Greek Orthodox Community of The Nativity of Christ Port Adelaide in Port Adelaide, South Australia | Community organisation

Greek Orthodox Community of The Nativity of Christ Port Adelaide

Locality: Port Adelaide, South Australia

Phone: +61 8 8447 4830

Address: 5 Church St 5015 Port Adelaide, SA, Australia

Website: http://www.pagoc.com.au

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23.01.2022 The Australia Day message from His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.

23.01.2022 Our Church Program for NOVEMBER is now available! A blessed month to you all! https://www.pagoc.com.au/church-services.html

22.01.2022 First Divine Liturgy in English in the new Church. This Saturday, 29th of May , 2021 at 7-8:30pm

19.01.2022 !!! CHRIST IS RISEN!!! Church Program for JUNE is now available at the following link: https://www.pagoc.com.au/church-services.html

19.01.2022 On behalf of leadership of the Port Adelaide Greek Orthodox Community, we want extend all our prayers and support to all those undergoing exams this week and the weeks to follow.

18.01.2022 A Sad but Great lesson for the Eastern Orthodox Christian - May 29th 1453, the Fall of Constantinople and all of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Fall of Constanti...nople was the capture of the Byzantine Empire's capital by the Ottoman Empire. The fall of the city took place on 29 May 1453, the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun on 6 April 1453. The attacking Ottoman army, which significantly outnumbered Constantinople's defenders, was commanded by the 21-year-old Sultan Mehmed II (later called Mehmed the Conqueror), while the Byzantine army was led by Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos. After conquering the city, Sultan Mehmed made Constantinople the new Ottoman capital, replacing Adrianople. The Fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire, and effectively the end of the Roman Empire, a state which dated back to 27 BC, lasting nearly 1,500 years. The capture of Constantinople, a city which marked the divide between Europe and Asia-Minor, also allowed the Ottomans to more effectively invade mainland Europe, eventually leading to Ottoman control of much of the Balkan peninsula. The conquest of Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine Empire was a key event of the Late Middle Ages which is sometimes considered the end of the Medieval period. It was also a watershed moment in military history. Since ancient times, cities and castles had depended upon ramparts and walls to repel invaders. However, Constantinople's substantial fortifications were overcome with the use of gunpowder, specifically in the form of large cannons and bombards. At the beginning of the siege, Mehmed sent out some of his best troops to reduce the remaining Byzantine strongholds outside the city of Constantinople. The fortress of Therapia on the Bosphorus and a smaller castle at the village of Studius near the Sea of Marmara were taken within a few days. The Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara were taken by Admiral Baltoghlu's fleet. Mehmed's massive cannon fired on the walls for weeks, but due to its imprecision and extremely slow rate of reloading the Byzantines were able to repair most of the damage after each shot, limiting the cannon's effect. Meanwhile, despite some probing attacks, the Ottoman fleet under Suleiman Baltoghlu could not enter the Golden Horn due to the chain the Byzantines had previously stretched across the entrance. Although one of the fleet's main tasks was to prevent any ships from outside from entering the Golden Horn, on 20 April a small flotilla of four Christian ships managed to slip in after some heavy fighting, an event which strengthened the morale of the defenders and caused embarrassment to the Sultan. Baltoghlu's life was spared after his subordinates testified to his bravery during the conflict. Mehmed ordered the construction of a road of greased logs across Galata on the north side of the Golden Horn, and dragged his ships over the hill, directly into the Golden Horn on 22 April, bypassing the chain barrier. This seriously threatened the flow of supplies from Genoese ships from thenominally neutralcolony