His Eminence, Metropolitan Basilios, conducted his first pastoral visit to the parish of The Good Shepherd in Melbourne, Victoria, on Sunday 18th November 2018.
It was a joyous occasion for Parish Priest, Fr. Geoff Harvey, the clergy and parishioners to welcome His Eminence and celebrate Matins and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Main Chapel of the Religious Centre at Monash University. Slavonic-toned chanting by the choir, blended with Byzantine-toned chanting by His Eminence– all in English.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Fr. Andrew de Silva, of the Forty Holy Martyrs Orthodox Mission at Mirboo North, was blessed by His Eminence as father confessor.
Lunch at nearby Mannix College, followed by a meeting with the Parish Council, enabled His Eminence to meet parishioners from over 22 nationalities. They are united by their love for Christ and their use of the English language for worship. His Eminence explained that the icon of the Good Shepherd symbolises the focus of his ministry, which is to find the lost sheep and carry the sheep on his shoulders- just as Christ does.
Metropolitan Basilios’ first anniversary of his consecration as a bishop, other name days, birthdays and anniversaries were commemorated to the sound of “God grant you many years” as is the custom at The Good Shepherd every Sunday.
