Australian and New Zealand Diocese (ROCOR)

On Friday 8 June 2012, parish clergy and delegates began gathering at the Parish Hall of Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral in Strathfield. Delegates registered their attendance and received a very well compiled compendium of information relevant to Church Wardens, Treasurers and Senior Sisters.

On the Agenda for Friday and the first half of Saturday, were Governance, Diocesan Statutes and Synodal Protocols, Risk Management, Insurance, Financial Manual, Compliance Policies and Procedures and Statutes for Sisterhood. On Friday morning after prayer, Fr Nicholas Karipoff delivered an introduction to the day’s proceedings. He stated the Christian principles on which all these items were based. Fr Michael Protopopov led most of the Agenda items, assisted by Nick Nedachin, Diocese Treasurer and Vera Wheat, Diocese Office Administrator. (more…)

On Thursday 7 June 2012, at 6:00 pm, after the Moleben for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, all the clergy and lay people led by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, began a Strategic Planning meeting in the hall of the Croydon Parish.

After prayer, Vladika encouraged everyone who had gathered to raise all pertinent strategic issues which they felt should be addressed in our Diocese. Father Michael Protopopov led the meeting and all relevant issues were put up for discussion. Most people raised concerns about youth, education (religious and general), finances, missionary work, monasticism, the life of the Diocese and liturgical life of parishes. (more…)

At 5.30pm on Thursday evening the 7^th of June, a public Thanksgiving Moleben to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was celebrated at the Archbishop’s Chapel, dedicated to All Saints of Russia, Croydon.  In the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, the Moleben was served by Mitred Archpriest the Very Revd. Dr Michael Protopopov, Archpriest George Lapardin, Priest Peter Hill and Protodeacon Alexander Kotlaroff.  Singing was provided by clergy from around the diocese.  The Moleben was attended by clergy, monastics and parish representatives from Sydney and interstate who gave thanks to God for the past 60 years of dedication and dutiful witness of our nation’s monarch.

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On Sunday the 10th of June, the Feast of All Saints was celebrated at the old monastery Church of All Saints, Kentlyn, NSW by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion. A part of the original monastery building erected in the 1960’s at Our Lady of Kazan Monastery, All Saints Church is well known to the older generations of Sydney’s Russian community. With the blessing of the late Abbess Evpraxia, and her successor Abbess Maria, this modest church has, since Thomas Sunday 1999, been the home of a small, but dedicated congregation which uses English in their worship, the only ROCOR congregation in Sydney to do so. Around 80 parishioners and visitors, representing many cultural traditions: Russian, Serbian, Greek, Cypriot, Austrian, Palestinian, Irish, Lebanese, Romanian, Syrian, British, Filipino and Australian, were joined by Abbess Maria and the monastery sisterhood at the feast day service. (more…)

The Great Feast of Pentecost was celebrated at Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Strathfield by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, together with the cathedral clergy – Archpriest George Lapardin, Priest Simeon Nekipelov, Protodeacon Boris Evstigneev and Protodeacon Alexander Kotlaroff.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy the service of Vespers together with the Pentecost Kneeling Prayers was completed by His Eminence and the above named clergy. (more…)

Epistle of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monastics and the Faithful Flock of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Fifth Anniversary of the Signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

On the eve of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia issues an epistle to the archpastors, pastors, deacons, monastics and faithful flock of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Dear in the Lord Reverend Archpastors, Honorable Presbyters and Deacons, God-beloved Monks and Nuns,  Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ
in sincerity” (Ephesians 6:23-24).

Today the Russian Orthodox Church marks the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion. This document brought to an end many years of division between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. We remember these events of great historical significance, representing the victory over one of the tragic consequences of the political and spiritual catastrophe endured by Russia in the 20th century. (more…)

The next fundraiser to benefit the construction fund at the Presentation Sisterhood will be held in the Cabramatta Church Hall on Sunday 27 May 12 starting at 6pm. Abbess Anna will be present and Fr Nicholas Karipoff will give a talk on “The Confines of Science: The Cosmos of Faith’. Afterwards an auction and raffle will generate the profits and I will have lots of spot prizes to keep the crowd entertained. Entry is $25 per head and dinner will be an all Italian Buffet. I will also use this function to launch another major initiative. (more…)