04 December, 2014

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ & ΑΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟY - INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S GAMES LAKE MACQUARIE



ATTENTION TO ALL:

THE YOUNG ATHLETES FROM THE CITY OF PATRAS AND THE CITY OF SPARTA WHO ARE TAKING PART AT THE ABOVE MENTIONED INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S GAMES, THEIR TEACHERS AND OTHER OFFICIALS WILL ATTEND THE DIVINE LITURGY IN OUR CHURCH ON SUNDAY THE 7th OF DECEMBER 2014. 
AFTER THE CHURCH SERVICE A RECEPTION IN THEIR HONOUR WILL FOLLOW AT OUR HELLENIC COMMUNITY CENTRE.

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ
ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ & ΑΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟY
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S GAMES
We would like to inform you of the involvement of the Municipality of Patras in the coming International Children's Games, which will be held at Lake Macquarie City Australia: (www.icg-lakemacquarie2014.com) 6th -11th December 2014.

Watch the Video:
 
 The mission from Greece consist of: 

- Stavros Ntalachani physical education teacher - coach swimming and athletes (12-15 years) Athanasios Zapheiropoulos and Constantinos Kyriazis

- Alexandra Sioulis physical education - athletics coach and athletes Christina Efstratiou and Adrianna Neophytou

- Elias Tsopanoglou physical education teacher - coach gymnastics and athlete Chrisie Tsopanoglou

Mr. Nicholas Tzanakos, an elected member of Patras City Council will attend the Games with son Demosthenes Tzanakos, and also Mr and Mrs George Kyriazis & Eugenia Kepenou, the parents of athlete Constantinos Kyriazis.
The dates of the competitions are:
·         Monday 8th , Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th December 2014
·         Venue: Hunter Sports Centre, 43 Stockland, Drive,Glendale, NSW 2285

01 September, 2014

Is Paedophilia the worst crime a human being can committ? Even worse than murder?

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA
HOLY APOSTLES CHURCH / NEWCASTLE



FROM THE RECTOR'S OFFICE
13/7/14

Today’s reading reminds us of a beautiful image..

A city that’s built on a mountain peak that’s visible from everywhere…

That’s how you all are, says the Lord…

The whole world sees you. Some humans see you, but you must know that there is more important eyes that watch over you; the angels and the saints of God…

The most important eyes that follow you is that of our Father in Heaven and that of the tireless observation of His Son who came to earth and was crucified for us. That is why He watches over us, with love and affection along with the angels and the saints….

Today’s reading helps us better understand our purpose and the meaning of our life…

You are a small lamp, says Jesus. You don’t light the lamp and place it in a trunk so the oil burns for no reason.

We don’t switch on the light and leave it on if no one goes to the basement. We don’t need light there.

We need light to guide us through our journey in life.

Each of you is a lamp, says Jesus.

A small lamp which was lit by our Heavenly Father. We are obliged to honour this light and place it somewhere to shine all through our home. In other words, in the darkness of our society we should become a good example with our behaviour for a better tomorrow. Who is this light ?

You, me, each of us. When is this light lit ?

When we rise above our desires, our actions and have good intentions for the common good of all mankind.

That is God’s wish. Jesus says, As you wish others to treat you well that is how you, in return should treat everyone.

How do you wish for people to treat you ? With compassion, love, honesty and kindness.

You don’t want to be despised or humiliated. That’s goodness. We should all have that in our hearts.

We should remind ourselves of this when we must do something for others, as we’re all one body, one society, one family. There is no way that we’re not affected by someone’s pain or difficulties.

Do you know how intimidating it will be when Jesus stands before us ? That time will come for each of us.

He’ll say, John, Katerina, Nicholas,....... how did you live the life that I gave to you? Where is your good work? Which of the commandments did you abide ? How many of my brother’s did you help and show compassion to ?

There has been and there will be people, like our saints, that lived their life in the light of God and it shone throughout society. God rewarded them for their work and their teachings by calling them, light of life on earth. Therefore, this is the light in which our reading speaks of today.

That is one side of our society. The light. Unfortunately there is the other side. Darkness.

People that live in the dark, whose lives are consumed by darkness.

I’m only going to refer to one case. The worst. The most repulsive. The worst crime to commit by any human being. Even worse than murder. I’m referring to the conviction and the imprisonment of the criminal paedophile Rolf Harris.

As paedophilia is a crime. A paedophile is a criminal.

He rapes the body and the soul of a child, so to satisfy his animalistic desires. It’s impossible to imagine the anguish and hopelessness that the victims of a paedophile must go through their entire life. Nothing can ever heal the wounds of these children’s souls in their lifetime.

When I first read the statistics of paedophilia, the blow was so intense that I was left speechless.

1 in 5 children will be sexually abused. Paedophilia is a curse in society and damned are the paedophiles. Scum of the earth, whom unfortunately live amongst us. In all societies, ethnicities and in all ages. And in ours.

Whoever knows of this disgraceful act, a crime against a small child and does not report this person to the police, no matter how much time has passed, he too is a criminal and guilty, both in the eyes of society but especially in the eyes of God and one day justice will be served for the indifference.

We must remember that all children are also our children, children of society which entitles them to be protected from these human like beasts.

The bible reads of the warning from Jesus to those who are the reason for which a child suffers.

He says, whoever violates one of these children would have been better off tieing a millstone around his neck and jumping in to the ocean.

May we return to the Light my dear brother’s and sister’s and may we never forget that we only have one soul. Let’s protect it as our one and only treasure. If we lose it, we’ll be the unhappiest of all people. Let’s not forget Jesus’ warning (and the more often we remember, the better). 

What will one gain at the expense of one’s soul?

28 April, 2014

His Grace the Bishop Seraphim of Apollonias visiting our Parish on Mothers Day!



On Sunday the 11th May, (Mother's Day) we will have the joy, once again, to welcome in our Church His Grace Bishop Seraphim. His Grace will visit our Parish on behalf of His Eminence, Archbishop STYLIANOS, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia.


The Bishop will celebrate the Divine Liturgy in our Church and will preach the Gospel. Following the Liturgy, His Grace will attend the Mother's Day luncheon and will have the time to associate with our Parishioners.

Please be in Church the latest by 9.30 am, and invite to this special event all your relatives and friends. Also, bring with you your photographic and video gear to take some souvenir of the day.
His Grace Bishop Seraphim

Born in 1949 in Athens. After the completion of his secondary education at Halandri of Attica, he attended and studied Theology at the University of Salonika. He continued with post-graduate studies at the faculty of Practical Theology at the same University. He was ordained Deacon in 1975 and priest at the end of the same year, serving for four years at the Holy Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. In 1980 he was appointed to the Holy Metropolis of Nea Krini and Kalamaria, where he served for six years as parish priest of the Church of Saint Paraskevi. 

In 1986 His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia invited him to the Fifth Continent and appointed him parish priest at the Archdiocesan Church of St. Eustathios, next to His Grace the Assistant Bishop of Derbis Ezekiel, in Melbourne. On the 12th of March 1991 he was unanimously elected a Bishop, with the honorary title of Apollonias. He serves in the First Archdiocesan District of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, based in Sydney, as Assistant Bishop to the Archbishop.