Saint Paisios the Athonite, a great and popular contemporary Saint of the Orthodox Church, who is revered by the Christian people of Australia, was proclaimed Protector of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia by Archbishop Makarios.
He spoke about “one of our own saints” and recalled the visit of Saint Paisios to Australia in 1977. He pointed out that his Apolytikion would now be chanted at every Divine Liturgy in all the churches of the local Church. Archbishop Makarios underlined in his speech:
“Today is a historic day, therefore, I want us all to remember it as an important event in the history of our Holy Archdiocese. Thus, I ask you to think of one of our own saints, Saint Paisios the Anthonite, who visited Australia with Fr. Vasileios of the Monastery of Iviron. Saint Paisios also performed a miracle and treated a cancer patient while he was here in Australia.
So today I declare Saint Paisios the Athonite, patron, guardian and protector of Australia and our Archdiocese. On Wednesday, we will chant his Apolytikion for the first time, which will be chanted from now on at every Divine Liturgy, after the Apolytikion of each Temple. The Apolytikion of the Saint will be chanted for centuries here on the fifth continent.”
Αὐστραλίας προστάτην, φρουρόν τε ἄγρυπνον, καί τοῦ Ἄθωνος ὄρους στύλον ἀείφωτον, ἀνυμνήσωμεν πιστοί, θεῖον Παΐσιον, ἐξαιτούμενοι αὐτοῦ τάς πρεσβείας πρός Θεόν, κραυγάζοντες ὁμοφρόνως. ῥύου ὦ πάτερ παντοίων, τῶν τοξευμάτων τοῦ ἀλάστορος.
