. Άλλες φορές είµαστε ξαπλωµένοι στο κρεβάτι, και τίποτα δεν σκεφτόµαστε ήρθαµε όµως στην εκκλησία να προσευχηθούµε, και ο διάβολος µας έβαλε ένα σωρό λογισµούς, ώστε καθόλου να µην ωφεληθούµε. Αν, αλήθεια, ο Θεός σου ζητήσει λόγο για την αδιαφορία ή και την ασέβεια που δείχνεις στις λατρευτικές συνάξεις, τι θα κάνεις; Να, την ώρα που Αυτός σου µιλάει, εσύ, αντί να προσεύχεσαι, έχεις πιάσει κουβέντα µε τον διπλανό σου για πράγµατα ανώφελα. Και όλα τ' άλλα αµαρτήµατά µας αν παραβλέψει ο Θεός, τούτο φτάνει για να στερηθούµε τη σωτηρία. Μην το θεωρείς µικρό παράπτωµα. Για να καταλάβεις, τη βαρύτητά του, σκέψου τι γίνεται στην ανάλογη περίπτωση των ανθρώπων. Ας υποθέσουµε ότι συζητάς µ' ένα επίσηµο πρόσωπο ή µ' έναν εγκάρδιο φίλο σου. Και ενώ εκείνος σου µιλάει, εσύ γυρίζεις αδιάφορα το κεφάλι σου και αρχίζεις να κουβεντιάζεις µε κάποιον άλλο. εν θα προσβληθεί ο συνοµιλητής σου απ' αυτή την απρέπειά σου; εν θα θυµώσει; εν θα σου ζητήσει το λόγο; Αλίµονο! Βρίσκεσαι στη θεία Λειτουργία, κι ενώ το βασιλικό τραπέζι είναι ετοιµασµένο, ενώ ο Αµνός του Θεού θυσιάζεται για χάρη σου, ενώ ο ιερέας αγωνίζεται για τη σωτηρία σου, εσύ αδιαφορείς. Την ώρα που τα εξαπτέρυγα Σεραφείµ σκεπάζουν τα πρόσωπά τους από δέος και όλες οι ουράνιες δυνάµεις µαζί µε τον ιερέα παρακαλούν το Θεό για σένα, τη στιγµή που κατεβαίνει από τον ουρανό η φωτιά του Αγίου Πνεύµατος και το αίµα του Χριστού χύνεται από την άχραντη πλευρά Του µέσα στο άγιο Ποτήριο, τη στιγµή αυτή η συνείδησή σου, άραγε, δεν σε ελέγχει για την απροσεξία σου; Σκέψου, άνθρωπε µου, µπροστά σε Ποιον στέκεσαι την ώρα της φρικτής µυσταγωγίας και µαζί µε ποιους - µε τα Χερουβείµ, µε τα Σεραφείµ, µε όλες τις ουράνιες δυνάµεις. Αναλογίσου µαζί µε ποιους ψάλλεις και προσεύχεσαι. Είναι αρκετό για να συνέλθεις, όταν θυµηθείς ότι, 14

15 ενώ έχεις υλικό σώµα, αξιώνεσαι να υµνείς τον Κύριο της κτίσεως µαζί µε τους ασώµατους αγγέλους. Μη συµµετέχεις, λοιπόν, στην ιερή εκείνη υµνωδία µε αδιαφορία. Μην έχεις στο νου σου βιοτικές σκέψεις. ιώξε κάθε γήινο λογισµό και ανέβα νοερά στον ουρανό, κοντά στο θρόνο του Θεού. Πέταξε εκεί µαζί µε τα Σεραφείµ, φτερούγισε µαζί τους, ψάλε τον τρισάγιο ύµνο στην Παναγία Τριάδα. (20 Ιούλιος 2012 Agioritikovima.gr) 15