Australian and New Zealand Diocese (ROCOR)

По благословению Высокопреосвященнейшего Митрополита Илариона в Австралийско-Новозеландскую епархию прибыл на месяц Архиепископ Женевский и Западно-Европейский Михаил.  Владыка Михаил посетит приходы епарxии и познакомится с церковной жизнью.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe will visit the Australian and New Zealand Diocese for one month. Archbishop Michael will have a chance to serve in most parishes and get acquainted with the clergy and church life.

On Saturday 15/28 July 2012 the Saint Vladimir Parish in Centennial Park, Sydney celebrated its Feast Day with a large number of clergy concelebrating with the rector Priest Daniel Metlenko. After the Divine Liturgy everyone was invited to the church hall for a festal meal.

Saint Vladimir Church is the oldest Russian Orthodox Church in Sydney and the second oldest in all of Australia.

Below is a photoreport of the event. (more…)

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On Saturday the 16^th and Sunday 17^th June 2012, the feast day of All Saints of Russia, divine services were held in Croydon NSW in honour of the parish’s feast day. On Saturday evening, the All-Night Vigil was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad with parish clergy Fr Michael Li, Fr David Lloyd, Deacon Constantine Moshegov and clergy from neighbouring parishes.

In the early morning the following day, the lessor blessing of the waters was served by Fr Michael Li and Deacon Constantine Moshegov. (more…)

“THE CONFINES OF SCIENCE; THE COSMOS OF FAITH”

Let me begin with a confession to you. I like science and technology. In fact, some of my earliest memories are of electronic sounds and the smell of hot solder flux, shelves of my father’s books on radio technology, chemistry, metallurgy, electro mechanics and other technical subjects. I used to read them diligently: TV didn’t exist.

In 1972 I studied history and philosophy of science for a year. I have retained an interest in science and technology to this day. Simultaneously, since becoming an adult, I have become aware of the dangers of the abuse of science and technology. Whatever gives power (even religion), can always corrupt. For example, the Italian Inquisition forced Galileo to recant his Copernican views that the Earth revolved around the Sun. (more…)

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…)