Sydney, September 26, 2023
Photo: ocl.org
According to the proclamation of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the great 20th-century ascetic and wonderworker St. Paisios the Athonite is now the patron saint of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
The Archbishop made the relevant announcement during his opening speeding at the 12th Archdiocesan Clergy and Laity Assembly that is currently underway in Sydney, reports Romfea.
Recalling St. Paisios’ visit to Australia in 1977, he noted that he came with Abbot Vasilieos of Iveron, and that St. Paisios is known to have miraculously healed someone from cancer during his time in Australia.
The Archbishop then instructed that that the troparion to St. Paisios be sung at every Divine Liturgy in every church of the Archdiocese beginning Wednesday, September 27, the last day of the Assembly, when a hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the Sydney suburb of Kogarah.
“So today I declare St. Paisios the Athonite the patron, guardian and protector of Australia and our Archdiocese… The apolytikion of the saint will be chanted for centuries here on the fifth continent,” Abp. Makarios said.
In November 2017, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece declared St. Paisios the patron of military communications units, as he himself had served in that capacity in the Greek army during the Second World War. The following June, the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus gave him the same patronage for the Cypriot army.
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