Australian and New Zealand Diocese (ROCOR)

On 4 November 2014 the “New-Shamordino” Kazan Convent of the Mother of God in Kentlyn, NSW, celebrated its patronal feast.  On the evening of Monday 3 November, All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served.  To the great joy of the sisters and of the faithful, His Grace Archbishop Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal and Canada, a son of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese, was present, presiding at both the Litia and the Polyeleos.  Also participating were Mitred Archpriest Nikita Chemodakov, Dean of New South Wales and the monastery’s spiritual father (Saint Nicholas Parish, Fairfield), Archpriest George Lapardin (Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral, Strathfield), Archpriest Boris Ignatievsky (Intercession of the Holy Virgin Parish, Cabramatta), Hieromonk Dorofey  (Urusau) (monastery cleric), Priest James Carles (St Panteleimon Parish, Gosford, and St Nicholas Parish, Wallsend), Priest Alexander Korjenevski (St George Parish, Carlton), Priest Dionysios Halim (St John the Baptist Skete, Kentlyn), Priest Seraphim Slade (Australian Orthodox Indigenous Mission) and Protodeacon Ivan Bots (Cabramatta).  The choir sang solemnly and beautifully under the direction of Abbess Maria (Miros), the convent superior.  Joining the choir was Abbess Anna (Karipoff), the superior of the Presentation Convent in Bungarby, NSW, who had travelled with some of her sisters to celebrate the feast.  Of particular note at the evening service was the antiphonal singing of the Polyeleos by the clergy and choir. (more…)

On Thursday 1 May to Sunday 4 May, St John the Baptist Parish in Canberra hosted the diocesan Choral Conference (Певческий Съезд). Video and audio recordings of the three key note addresses are available on the St John the Baptist Parish web site, along with photographs. Georgiy Safonov spoke on the life and work of Pavel Chesnokov, Abbot Sergei (Shatrov) on Znamenny Chant and Archpriest George Johnson on Orthodox Church Singing in English.

Also available are audio recordings of musical highlights from the All Night Vigil and the Divine Liturgy, in both Church Slavonic and English. Settings range from Znamenny Chat to modern arrangements and compositions, including those by Chesnokov and one of the conference’s key note speakers, Archpriest George Johnson.

SERBIA IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918

Following the Pan Orthodox commemoration of those fallen in the Great War in Melbourne on the 11th September, a second service was held in the nation’s capital on the 25th October under the aegis of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of Australia and Oceania.

The focus of the second commemoration was to honour the Serbian Nation and especially its war dead, which took the full brunt of an Austro-Hungarian invasion and four years of savage fighting, exile and eventual victory.  (more…)

The Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, held on the 14 October, is a well beloved day in the Russian Orthodox Church. In Australia, this is emphasised by the fact that we have two parishes dedicated to protection of the Virgin Mary; the Protection Cathedral in Melbourne and the Protection Church in Cabramatta, NSW.

The saintly Grand Duke Andrei Bogolubsky (1155-1174) originally introduced the Feast into Russia in 1160, after become acquainted with the Don Cossacks and seeing their devotion to the miraculous vision of the Mother of God over Constantinople in 911 AD, decided to dedicate his realm to the protection of the Heavenly Mother. In 1164, Grand Duke Andrei instructed the Russian Church to include the Feast of the Protection into the church calendar and this started a period of church construction dedicated to the Protection – “Pokrov”; the most famous church of that period is the unsurpassed (more…)

 On Sunday, 28 September 2014 the Orthodox Community celebrated its 65th Annual Patronal Feast, the Elevation of the Honourable and Life-giving Cross at the Russian-Serbian Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross in Hobart, Tasmania.

The Patronal celebration began on Saturday evening with the Service of Vespers celebrated by the Very Rev. Mitred Archpriest  Dr Michael Protopopov, Vicar General of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in the presence of His Grace Bishop Irinej of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church. His Grace joined in the service for the carrying out of the Holy Cross and bestowed his blessings upon the gathered Russian, Serbian, Greek and Australian Orthodox Christians. (more…)

On Sunday, 17 August 2014, His Grace Bishop George of Mayfield arrived at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery located at the foot of the Snowy Mountains, where he spent several days visiting the brethren of the Monastery.

On Monday, 18 August 2014, the eve of the feast day of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and Tuesday, 19 August 2014, His Grace together with the brethren of the Monastery and visiting clergy served the all night vigil and the Divine Liturgy. (more…)

On Friday 8 August and Saturday 9 August 2014 the Gosford parish celebrated the feast of its heavenly protector, the Great-Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, and formally observed ten years of parish life in the small church at West Gosford.

On the Friday evening His Grace Bishop George of Mayfield, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, presided at All-night Vigil with the blessing of five loaves, wheat, wine and oil.  Concelebrating were the parish rector, Priest James Carles, together with Protodeacon German Polorotoff (Saint Nicholas, Fairfield), parish deacon Father Martin Naef, and Deacon Vasilli Konstantinidis (Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Rocklea, QLD).  The choir sang under the direction of long-serving choir conductor, Olga Ivanovna Itsikson, and many parishioners and friends were present for the service. (more…)