Mr James Jordan, the Chairman of St. Basil's sent a letter of support to His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, which you can read here-
18 June 2020
Archbishop Makarios
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
Your Eminence,
On the Anniversary of your arrival to Australia, on behalf of St. Basil’s Homes, I congratulate you on a very successful year as our spiritual father and leader. All of us here at St. Basil’s including in excess of 600 residents and 550 staff wish you all the best for the hopefully many blessed and fruitful years of your reign to come.
From the first day you arrived in Australia you showed your love and support for the charity. Within the first week of your arrival you visited residents at our newest facility, you prayed in our chapel and provided pastoral care to our aged residents. The joy and support was evident on their faces. Since that day you have visited our facilities on numerous occasions and assisted in our difficult work by attending on board meetings as well. As our president, you have continued to provide spiritual and strategic guidance and assistance.
On an operational level, you facilitated with our acquisition with the Consolidated Trust of our new nursing home in Kensington and you have taken a keen interest in the pastoral ministry of St Andrews Theological College students to our residents.
Your love for the charity and more particularly your love for our residents has been manifest and apparent. With your support and guidance the charity will be able to continue to grow to look after more and more of our frail and aged compatriots. All of us at the charity wish you all the best and be assured that you have support of St. Basils for the whole of your holy work here in Australia.
Your time here has been received and viewed by the charity and by the vast majority of the faithful (and the wider Australian community) as successful, peaceful, imbued with the love of Christ, and will be a springboard for the future.
In the last few days there have been some articles published in the Greek and mainstream press that are critical of the Consolidated Trust but also seem to be critical of you. The articles refer to the purchase by the Consolidated Trust of an investment property. The experience of St. Basil’s Homes has been that wise investment in property by St. Basil’s over the last 6 decades has allowed the charity to be very strong financially and that financial strength has allowed the charity to carry out its charitable works in providing care for the frail, the aged, and those suffering from aged related illnesses such as dementia and immobility.
May God continue to guide your works Your Eminence. Once again congratulations on your anniversary.
Yours in Christ.
James Jordan
Chairman
*Image by Nick Bourdaniotis/Bourdo Photography (Copyright)
