Australian and New Zealand Diocese (ROCOR)

The meeting of the Icon was arranged for 8.30 pm at the Cathedral on Sunday 12 August. The moving spirited chanting of the Akathist that evening, attended by our English theological group, parishioners and visitors, set the tone for daily services with the Icon over the next two weeks culminating with the patronal feast of Holy Dormition in Dandenong. In that period the icon was also taken to Churches in Warrnambool, Geelong, Hobart, Keysborough (Serbian), mission Churches of the Holy Trinity (Parkville) and The Holy Cross (Spring Street, Melbourne). Many sick and infirm people received the blessing of the Icon in hospitals and in their homes which brought joy, healing and consolation.

The daily singing of the small supplicatory Canon at the Cathedral gave hundreds of people an opportunity to venerate the Holy Icon and pray to the Mother of God. Many copies of the Canon were made available for people to follow. At the end of each service we sang the Exapostilarion of Dormition and other hymns while people came up to kiss the Icon and received anointing with oil. On most occasions people afterwards walked under the Icon held by priests to receive another blessing.

For one of our smallest Church communities in Warrnambool the visit of the icon on the eve of Holy Transfiguration was a great uplift and consolation that will always be remembered. The same could be said for the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” parish in Geelong which hosted the icon for the Vigil and Liturgy of Holy Transfiguration. Their pastor’s illness and knowledge of the imminent operation helped people to focus on prayer.

On Monday 7/20 August Fr. Simeon Kichakov brought the Icon back to Melbourne for the next seven days. He stayed with us for the Canon and anointed worshipers as they came up to venerate the Icon. On Tuesday 8/21 August, after the Canon at the Cathedral, Fr. Nicholas Dalinkiewicz and I took the Icon to the Holy Trinity Church (Moscow Patriarchate Australian Mission) in Royal Parade, Parkville. Knowing that this was a small community we were pleasantly surprised when on entering the Church we saw that it was full of people. Fr. Igor Filianovsky did a splendid job in advertising this historical occasion to the English-speaking Orthodox in Melbourne. We served a moleben with the Akathist to the Mother of God after which it took people a good hour to come up to kiss the Icon. Many took off their pectoral crosses and asked me to put them on the Icon for a blessing.

On Wednesday 9/22 August Fr. Michael Protopopov flew with the Icon to Hobart where over the hundred people of different backgrounds (Russians, Serbians, Greeks and others) gathered at our small Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

On Saturday 12/25 August the Icon spent several hours at the Holy Cross Mission in Spring Street, Melbourne. Hieromonk Fr. Kirilos served a moleben for the English-language community which gathered to receive the gift of grace through the intercession of the Theotokos.

While the daily Canon at the Cathedral was well attended many people had to wait until the weekend after the feast of Holy Transfiguration (13-14/25-25 August) to pray before the Icon. Since 1985, Holy Protection Parish has held its Annual General Meeting on this particular Sunday in August. Originally, we were supposed to have the Holy Icon for the feast of Holy Transfiguration. However, it was clear that the Mother of God wanted to indicate Her special presence and protection at the meeting, because the parish was faced with making major decisions concerning the future use of its old temple and parish hall. The presence of the Icon made a huge difference to the spirit of the meeting, which was a complete success in terms of unity.

That afternoon Fr. Michael Protopopov took the Icon to the Serbian Church of St Stephen the Protomartyr in Keysborough. The parish Rector Fr. Chedomir Videkanic assembled his flock of hundreds of worshipers to praise the Queen of Heaven. On Monday 14/27 August Fr. Michael served a moleben at the Russian Welfare Society Aged-Care complex and took the Icon around to bless each room.

The Icon was present at the vigil and liturgy of the patronal feast of our Dandenong Church. In the morning, the liturgy of Dormition was served by His Grace, Archbishop Hilarion with the Rector Archpriest Fr. Michael Protopopov, Fr. Nicholas De Carleton and guest priests: Fr. Igor Filianovsky, Fr. Simeon Kichakov, Fr. Geoff Harvey (Antiochian Church) and the present writer with deacons Fr. Alexander (Melbourne), Fr. John Bots (Sydney), Fr. John and Fr. Thomas (both Antiochian). After the feastal banquet (which was attended also by Fr. Chedomir Videkanic and Fr. Nicholas Dalinkiewicz, who served the liturgy in their respective Churches) I took Vladika Hilarion and deacon John Bots to Melbourne Airport and the Icon returned to Sydney.

The story of the Kursk icon is a story of endless miracles over hundreds of years. Did we witness miracles on this visit of the Icon to Victoria? Yes. A Melbourne parishioner recovering from a dangerous back operation is certain that her recovery began during the visit of Icon in intensive care ward. However, I think many greater, but invisible, miracles occurred in people’s hearts touched by the grace, which surrounds the Icon.

Archpriest Nicholas Karipoff

Holy Protection Cathedral,
Melbourne

Photos by Nicholas Sherman ACS