Our next services will be All-night vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves at 6.00pm on Saturday 26 May and Divine Liturgy at 9.00am on Sunday 27 May, the Great Feast of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. On this day the Orthodox Church commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and disciples.  In accordance with the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, our church will be decorated with green branches and Vespers with the kneeling prayers will be served immediately after Divine Liturgy. The small bunches of flowers customarily held by the faithful on this feast-day will be available to our parishioners and friends on Sunday morning.

On Saturday 12 May and Sunday 13 May we had services for the Sixth Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Blind Man.  On this day the Holy Orthodox Church remembers the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-38).  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about this miracle and about Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), Bishop of the Caucasas and the Black Sea (+1867 AD), a revered hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church commemorated on this day.  As it was Mother's Day, at the end of the service the Ladies' Auxiliary presented Matushka Marie Carles with flowers on behalf of the parish.  The rector congratulated her and all the mothers present, following which "Many years" was sung.

On the afternoon of Sunday 29 April the parish rector presided at the marriage of Philip Richards and Salome (MeeYeon) D'Arcy.  Many family members and friends gathered in our small church for the occasion, and afterwards a reception was held in the parish hall.  We warmly congratulate Philip and MeeYeon and wish them many years of happiness together.

On Monday 23 April there was a meeting of the Parish Council.  The usual pastoral, administrative, and financial reports were then presented and progress on parish governance, decorative and building projects was reviewed.  At the meeting the long-serving head of our parish Ladies' Auxiliary, Anna Morhun, advised the Parish Council of her intention to retire from her position, effective immediately.  In announcing her retirement she spoke warmly of all that had been accomplished in parish life, but stated that her age and increasing infirmity prevented her from continuing.  Mrs Morhun, who turned 95 early in April, has been active in our parish since it was established in 1952, filling the role of Head Sister for over 50 years.  In 2017 she received the prestigious Diocesan Cross in recognition of her service.  Her retirement will be formally acknowledged with a moleben of thanksgiving during May 2018.

On Saturday 21 April and Sunday 22 April we had services for the Third Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers.  On this day the Holy Orthodox Church remembers those righteous women and men who were present at Christ's burial and later came to His Tomb bearing myrrh and sweet spices: Mary Magdalen; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna; Salome, mother of the sons of Zebedee; Susanna; Martha and Mary, the sisters of Saint Lazarus; Mary, mother of the Apostle James; Righteous Joseph of Arimathea; and Nicodemus.  Receiving Holy Communion for the first time was the newly-baptised Salome D'Arcy.  Following the dismissal the parish rector congratulated Salome on the occasion - also her first name-day - and many years was sung for her.

On Saturday 21 April the parish rector baptised 34 year-old MeeYeon D’Arcy.  MeeYeon was given the name Salome in baptism in honour of Righteous Salome the Myrrhbearer, mother of the sons of Zebedee, Apostles James and John.  Her godmother was the long-serving head of our parish Ladies' Auxiliary, Anna Morhun.  We warmly congratulate the newly-baptised handmaiden of God Salome and wish her many years!

On Monday 16 April and Tuesday 17 April we had services for the second Tuesday of Pascha, “Radonitsa” - the day of rejoicing.  In the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, this is the first day after Pascha on which services for the departed are customarily offered.  Matins was served on Monday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Tuesday morning.  Immediately following Divine Liturgy a general panikhida was served in church, at which a great many of the departed were mentioned by name.  Amongst those commemorated were the ever-memorable Archbishop Sava (Raevsky)(+1976), the anniversary of whose repose it was, and the ever-memorable Monk Joseph (in the world, Reader Isaac Lambertsen)(+2017).  Archbishop Sava was the second Ruling Bishop of our Diocese and the hierarch who, in 1966, consecrated our church.  Monk Joseph was a graduate of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY, who translated the entire Menaion, Octoechos and Pentecostarion from Church Slavonic into English.  Eternal memory!  Graveside litias were then served in Wallsend, Sandgate and East Maitland cemeteries.

On Friday 13 April and Saturday 14 April we had services for the Saturday after Pascha, Bright Saturday.  Paschal Matins was served on Friday evening and the Paschal Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Saturday morning.  At Divine Liturgy the choir sang under the direction of Elena Gan.  Following the Prayer before the Amvon at Divine Liturgy the prayer at the breaking of the Artos was read.  In place of a sermon, the parish rector read aloud the Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion in Russian and in English.  At the dismissal, pieces of the blessed Artos were given to the faithful.

This year, our parish had a number of traditional services for Holy Week and Pascha.  Matins with the singing of the exapostilarion “Thy Bridal chamber” ("Чертог твой") was served in the evening on Wednesday 4 April. On Thursday 5 April, Great and Holy Thursday, Divine Liturgy was served in the morning and Matins with the reading of the Twelve Passion Gospels was served in the evening.  On Friday 6 April, Great and Holy Friday, Vespers with the bringing out of the Shroud of Christ was served at 3.00pm.  On Saturday 7 April, Great and Holy Saturday, Midnight Office was served late in the evening, with Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy following in the early hours of Sunday 8 April, the Sunday of Pascha.   Concelebrating with the parish rector at Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy was Priest Theodor Postelnisescu, the rector of the Romanian Orthodox Community of the Apostle Andrew.  Easter baskets containing eggs, cakes and other festive foods were blessed following Matins.  Following Divine Liturgy, the clergy and a small group of the faithful gathered in the church hall for a festive meal.