of Pera, and demoralized the Byzantine defenders. On the night of 28 April, an attempt was made to destroy the Ottoman ships already in the Golden Horn using fire ships, but the Ottomans forced the Christians to retreat with heavy losses. Forty Italians escaped their sinking ships and swam to the northern shore. On orders of Mehmed, they were impaled on stakes, in sight of the city's defenders on the sea walls across the Golden Horn. In retaliation, the defenders brought their Ottoman prisoners, 260 in all, to the walls, where they were executed, one by one, before the eyes of the Ottomans. With the failure of their attack on the Ottoman vessels, the defenders were forced to disperse part of their forces to defend the sea walls along the Golden Horn. The Ottoman army had made several frontal assaults on the land wall of Constantinople, but were always repelled with heavy losses. After these inconclusive frontal offensives, the Ottomans sought to break through the walls by constructing tunnels in an effort to mine them from mid-May to 25 May. Many of the sappers were miners of Serbian origin sent from Novo Brdo by the Serbian despot. They were placed under the command of Zagan Pasha. However, an engineer named Johannes Grant, a German who came together with the Genoese contingent, had counter-mines dug, allowing Byzantine troops to enter the mines and kill the workers. The Byzantines intercepted the first Serbian tunnel on the night of 16 May. Subsequent tunnels were interrupted on 21, 23, and 25 May, and destroyed with Greek fire and vigorous combat. On 23 May, the Byzantines captured and tortured two Turkish officers, who revealed the location of all the Turkish tunnels, which were then destroyed. On 21 May, Mehmed sent an ambassador to Constantinople and offered to lift the siege if they gave him the city. He promised he would allow the Emperor and any other inhabitants to leave with their possessions. Moreover, he would recognize the Emperor as governor of the Peloponnese. Lastly, he guaranteed the safety of the population that might choose to remain in the city. Constantine XI only agreed to pay higher tributes to the sultan and recognized the status of all the conquered castles and lands in the hands of the Turks as Ottoman possession. Around this time, Mehmed had a final council with his senior officers. Here he encountered some resistance; one of his Viziers, the veteran Halil Pasha, who had always disapproved of Mehmed's plans to conquer the city, now admonished him to abandon the siege in the face of recent adversity. Zagan Pasha argued against Halil Pasha, and insisted on an immediate attack. Mehmed planned to overpower the walls by sheer force, expecting that the weakened Byzantine defence by the prolonged siege would now be worn out before he ran out of troops and started preparations for a final all-out offensive. Preparations for the final assault were started in the evening of 26 May and continued to the next day. For 36 hours after the war council decision to attack, the Ottomans extensively mobilized their manpower in order to prepare for the general offensive. Prayer and resting would be then granted to the soldiers on the 28th, and then the final assault would be launched. On the Byzantine side, a small Venetian fleet of 12 ships, after having searched the Aegean, reached the Capital on 27 May and reported to the Emperor that no large Venetian relief fleet was on its way. On 28 May, as the Ottoman army prepared for the final assault, large-scale religious processions were held in the city. In the evening a last solemn ceremony was held in the Hagia Sophia, in which the Emperor and representatives of both the Latin and Greek church partook, together with nobility from both sides. Shortly after midnight on 29 May the all-out offensive began. The Christian troops of the Ottoman Empire attacked first, followed by the successive waves of the irregular azaps, who were poorly trained and equipped, and Anatolians who focused on a section of the Blachernae walls in the north-west part of the city, which had been damaged by the cannon. This section of the walls had been built earlier, in the eleventh century, and was much weaker. The Anatolians managed to breach this section