PATRIARCH PORFIRIJE WRAPS UP VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, OCTOBER 19 /SRNA/ – His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije concluded his several-day stay in Australia at the Sydney Lazarica, the Church of St. Prince Lazar.

Addressing the gathering, Patriarch Porfirije praised the efforts made by Serbs in Australia to organize his visit, saying they demonstrated a shared sense of belonging and genuine love for Christ the Lord.

"We are leaving comforted and with a deep sense that the trials we have faced here are now behind both us and you, and that the ship of our Church in Australia is entering calmer waters. These offer a new opportunity for productivity, creativity and achievement," he said.

He reminded that Metropolitan Siluan of Australia and New Zealand was himself a child of this part of the Serbian diaspora and had led the faithful with great love for a full decade, according to a statement from the Serbian Orthodox Church /SOC/.

Noting the challenges of the modern age, Patriarch Porfirije said they could not be avoided but should be understood as an opportunity to return to one's Church and to God.

He expressed the hope that there would be more schools such as St. Sava College wherever Serbs live.

"Not only will you preserve your identity as Orthodox Serbs here, but you will also bear witness to authentic Gospel values, which every person longs for," the Serbian patriarch said.

Metropolitan Siluan of Australia and New Zealand described the Serbian patriarch's visit to Australia as historic, saying Porfirije had come as "a good father who asks after his children and hears their filial call to be with them".

Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Miodrag Perić, head of the Church of St. Prince Lazar, thanked Patriarch Porfirije for his visit, saying it had brought joy, encouragement and blessings to the Serbian Orthodox community, which strives to preserve Christian values and the spiritual and national identity of Serbs in Australia.

He particularly stressed the importance of preserving the Serbian language and culture, noting that more than 130 pupils were attending the church's Sunday school this year.

Religious education classes are also held as part of the parish's pastoral work, along with activities dedicated to Serbian folk songs and dances.

Perić said the community actively participated in Sydney's cultural life, seeking to spread the Christian message and maintain ties with Serbia and Serbian lands.

During his stay in Australia, the Serbian patriarch met with the Serbian community, visited several Serbian churches and places of worship, and also visited the Australian Parliament.

Patriarch Porfirije and the SOC delegation were seen off with songs performed by the folk group Lazarikon and the Lazarica Church Choir.