Home Important News St Nicholas Parish celebrated its patron saint’s feast in the presence of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

St Nicholas Parish celebrated its patron saint’s feast in the presence of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

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On the occasion of the feast day of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, H.E. Metropolitan Basilios presided over the festive Vespers in St Nicholas Church in Punchbowl. The priests of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, along with the faithful from all the churches in Sydney, gathered at St Nicholas Church to celebrate its patron saint’s feast.

This year the parish welcomed the Hon. Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia who participated in the celebration.

His Eminence Metropolitan Basilios welcomed the distinguished guest the Prime Minister, Minister Tony Burke MP and Mayor Bilal El-Hayek – City of Canterbury Bankstown.

In his speech addressing the PM and the congregation, he spoke about the virtues of St Nicholas the wonderworker:

“St Nicholas is praised in Church hymns as “a standard of faith, as the image of gentleness and as a teacher of self-discipline”. He is known for his generosity and kindness, witnessed in his performing miracles for the poor and needy people”.

Later In his speech, His Eminence stressed the important role played by the Church and the surrounding facilities in the lives of believers and our community:

“In this region of Sydney and in this beautiful hub, where St Nicholas church stands as its heart, we don’t only serve the spiritual and sacramental needs of the people, but also the social, educational, childcare and senior care needs.

Besides St Nicholas Orthodox Church, which serves as a spiritual pillar and beacon of faith for our community, we have a Youth and Community Centre, a Childcare Centre, and the prominent Aged Care, St Nicholas Seniors Care Centre.

Furthermore, it is the headquarters for the Antiochian Welfare Association and the St Raphael’s Mission dedicated to serving the broader community, especially the less fortunate in Sydney, through the Feed the Homeless Initiative which has been running every Monday in Martin Place for the last 12 years”.

At the end of his speech, H.E. raised the prayer for peace saying:

“On this special day, we join in prayer all together that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the King of righteousness and King of peace, will bestow His peace and prosperity in every corner of our troubled world and especially in our homelands in the Middle East”.

In his turn, Hon. Anthony Albanese expressed his joy and privilege at attending the feast of St Nicholas and being among the Antiochian Orthodox community in Sydney.

“It’s a privilege to join the community of St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church to celebrate the Feast Day of St Nicholas tonight.

St Nicholas is a powerful example of kindness, charity and humanity, and this church so wonderfully embodies these ideals.

Here we see the strength of faith, and the connection of community. A community that holds its door open in welcome.

I wish all those who celebrate a blessed Feast Day of St Nicholas”.

The Feast Day of St Nicholas is a time to reflect on the values of generosity and care for others. This year’s celebrations at St Nicholas Church were made even more memorable by the Prime Minister’s presence, highlighting the vital role of faith-based organisations in Australian society.

As the festivities concluded, parishioners left inspired by the message of hope and service, embodying the enduring legacy of St Nicholas in their daily lives.

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