Australian and New Zealand Diocese (ROCOR)

On Thursday 17 December the Diocesan Council convened in Croydon for its final meeting in 2015.  In attendance were His Grace Bishop George of Canberra; Mitred Archpriests Michael Protopopov and Nikita Chemodakov; Archpriests Nicholas Karipoff, Gabriel Makarov, and George Lapardin; Priest James Carles, Protodeacon Alexander Abramoff, Nicholas Nedachin, Alexander Bialocerkowski, Nicholas Wirubov and Lubov Cowall.

The Diocesan Council heard the usual reports on Diocesan property, administration, and governance.  It was noted that the reorganisation of the Diocesan Office was proceeding satisfactorily, with Ms Irina Shchelokova engaged as Finance Officer and Ms Marika Varbola engaged as Administration Officer.   These new positions have been filled in order to support the transition of long-serving Office Manager Ms Vera Wheat to a new role as Personal Assistant to Metropolitan Hilarion and Bishop George.  It was agreed that clergy would be formally advised of these changes early in 2016 and that parishes and Diocesan institutions would at the same time be provided with a list of the matters for which each position had responsibility.  Over lunch, Diocesan Council members had the opportunity to meet and speak with Ms Shchelokova. (more…)

On Tuesday 24 March and Wednesday 25 March 2014 the clergy of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese gathered in Sydney, NSW, for the customary Lenten Pastoral Retreat and Conference.

On Tuesday evening at the Archbishop’s Chapel of All Saints of Russia in Croydon, an inner suburb of Sydney, the Rule of Preparation for Holy Communion was read and Lenten Matins was served.  The clergy formed the choir for both services.  Hieromonk Dorofei (Urusau) read the akathist during the Rule of Preparation for Holy Communion and Mitred Archpriest Michael Li presided during Matins. (more…)

Friday 9 August was the day of commemoration of the heavenly protector of the Gosford parish, the Holy Great-Martyr and Healer Panteleimon. As in previous years, the services to observe this day were transferred to the closest Friday evening and Saturday morning – in 2013, the evening of the feast, Friday 9 August, and Saturday 10 August.

On Friday evening, the All-night Vigil with the blessing of five loaves and wheat, wine and oil was served by the parish rector, Priest James Carles. A large number of parishioners and friends were there, and many took the opportunity to confess in preparation to receive Holy Communion. (more…)

With the blessing of his Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, the 5th Patronal feast-day of  Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco Australian Orthodox Aboriginal Mission at Gunning was held on Saturday the 6th of July 2013.

The Hierarchical Liturgy was celebrated by his Grace Bishop George of Mayfield, together with Priests Seraphim Slade (rector), Daniel Metlenko (Centennial Park), Constantine Tzortsis (Kentlyn), Dionysios Halim (Indonesia) and Protodeacon Alexander Kotlaroff (Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral, Strathfield) and Deacon Stephen McKay (Centennial Park). (more…)

On Sunday, February 20, 2013 the feast of the Holy Glorious Prophet John, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, the Parish of All Saints of Russia, Croydon was fortunate to celebrate a very special service.

Metropolitan Hilarion led the divine liturgy with priests Frs. Michael Li, Joachim Ross, Christopher Vakhabov; visiting Indonesian priests Frs. Dionysius, Boris, Barnabas, Athanasius; deacons Frs. Christopher Henderson, Constantine Tzortzis, Constantine Moshegov, Stephen McKay and heirodeacon Tykhon. (more…)

His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, celebrated the second day of the Nativity of our Lord at the Church of All Russian Saints in Croydon.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were several local clergy as well as clergy from the Indonesian deanery of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese. (more…)

The 48th Annual Youth Conference was held in Brisbane this year from 27th to 31st December 2012. The theme of the Conference was “From the Womb to beyond the Tomb”. The Conference venue was the Rydges Hotel in the Southbank district of Brisbane. This year’s conference attracted attendees from the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and from all capital cities of Australia. 58 young people in total registered together with clergy from our Diocese. The clergy were headed by our own archbishop, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion who attended the whole conference. Many young people living in Brisbane attended the organised functions and the lectures. Altogether there were 87 people who registered for the conference. (more…)

The celebration of the Great Feast of the Nativity of our Lord at All Saints Church, Kentlyn, was blessed with the concelebration of a number of priests from the Indonesian deanery of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese together with the local parish clergy.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, the forty-seventh annual Youth Conference of the Australian and New Zealand (A&NZ) Diocese was held at Wisemans Ferry, a historic village on the Hawkesbury River just to the north of Sydney, from the afternoon of Tuesday December 27 until the morning of Saturday December 31. The theme of the conference was ‘Against the Tide: Maintaining our Orthodoxy in Challenging Times’.  (more…)

Please be advised that Hieromonk Panteleimon (Lake) reposed in the Lord yesterday morning at 8.00am (local time, West Timor, Indonesia). Hieromonk Panteleimon was a cleric of the Indonesian Deanery (Indonesian Orthodox Church) of the Australia and New Zealand Diocese.

He will be buried Monday, June 20 in his home village in Nilulat-Kefamenanu – 230 km East of Kupangand. We ask you to pray for the soul of the newly departed Hieromonk Panteleimon.