Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute
13 Dec 23: The blessing and consecration of the new iconostasis at St Panteleimon’s Church Gosford
On Saturday 2 December and Sunday 3 December we had services for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, for the Forefeast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, and in honour of Venerable Gregory the Decapolite (+816 AD).
All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening. Early on Sunday morning the parish rector served the lesser blessing of water, following which we welcomed Bishop George on his first visit to our parish since 2019.
After the reading of the entry prayers and the vesting of the bishop, the Hours were read and the rite of blessing and consecration of our new iconostasis was served. Bishop George then presided at Divine Liturgy, assisted by the parish rector and by Protodeacon Martin Naef and Deacon Michal Matys.
Our parishioners were joined in church by friends from Sydney, Newcastle, and the Mid North Coast, and the clergy were helped by subdeacons and experienced altar-servers from the Fairfield, Wallsend, and Strathfield parishes. The choir, augmented by singers from Strathfield, Croydon, Cabramatta, and Centennial Park, sang beautifully under the direction of Kolya Morozoff.
Following Divine Liturgy Bishop George presented our clergy and five parishioners with medals and certificates commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the establishment of our Diocese. A festive lunch was then held at our parish centre.
St Panteleimon parish website
