Community and Parish of Saint George Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia facts for kids
The Greek Orthodox Church of St. George is a special church located in Mile End, a suburb of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It's part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and is guided by Archbishop Makarios. This church is the biggest Greek Orthodox church in Adelaide. Many Greek Australians live in nearby areas like Thebarton, Torrensville, and Mile End, which is why the church is so important to the community.
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Why is the Church of St. George Important to Greek Australians?
A New Home for Greek Migrants
In the 1950s, many Greek families moved to Australia, especially to areas like Thebarton. By 1966, Greek people made up a big part of the population there.
Building the Community and Church
To help these new Greek Australians, a group called the "Greek Orthodox Community and Parish of Saint George Thebarton and Western Suburbs Inc." was started in 1960. Just five years later, in 1965, members of this community worked together to build the St. George's church.
Today, many Greek Australians still live in suburbs like Torrensville and Thebarton. This shows how important the church and community are to them.
What Happens at St. George Church?
Regular Services
Sunday services usually start at 8:00 a.m. and finish around 11:00 a.m. On important feast days during the week, services are held from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Special Holy Week Services
Holy Week services are very important and are a highlight of the Orthodox Church calendar.
Good Friday Evening Service
On Good Friday evening, there's a very special service. The Assistant Bishop leads a procession (a walk) outside the church. They carry an epitaph, which is like a decorated cloth representing Jesus's tomb. This procession happens around 9:30 p.m. Police help by closing parts of the road so everyone can walk safely behind the clergy.
Holy Saturday Midnight Service
On Holy Saturday evening, a midnight service begins at 11:00 p.m. At midnight, the priest lights three candles (called trikeria). He then invites everyone to "Come, receive the Light from the light that is never overtaken by night." People quickly light their own candles from this holy flame, passing it on until everyone inside and outside the church has a lit candle.
After this, the priest goes outside to read from the Paschal gospel and sing the traditional Paschal hymn, "Χριστός Ανέστη" (Christ is Risen). The Paschal Sunday service continues until about 2:30 a.m.
School Services
Students and teachers from St. George College attend church services four times a year. They come for communion. Because so many students attend the college, they now have separate services. One service is for primary school students, and another is for high school students. This way, everyone can fit comfortably in the church.
How Many People Attend?
On a typical Sunday morning, about 300 to 500 people attend the service. This is usually the church's full capacity. For special celebrations, like the feast day of St. George, over 1000 people might attend. An outdoor sound system is turned on so that hundreds of people standing outside can also hear the service.
The Good Friday evening service and the midnight Easter service are the most popular. In the past, more than 5000 people have attended these services!
Who Serves at the Church?
Father Diogenis Patsouris has been the main priest of Saint George since 1970. Father Konstantinos Skoumbourdis became an assistant priest in 2012.
The Head Chanter, who leads the singing, is currently Con Psaromatis, who started in January 2023. The Left Chanter is John Archontoulis, who has been a chanter at St. George since it first opened in 1960. The chanters and assistant chanters form the choir that sings every Sunday at St. George Church.
Gallery
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The front section of the inside of the church. (2007)
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The Epitaph returning to the front of the Church after the procession around the streets. (2006)
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People receiving the holy light from Father Diogenis, minutes before midnight. (2007)
