On the evening of the 16th of August, representatives from the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) met with V. Rev. Fr. Georges El Tahan and 16 other parish representatives.
The round-table meeting took place in the hall of St. Elias’s church and lasted for an hour.
The main objective of the meeting was to consult with and solicit feedback from community members on how the community dealt with and lived out the hardships created by the pandemic, and how the parish faced the challenges that arose as a result of COVID-19.
The discussions were very fruitful and amicable and several parish members shared their personal and familial stories.
Fr. Georges gave an overview of the procedures that were in place during church services, in accordance with official and archbishopric directives. He emphasised the strong sense of community that played an important role in maintaining the mental and physical health and wellbeing of parishioners.
The gathering was concluded with the Troparion of prophet Elijah and the blessing of the food, and more discussions took place over traditional Middle Eastern nibbles and coffee.
