Victoria’s Leader of Opposition Matthew Guy made his election pitch laced with a proposal to assist the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Melbourne undertake upgrades at parishes across the city by providing $520,000 worth of funding grants, if he gets elected as the state’s new premier.
As Matthew Guy told SBS Greek, the upgrades will include security measures like CCTV cameras and various capital works to the parishes’ community halls, including kitchens and toilet upgrades.
The Greek Orthodox community has a proud history in Victoria with approximately 30,000 worshipers attending church weekly.
The parishes earmarked for funding are:
• St Eustathios in South Melbourne - security upgrade, church hall kitchen and toilet upgrade.
• Sts Raphael Nicholas & Irene, Bentleigh - security upgrade and upgrade to Parish Hall.
• Sts Anargiri, Oakleigh - completion of the war memorial.
• Sts Constantine & Helen, South Yarra – security upgrade.
• Archangels, Parkdale – security upgrade, interior renovations.
• Theofania, Frankston – renovations to the church hall and security upgrade.
“In the Greek Orthodox community, church parishes aren’t just places of worship, they’re meeting places, places of fellowship and community support. The Greek Orthodox parishes play a significant role in their communities, teaching Greek language, culture and history, supporting the elderly, and providing outreach services. This funding will mean that the Greek Orthodox Church can continue its important work in the community,” said Matthew Guy.
It's worth mentioning that according to the 2016 Census, Victoria is home to 110,707 Greek Speaking people, followed by 81,683 in New South Wales.