of walls and entered the city but were just as quickly pushed back by the defenders. Finally, as the battle was continuing, the last wave, consisting of elite Janissaries, attacked the city walls. The Genoese general in charge of the land troops, Giovanni Giustiniani, was grievously wounded during the attack, and his evacuation from the ramparts caused a panic in the ranks of the defenders. With Giustiniani's Genoese troops retreating into the city and towards the harbour, Constantine and his men, now left to their own devices, kept fighting and managed to successfully hold off the Janissaries for a while, but eventually they could not stop them from entering the city. The defenders were also being overwhelmed at several points in Constantine's section. When Turkish flags were seen flying above a small postern gate, the Kerkoporta, which was left open, panic ensued, and the defence collapsed, as Janissary soldiers, led by Ulubatl Hasan pressed forward. Many Greek soldiers ran back home to protect their families, the Venetians ran over to their ships, and a few of the Genoese got over to Galata. The rest committed suicide by jumping off the city walls or surrendered. The Greek houses nearest to the walls were the first to suffer from the Ottomans. It is said that Constantine, throwing aside his purple regalia, led the final charge against the incoming Ottomans, perishing in the ensuing battle in the streets just like his soldiers. On the other hand, Nicolò Barbaro, a Venetian eyewitness to the siege, wrote in his diary that it was said that Constantine hanged himself at the moment when the Turks broke in at the San Romano gate, although his ultimate fate remains unknown. After the initial assault, the Ottoman Army fanned out along the main thoroughfare of the city, the Mese, past the great forums, and past the Church of the Holy Apostles, which Mehmed II wanted to provide a seat for his newly appointed patriarch which would help him better control his Christian subjects. Mehmed II had sent an advance guard to protect key buildings such as the Church of the Holy Apostles. A small few lucky civilians managed to escape. When the Venetians retreated over to their ships, the Ottomans had already taken the walls of the Golden Horn. Luckily for the occupants of the city, the Ottomans were not interested in killing potentially valuable slaves, but rather in the loot they could get from raiding the city's houses, so they decided to attack the city instead. The Venetian captain ordered his men to break open the gate of the Golden Horn. Having done so, the Venetians left in ships filled with soldiers and refugees. Shortly after the Venetians left, a few Genoese ships and even the Emperor's ships followed them out of the Golden Horn. This fleet narrowly escaped prior to the Ottoman navy assuming control over the Golden Horn, which was accomplished by midday. The Army converged upon the Augusteum, the vast square that fronted the great church of Hagia Sophia whose bronze gates were barred by a huge throng of civilians inside the building, hoping for divine protection. After the doors were breached, the troops separated the congregation according to what price they might bring in the slave markets. Ottoman casualties are unknown but they are believed by most historians to be very heavy due to several unsuccessful Ottoman attacks made during the siege and final assault. The Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, but the Greek Orthodox Church was allowed to remain intact and Gennadius Scholarius was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople. This was once thought to be the origin of the Ottoman millet system; however, it is now considered a myth and no such system existed in the fifteenth century. What can one learn from such a historic event ? We learn that no kingdom on earth will be Forever, but the kingdom that Christ promises us is eternal. We learn also, that there can be no glory in titles and buildings. For everything on Earth must pass away. We pass away, we decrease, we age and we move on. Eternal be the memory of all those fell during the Siege of the Great City. And may all those who suffered afterwards rest eternally. The Eastern Roman Empire, 320AD - 1453...

