Just four days after his arrival in Australia on 19 August 1949, Archpriest John Lupish served the funeral of one year-old Irene Solomko. The child Irene died in an epidemic of measles and broncho-pneumonia that swept through the Greta Migrant Camp that year and was laid to rest in the Greta Cemetery.  Father John later presided at five more burials at Greta: that of another child, Vsevelod Shinilov (+1949), Larisa Klebakin (+1950), Lydia Elagin (+1956), Alexander Melnikov (+1970) and Ivan Elagin (+1977).  In 2015 it was resolved that a memorial service would be held at Greta Cemetery each year on the closest convenient Saturday to the anniversary of Irene Solomko's burial.  This year, the memorial service will be held on Saturday 25 August at 11.00am.  At the service prayers will be offered for the repose of the ever-memorable Archpriest John (+1977), his matushka Maria (+1979), and all those Orthodox Christians buried in the Greta Cemetery.  Kutiya will be blessed, and there will be light refreshments afterwards for those who have travelled to Greta for the sevice.  Unfortunately Archpriest Michael Solomko, the brother of Irene and President of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand will be unable to join our parish rector this year as he will be representing the Consistory at commemorative events in the United States and Canada.  

Our next services will be Matins at 6.00pm on Sunday 25 August and Divine Liturgy at 9.00am on Sunday 26 August, the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the Leave-taking of the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and the day of commemoration of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (+1783 AD).  At the end of Divine Liturgy on Sunday there will be a brief moleben to Saint Tikhon, after which the faithful will be anointed with oil from his shrine.

On Saturday 11 August and Sunday 12 August we had services for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Apostles of the Seventy Silas, Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus and Andronicus (+1st C.).  In accordance with Bishop George’s directive, prayers were offered at Divine Liturgy for relief from drought.

On Saturday 21 July and Sunday 22 July we had services for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Hieromartyr Pancratius, bishop of Taormina in Sicily (+1st C.), an eyewitness in his childhood of our Lord’s ministry and a disciple of the Apostle Peter.  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday we had visitors from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.  In place of a sermon our parish rector read aloud in Russian and in English the Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, on the 100th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Righteous Royal Passion-Bearers.  Following Divine Liturgy the parish children played games in the church yard before toasting marshmallows over a campfire.

On Saturday 7 July and Sunday 8 July we had services for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, Wonderworkers of Murom, the heavenly patrons of love, faithfulness and family life.  Following the Prayer before the Amvon at Divine Liturgy on Sunday there was a moleben to Saints Peter and Febronia at which all the married couples in our parish were commemorated by name and those present were sprinkled with holy water.  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about the life of Saints Peter and Febronia and the help that they give to those who are married by their example and by their prayers.

On Saturday 7 July, the feast-day of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, the Saint Naum of Ohrid Serbian Orthodox parish in Broadmeadow celebrated both its patronal feast-day (or “slava”) – Saint Naum is commemorated on 3 July – and the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the parish.  His Grace Siluan, Ruling Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, presided at Divine Liturgy, concelebrating with the rector of that parish, Priest Dalibor Pavlovic, with our rector Archpriest James Carles, and with Deacon Petar Mrakic.  Following the reading from the Holy Gospel Vladyka Siluan gave an edifying sermon on the significance of Saint John the Baptist.  At the end of Divine Liturgy there was a threefold procession around the church with readings from the Holy Gospel and the blessing of kolachi - special rounded loaves of bread - and of koliva.  Many gathered in the parish hall afterwards for a festive meal and a programme of spiritual and cultural items.  Father Dalibor gave an interesting lecture on the history of the parish, noting the assistance that the parish had received from the ever-memorable Archpriest John Lupish and other priests of the Russian Orthodox Church over the years.  We warmly congratulate Father Dalibor and the Serbian Orthodox people of Newcastle on this jubilee and wish them every blessing from the Lord.

In view of ongoing severe drought conditions in significant parts of Australia, His Grace Bishop George issued a directive on 1 August 2018 that all parishes and monasteries of the Diocese offer prayers for God’s mercy and for rain.  These prayers will continue until further notice.

The July 2018 issue of the official journal of the Australian-New Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia is now available in our parishes.  As usual, it contains a range of interesting articles in both Russian and English.  In Russian: Послание митрополита Восточно-Американского и Нью-Йоркского Илариона, Первоиерарха Русской Зарубежной Церкви, по случаю 100-летия мученической кончины святых и благоверных Царственных Страстотерпцев; "Прислужник Св. Иоанна Шанхайского - История Русского рассеяния"; "Созерцатель или созидатель" - памяти прот. Симеона Кичакова; and more.  In English: "Why do we pray for the dead on the second, ninth and fortieth day of a person's repose, and what is the basis for the practice?"; "Eight tips for Christian parents on raising chldren in today's world"; "The life story of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir"; and more.  Copies are $5.00.