St George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral

St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral is the mother Church of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand. St George Cathedral is located on the corner of Walker and Cooper Streets, Redfern, where it has been since October 1953.

Prior to this time the church was situated on the corner of Walker and Redfern Streets, Redfern. The original St George Church was founded on 12 May 1920 when the foundation stone was laid. The church was later partially consecrated in November 1920. The faithful worshipped there until 14 May 1950, when the old Church was demolished to make way for Housing Commission flats.

The foundation stone of the new church was laid in October 1953 by His Eminence the Greek Archbishop of Australia and New Zealand, the Most Reverend Theophylactos, Exarchos Malatius Hussney, and Mr Abe Aboud in the presence of the community. It rests on the left hand side face of the church today.

The first service was held in the incomplete church at Easter 1954. The iconostasis was not to be completed until 1956. St George Cathedral was finally completed - but it was still some time before it would be consecrated.

On the arrival of Father Nicolas Mansour to Australia to serve St George in 1964 he immediately set out to have the Church debts repaid and the Church fully consecrated. It was only a few months before this was ready to proceed. As there was no Antiochian Orthodox Bishop in Australia Father Nicolas approached the Greek Orthodox Church. Archbishop Ezekiel delegated Bishop Dyonisius for this matter. Bishop Dyonisius was returning to Greece for a visit at this time, so he promised that he would secure some of the actual relics of St George for the consecration.

In November 1964 Bishop Dyonisius returned to Sydney and with him was a silver box containing the relics of St George. On 7 November 1964 a pontifical royal liturgy was celebrated and St George Church was finally fully consecrated. The service was most beautiful, long and colourful. The service lasted for four and half hours. A meticulous preparation preceded the event. We had to provide holy water, rose water, red wine, a sponge fixed on a long stick, white linen to cover the altar main table, beeswax, incense, frankincense, myrrh, alum, mastic and sweet smelling spices. Mr Joe Yared had provided the herbs and spices. The ingredients were boiled on a simmering stove until a viscous mixture was formed. The silver box of the holy relics was placed in a rectangular hole in the centre of the altar slab and the mixture was poured upon it whilst the choir chanted special hymns and passages from the psalms. The ceremony ended with the bishop dipping the sponge fitted on the stick into the holy chrism (the miron — anointing oil used at the baptism for christmation or Orthodox confirmation) and then proceeding to anoint the four walls of the church with the chrism-impregnated sponge. The anointment involved drawing the sign of the cross on each wall. It was also on this day that the foundation stone was laid for the hall.

In 1967 the Church hall and presbytery building were completed. Archbishop Ezekiel and the Lord Mayor of Sydney, John Armstrong, inaugurated the building.