17.01.2022 "Let my prayer be set forth as incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord."

17.01.2022 !!! CHRIST IS RISEN!!! Church Program for MAY is now available at the following link: https://www.pagoc.com.au/church-services.html

17.01.2022 We can't wait to see your children there! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the numbers provided. CHRIST IS RISEN!

16.01.2022 We hope to see you this Saturday at this amazing and spiritually edifying event!

13.01.2022 Can you spot the difference? There's a special symbolism behind the style of this icon. #traditionexplained

10.01.2022 "Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, risen from the dead, we sing to You, Alleluia."

09.01.2022 Happy Name Day to all those who celebrate today! May Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, & John Chrysostom intercede on your behalf! MAY YOU BE BLESSED FOR MANY YEARS! The lives of Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, & John Chrysostom:... This common feast of these three teachers was instituted a little before the year 1100, during the reign of the Emperor Alexis I Comnenus, because of a dispute and strife that arose among the notable and virtuous men of that time. Some of them preferred Basil, while others preferred Gregory, and yet others preferred John Chrysostom, quarreling among themselves over which of the three was the greatest. Furthermore, each party, in order to distinguish itself from the others, assumed the name of its preferred Saint; hence, they called themselves Basilians, Gregorians, or Johannites. Desiring to bring an end to the contention, the three Saints appeared together to the saintly John Mavropous, a monk who had been ordained Bishop of Euchaita, a city of Asia Minor, they revealed to him that the glory they have at the throne of God is equal, and told him to compose a common service for the three of them, which he did with great skill and beauty. Saint John of Euchaita (celebrated Oct. 5) is also the composer of the Canon to the Guardian Angel, the Protector of a Man's Life. In his old age, he retired from his episcopal see and again took up the monastic life in a monastery in Constantinople. He reposed during the reign of the aforementioned Emperor Alexis Comnenus (1081-1118). Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

07.01.2022 ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Religious Celebration - Feast Day of St Luke

07.01.2022 Happy Name Day to all those who celebrate today! May St. Ephraim intercede on your behalf! MAY YOU BE BLESSED FOR MANY YEARS! The life of St. Ephraim:...Continue reading

06.01.2022 You came naked, You will go naked. You arrived weak You will leave weak. You came without money and things,... You will leave without money and things. Your first bath? Someone washed you Your last bath? Someone will wash you. This is life! So why so much envy, so much malice, so much hate, so much resentment, and so much selfishness? BE KIND! We have a limited time here on Earth, don't waste it in uselessness. ~Paul Sargent~

06.01.2022 Agiasmos Service for the Byzantine School of Music (Adelaide) Tuesday the 2nd of September marked the official opening and blessing (Agiamos) service for the By...zantine School of Music Australia (Adelaide). Presided over by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope at the Community Centre of the Holy Monastery of St Nectarios, the service was attended by some of the local priests, the chanters of the St John of Damascus Byzantine choir and several dozen of the students of the School, young and old. The sound of everyone joining in for , was extremely uplifting and moving. The students then filtered out into their lessons. As an additional, surprise bonus, the School was followed by Episode 24 of Orthodox Q & A with Bishop Silouan, streamed live on-site from the Monastery. The episode was introduced by the School showcasing its youngest talent, chanting the Apolytikion for the Nativity of the Theotokos (in Greek) and the first two verses of the Canon of the Small Paraklesis to the Theotokos (in English). The children did a fantastic job chanting with only three lessons under their belt boding well for the future of this sacred artform in our fair city. May God continue to inspire our students with love for Him and for praising Him through the gift of chant, and grant our students the strength and perseverance to excel.

05.01.2022 Our Church Program for OCTOBER is now available! A blessed month to you all! https://www.pagoc.com.au/church-services.html

05.01.2022 Give us a follow across all our platforms so you can be the first to find out what's happening.

05.01.2022 Christ is Risen! It's with great joy our community photographer shares the photos of Holy Week 2021. In these photos, he encapsulates both the beauty and majesty that Holy Week has to offer us, but also some of the faces that continue to make everything possible in the life of our community & parish.

05.01.2022 Q&A TONIGHT! https://fb.me/e/EdCM6PZV #orthodoxqanda #orthodox #saorthodoxyouth #stanthonys #mentalhealth

05.01.2022 The first television ad of the Holy Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, commemorating 200 years since the Hellenic uprising and war of independence. H...is Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia invites all of us to Remember our heritage, to recall those martyred for our faith and the heroes of our nation. See more

05.01.2022 Love is... Elder Ephraim of Blessed Memory on the topic of LOVE.... Credit: Orthodox Teaching of the Elders

04.01.2022 On the 11th month Of the 11th day Of the 11th hour LEST WE FORGET... MAY THEIR MEMORY BE ETERNAL

04.01.2022 SAVE THE DATE Last year we were unable to celebrate our 60 year milestone. Join us this year, 28th August to celebrate 60 (plus 1) years of PAGS. More details to come soon.

03.01.2022 A message to all students from the Chairman of the Port Adelaide Greek Orthodox Youth Group.