Feast of the Church of Saint Nektarios in Fawkner culminates with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy

The festive liturgical celebrations of the Parish of Saint Nektarios in Fawkner, Melbourne, in honour of its Patron Saint, Saint Nektarios, Bishop of Pentapolis and the Wonderworker, culminated on Monday, 9 November, with a splendid Concelebrated Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia. Concelebrating with the Archbishop was Bishop Evmenios of Chora, while clergy from the local Holy Diocese also participated in the service. Among the large congregation was Archon of the Holy Great Church of Christ, Mr Theo Bacalakis, Vice-President of the Archdiocesan Council.

The sermon was delivered by Archbishop Makarios, who drew a connection between the life of the honoured Saint and the first of the Lord’s Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Having explained the meaning of this Beatitude, namely that those who possess a humble disposition will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, he pointed out that it was with precisely this disposition that the great contemporary Saint of our Church confronted the many difficulties and trials of his life. “Saint Nektarios faced all his trials with great patience, with great…