Here before us stands St Fanourios & St Marina Greek Orthodox Church. It stands as a testament to the enduring faith of Melbourne’s Greek community. But let’s delve into the broader history. The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria has been focused on the spiritual needs of Orthodox faithful since its inception.
The first service was conducted in 1897 by Archimandrite Dorotheos Bakaliaros. It was held at Chalmers Church Hall in East Melbourne. For almost 60 years, the Holy Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady was the sole religious provider. It served the Greek Orthodox faithful of Victoria. Today, the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne is responsible for five churches. These churches predominantly are located within the inner suburbs of Melbourne. They serve thousands of parishioners. All churches are under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria was established in 1897. A group of Greeks gathered to discuss bringing a priest from Jerusalem. This would serve their religious needs and those of Arab-speaking Orthodox people in Melbourne. The idea for the Community pre-existed. A letter with money had been sent to the Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1895. The Greek-born population of Victoria was approximately 200 at that time. Melbourne likely had fewer than 150 Greeks. Most were bachelors.
In 1897, Dorotheos Bakaliaros visited Melbourne and Sydney. He assisted Greek migrants with their church needs for a while. The members of the Greek Community met again in 1898. They elected a Community Council and wrote to the Patriarchate again. This time, their effort was successful. Father Athanasios Kantopoulos arrived in Melbourne in 1898. The members of the Greek community welcomed him with indescribable joy.
The next task was collecting money for a church building. By 1899, they had collected some money. The Committee negotiated for the current site of Evangelismos. The Foundation stone of the church was laid in 1900. It was completed by 1902. In 1902, a conflict arose between the Community Council and Father Kantopoulos. He wanted to register the church as property of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Community Council opposed this. A Special General Meeting passed a Constitution. It named the Church of Greece as the Community’s spiritual head.
In 1906, the Community organized an appeal. This was after a series of Bulgarian attacks caused many Greek victims in Macedonia. In 1912, after the declaration of the First Balkan War, the Greek Community collected money. They sent it to the Greek Prime Minister for the assistance of the Greek national struggle. In 1916, the Community started celebrating Greek National Day. By 1922, they decided to establish a Greek afternoon school.
The Greek Orthodox presence became more acknowledged from 1863. This was through visiting monastics or clergy. Before 1898, these clergy came to Australia. This was when Greek communities were established in Sydney and Melbourne. The first Greek Orthodox church was built in Sydney in 1898. Soon after, the church of the Annunciation was established in East Melbourne.
From 1924 to 1975, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Australia was led by Metropolitan Christophoros Knitis and Archbishop Ezekiel. In 1924, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople founded the Holy Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand. Metropolitan Christophoros Knitis was mistreated. He was hounded out of the country five years after his appointment. Metropolitan Timotheos Evangelinidis succeeded him. He was elected in 1931.
In 1959, the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand became an Archdiocese. Ezekiel became the first Archbishop. In 1967, Archbishop Ezekiel purchased St Paul’s Anglican church in Sydney. It became the Greek Orthodox cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady.
From 1975 to 2019, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia was under Archbishop Stylianos. During his tenure, new priests were ordained. New churches and monasteries were founded. Greek Orthodox schools and childcare centers were also established. In November 1996, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited Australia. In 2019, Archbishop Stylianos reposed in the Lord.
In 2019, Archbishop Makarios of Australia became the new Primate. He has been working to support the Greek Orthodox community. He established a National School of Byzantine Music. He is setting up drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation centers. He has revived St Andrew’s Orthodox Press. The history of the Greek Orthodox Community is rich with faith. It demonstrates resilience and commitment to preserving their heritage. St Fanourios & St Marina Greek Orthodox Church stands as a symbol of this enduring legacy.