Our Summer 2018-19 Schedule of Services is now available.  Copies in PDF format are available in English here and in Russian here.  Printed copies will be available in church from the weekend of 8-9 December.  Major services during Summer 2018-19 will be for the Great Feasts of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) on 6-7 January and the Baptism of Christ (Theophany) on 18-19 January.  As our parish rector is recovering from surgery following a serious ankle injury there will be fewer services during December.  We apologise for any inconvenience.

On Sunday 18 November we learned with great sadness of the repose of Kenneth (“Ken”) Cross (b. 7 September 1935), a parishioner and a long-standing friend of our parish and of the former Theophany parish of the Moscow Patriarchate in Mayfield.  A loving and devoted husband, Ken actively supported his wife Mary in her involvement in church life before himself being received into the Holy Orthodox Church by Chrismation in August 2015.  His funeral was served in our church on Monday 26 November by the Dean of New South Wales, Mitred Archpriest Nikita Chemodakov.  We offer Ken’s wife Mary and their son David our heartfelt condolences.  May God grant his newly-departed servant Kenneth rest with the saints and life everlasting!

On Sunday 25 November we had Divine Liturgy for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Saint John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria (+612 AD), and venerable Nilus the Faster of Sinai (+5th Century AD).  As our parish rector was recovering following surgery there was no service on Saturday evening and Priest Dionysios Halim presided at Divine Liturgy on Sunday.  Following the service a collection was taken up to benefit the Fund for Assistance to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

Our 2018 Annual Report, including the independently audited 2017-18 Financial Statements, is now available.  The 2018 Annual Report was prepared for presentation to the parish Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for 25 November 2018 but since postponed.  A copy of the report is available in PDF form here. We encourage our parishioners and friends with questions or comments to contact us.  The parish AGM will be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity.

On Saturday 10 November and on Sunday 11 November we had services for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Nun-Martyr Anastasia the Roman (+ Third C. AD) and of Saint Abramius the Recluse (+360 AD) and Blessed Maria, his niece, of Mesopotamia (+397 AD).  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday, prayers were again offered for Orthodox Church unity, for relief from drought in Australia, and for peace in Ukraine.  As Sunday was Remembrance Day and the one-hundredth anniversary of the end of the Great War (1914-18), a general memorial service for all Orthodox Christian soldiers, sailors and airmen slain in battle was served following Divine Liturgy.  Announcements were then made concerning the coming parish Annual General Meeting and a collection to benefit the Fund for Assistance to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

On Saturday 20 October the parish rector baptised Hunter Lev Buxton, the infant son of Michael Buxton and Anastasia Khristosova.  Hunter, who was baptised in honour of the Hieromartyr Lev Ershov (+1918), had as his godparents Oleg Khristosov and Erin Buxton.  We warmly congratulate Michael and Anastasia on the baptism of their son and wish the newly-illumined servant of God Lev many years!

This year our Diocese will hold its eighth annual Orthodox Teen Retreat.  Established in 2011, our Diocesan Teen Retreats cater for young people aged 14-17.  This year’s Teen Retreat will be held to the south of Sydney at Stanwell Tops from Sunday 16 December until Friday 21 December.  The theme is 'Bringing the saints to our lives'.  For more information visit www.rocorteenretreat.info.

The November 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: “Заявление Священного Синода Русской Православной Церкви в связи с посягательством Константинопольского Патриархата на каноническую территорию Русской Православной Церкви”; “Великая княгиня Мария Владимировна: позиция Константинополя ведет к раздроблению православных устоев” “Архтырская икона”; and more.  In English: "Russian Orthodox Church: It is impossible to continue in Eucharistic Communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople”; “Statement of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia”; “A list of responsibilities of a Godparent in the Orthodox Church”; “Church Canons: A Beginner’s Guide”; and more.  Copies are $5.00.

This year our Diocese is again convening a Diocesan youth conference or "Syezd".  Established in 1965 at the instigation of the ever-memorable Archbishop Sava (Raevsky, +1976), these conferences have been an important spiritual and social event for the youth of our Diocese ever since.  This year’s conference – the theme of which is ‘The Life and Wisdom of the Holy Fathers’ – will be held from 27-31 December in Melbourne and is open to young people aged 18 - 30.  More information is available here.

On Tuesday 26 March and Wednesday 27 March 2019 the clergymen of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese will gather in Sydney for their customary Great Lenten Pastoral Conference.  On Tuesday evening the clergy will meet at the church of All Saints of Russia in Croydon for the Rule of Preparation for Holy Communion at 5.00pm and Lenten Matins and confession at 6.00pm.  On Wednesday morning from 8.00am the Hours and the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be served at Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Strathfield with Bishop George presiding and the clergy concelebrating.  Those of the faithful who wish to do so are welcome to attend the service on Wednesday morning and – if properly prepared – to receive Holy Communion.  Following Divine Liturgy the clergy will meet to discuss a range of pastoral and liturgical matters.