Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute
9 Jul 09: Metropolitan Hilarion makes pastoral visitation to the Asian parishes of the Diocese
On Monday the 22nd of June, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion departed from Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport to begin an eight day visitation of the parishes in South Korea and Indonesia that are under the canonical protection of the Australian & New Zealand Diocese.
His first destination was Seoul, capital of South Korea where he was met by Deacon Father Paul Kang, who drove the Metropolitan to Holy Trinity Skete in the rural seaside village of Yonghwa.
On Tuesday the 23rd of June, His Eminence served the Divine Liturgy in the Skete’s Church of St Anna. The Head of the Korean Orthodox Mission, Father Justin Kang and his wife Matushka Helen, have both felt for a long time the call to the monastic life. Thus, during the Liturgy Father Justin Kang was tonsured to the small schema with the new name of John – Johan in Korean – in honour of St John of Kronstadt and will be based at Holy Trinity Skete. Matushka Helen Kang was tonsured into the small schema with the new name of Elizabeth in honour of the New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia. Mother Elizabeth is attached to St Helen’s Chapel in the village of Chanjho. (more…)