With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, a group of over 25 faithful from Sydney—primarily from the Parish of Saint Sabbas of Kalymnos in Banksia—recently completed a deeply moving and spiritually enriching 10-day pilgrimage (June 25 – July 4) to the sacred lands of Cappadocia and Constantinople, led by Fr. Savvas Pizanias.
In Cappadocia, the group visited historic Christian sites such as Caesarea, Prokopi, underground cities, and cave churches, reliving the footsteps of the early Church Fathers. In Constantinople, they explored the Hagia Sophia, Halki Theological School, and were warmly received at the Ecumenical Patriarchate by the Grand Protosyncellus, Fr. Grigorios, who conveyed the blessings of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The pilgrimage culminated in participation in the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen. Enriched spiritually and emotionally, the pilgrims returned with a deeper love for Orthodoxy and a renewed bond with the Mother Church of Constantinople.
