After many very annoying phone calls to the Greek Orthodox community, diocese and other organizations I have given up on them. It is impossible to find anyone who speaks English (or even thinks that this could be a desirable skill) or who is interested in talking to anyone. The first question my every enquiry was met with "Why are you interested?" that is, the ones who didn't assume that I was enquiring about Greek language lessons.
When I finally made the connection with someone who spoke English and who knew what I was on about, he finally admitted that there are two English-speaking service-conducting priests in the whole of Melbourne, and no English-speaking parish at all. He seemed to feel that an English service is a necessary evil which was ordered by the church authorities and therefore must be carried out, even if the whole thing is a pointless exercise...
So, I visited the local Antiochian Orthodox community instead. The Antiochian church has the rather encouraging official position that services should be conducted in the vernacular of the place they are held! Amazing! The priest was very encouraging, and invited me to come whenever I wanted. It is also very convenient that the first weekend I am free to go, they are relocating to the chapel at Monash University - I could practically walk there, if I wasn't always so late on a Sunday morning. So, it should be interesting to finally work out what everyone has been saying!
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