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Christ is risen!

Every year, we are filled with spiritual joy and ecstasy when we hear these words and reverently participate in the exalted solemnity of the paschal divine services, which remind us of Christ’s glorious victory over sin, evil and death, for we celebrate “the demise of death, the destruction of Hades, the beginning of a new and everlasting life” (from the Paschal Canon). His Beatitude, Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), who passed into eternity 80 years ago, penetratingly observed that every feast is a sacrament. And Pascha is the feast of feasts and triumph of triumphs. The gracious power of this mystical celebration fills with joy, comforts, strengthens for the bearing of life’s cross, restores one’s inner powers, and imbues one with the spiritual vigilance and undaunted courage to endure all the sorrows and sufferings that beset us in this life.Continue Reading

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pastirskoe_2016_33On Thursday 24 March and Friday 25 March 2016 the clergy of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese gathered in Sydney, NSW, for the customary Lenten Pastoral Retreat and Conference.  These dates had been chosen as Friday 25 March was a public holiday, making attendance easier for the many clergymen with secular work commitments.

On Thursday afternoon the clergy gathered for refreshments and fellowship in the hall of the Archbishop’s Chapel of All Saints of Russia in Croydon.  In the evening, the Rule of Preparation for Holy Communion was read and Lenten Matins was served.  The clergy formed the choir for the services, singing and reading in both Church Slavonic and English.  His Grace Bishop George of Canberra read the akathist during the Rule of Preparation for Holy Communion and the rector of the Croydon parish, Priest Simon Nekipelov, presided during Matins.Continue Reading

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holy_annunciation_2016Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church, Brisbane, was pleased to welcome His Grace, Bishop George of Canberra, to preside at our patronal feastday.  On the eve of the feast, after a discussion with some of the youth of our parishes, His Grace arrived at Holy Annunciation.  He was greeted by the clergy of our parish, together with clergy from our Deanery, and the Great Vigil service was celebrated.

The next day, the Lenten Hours and Typika were served.  After this, Bp George was greeted on his arrival, was vested, and proceeded to celebrate the Hierarchal Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom – the first Liturgy that His Grace had served at our parish – followed by a cross-procession.Continue Reading

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archbishop_savaA lecture prepared by Very Rev Dr Michael Protopopov on the “Life and Legacy of Archbishop Sava Raevsky” which was delivered to the Australian and New Zealand clergy at the Pastoral Retreat  on Friday 25 March 2016.

Archbishop Sava was born Theodore Feodorovich Raevsky on 10 February 1892 in the city of Efmenov in the Tula Province, just south of Moscow. Theodore Raevsky Snr was a public servant who managed a number of country estates for the local nobility, whilst his mother, Alexandra Troitsky, was the daughter and granddaughter of priests. Young Theodore was sent to study at the Tula Theological Seminary at his mother’s insistence, from which he graduated in 1911. He then enrolled in the history and philosophy section of the School of Jurisprudence, at the Warsaw University, which, in 1916, was evacuated to Rostov-on-Don because of the proximity of the German Front.Continue Reading

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st_luke_soc_liverpool_032016_9On Saturday 12 March 2016, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church presided over the Divine Liturgy at St Luke the Apostle Serbian Orthodox Church Liverpool NSW. Co-celebrating with His Holiness were His Eminence Amphilochius, Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, His Grace Irenej, Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, Serbian Orthodox Church, His Grace Bishop George of Canberra, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and clergy from the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches.Continue Reading

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syezd1With the blessing of His Grace Bishop George, the 51st annual Orthodox Youth Conference – Syezd 2015 – was successfully held from 26-31 December 2015, at Camp Manyung, Mt Eliza, south-east of Melbourne, Victoria. As in previous years, Syezd 2015 provided attendees with the opportunity to learn more about their Orthodox faith as well as meeting many other Orthodox youth from all over Australia and overseas.Continue Reading

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pastoral_conferenceFor many years it has been customary for the clergy of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese to gather together during Great Lent to discuss matters of pastoral concern and liturgical practice.  In recent years, it has become usual for such gatherings to be held in conjunction with the annual Diocesan youth activities during December.

In December 2015, clergy from all four deaneries convened in two locations.  The first gathering was at the Luther Heights Camp at Coolum Beach, Queensland, the site of the Diocesan Teen Retreat.  The second was at Camp Manyung in Mount Eliza, Victoria, the site of the over-18s Diocesan Youth Conference.Continue Reading