Archbishop of Australia: The Virgin Mary always remains close to every person

The Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was celebrated with ecclesiastical splendour and the participation of a large congregation on the morning of Saturday, August 15, at the namesake church in North Altona, Melbourne.

The festive Divine Liturgy was presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, with Bishops Kyriakos of Melbourne and Eumenios of Chora concelebrating.

Among those in attendance were the Archons of the Great Church of Christ, Marios Kalogiannis and Antonios Tsourdalakis.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios reflected on the deeper meaning of the feast, emphasizing that the Dormition is a celebration of hope, consolation, and joy. Through her translation to heaven, he noted, the Theotokos always remains close to every person and accompanies them in their trials.

He also encouraged the faithful to pray to the Theotokos with trust, confident that she knows human suffering and understands their concerns.

Concluding his address, Archbishop Makarios warmly thanked the concelebrating hierarchs for participating in the celebration. He also expressed his gratitude to the priest in charge of the parish, Fr Menelaos…