Our next services will be Matins at 6.00pm on Saturday 15 December and Divine Liturgy at 9.00am on Sunday 16 December, the Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and the day of commemoration of Prophet Zephaniah (+635-605 BC).  Father Dionysios Halim will be presiding at these services.

On Saturday 29 December we will have a church clean-up beginning at 8.00am. This will be the major clean-up that we customarily have before Christmas and Pascha each year. All the furnishings will be removed from the church for washing and polishing and all the icons and service items will be cleaned. We will have lunch at around midday. Please join us and help, even if only for an hour or two!  There is a great deal to be done, and it will be nice to have the church looking bright and clean for for the festive days of Christmas and Theophany. 

Our next services will be Matins at 6.00pm on Saturday 29 December and Divine Liturgy at 9.00am on Sunday 30 December, the Thirty-First Sunday after Pentecost and the day of commemoration of the Holy Forefathers and of the Holy Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Youths Ananias, Azarias and Nisael (c.600 BC).  Father Dionysios Halim will preside at these services.

On Saturday 15 December and Sunday 16 December we had services for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Holy Prophet Zephaniah (+635-605 BC).  As our parish rector was recovering following surgery Father Dionysios Halim presided at these services.  In his sermon at Divine Liturgy Father Dionysios spoke about the appointed reading from the Holy Gospel, Luke 18:18-27, the account of our Lord's conversation with the rich young ruler.  Following Divine Liturgy our Ladies' Auxiliary served piroshki with Lenten fillings: potato, carrot, mushroom, cabbage and apple.

On Sunday 2 December we had Divine Liturgy for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna (+1867 AD).  As our parish rector was recovering following surgery there was no service on Saturday evening and Priest Michael Storozhev – a cleric of the Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Strathfield – presided at Divine Liturgy on Sunday.  The customary prayers were offered for Orthodox Church unity and for peace in Ukraine.  Following Divine Liturgy Father Michael congratulated parish protodeacon Father Martin Naef on his recent name-day (24 November, Saint Martin of Tours) and the choir sang “Many Years”.  A light festive meal prepared by the parish Ladies’ Auxiliary was then served in Father Martin’s honour.

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 1-2 December.  As our parish rector is receovering from surgery following a serious ankle injury there will be a reduced number of services over the Summer months.  We apologise for any inconvenience.

On Sunday 18 November our parish held its 2018 Annual General Meeting.  The 2018 Annual Report was presented and, following a wide-ranging discussion of parish life and contemporary issues, accepted.  Vladimir (“Rick”) Golovin, Bill Reid, Anna Kourbatov, Reader Paul Douriaguine, Anne Nielsen, and Nina Golovin were again elected to the Parish Council, and Matushka Marie Carles and Alla Karmadonoff were reappointed to the role of Child Safety Contact Persons. 

On Saturday 17 November and Sunday 18 November, we had services for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost and the day of commemoration of the Martyrs Galacteon and Epistime (+251 AD).  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday, prayers were again offered for Orthodox Church unity and for peace in Ukraine.  As it was also the anniversary of the election of Patriarch Tikhon and the day of commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the 1917-18 Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Prayer for the Prosperity of the Russian Church was also read.  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about the faith of the Holy Fathers of the 1917-18 Council, many of whom were martyred for Christ, and of the continuing significance of their decisions in parish life.  Following Divine Liturgy a collection was taken up to benefit the Fund for Assistance to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and the final announcement concerning the 2018 parish Annual General Meeting was made.

On the afternoon of Saturday 17 November, the parish rector baptised Katherine Teterin, the infant daughter of Michael Teterin and Olesya Kucherenko.  Katherine, who was baptised in honour of the Great Martyr Katherine of Alexandria, had as her godparents Iveta Bogmale, Angelina Kucherenko, and the parish rector, Archpriest James Carles.  We warmly congratulate Michael and Olga on the baptism of their daughter and wish the newly-illumined handmaiden of God Katherine many years.

On the morning of Saturday 17 November, the parish rector baptised Elizabeth Odarchenko, the infant daughter of Vladimir and Ekaterina Odarchenko.  Elizabeth, who was baptised in honour of the Righteous New Martyr Elizabeth, had as her godparents Sergey Stafeev and Natalia Samarkina.  We warmly congratulate Vladimir and Ekaterina on the baptism of their daughter and wish the newly-illumined handmaiden of God Elizabeth many years.

Our 2018 Annual Report, including the independently audited 2017-18 Financial Statements, is now available.  The 2018 Annual Report will be presented to our parish Annual General Meeting (AGM) this coming Sunday, 18 November 2018.  A copy of the report is available in PDF form here.  Copies have been emailed to parish members this week and a small number of printed copies will be available at the AGM.  We encourage our parishioners and friends with questions or comments in relation to our Annual Report to contact us.

On Saturday 3 November and Sunday 4 November, we had services for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost and the day of commemoration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.  As Saturday 3 November was Saint Demetrius Saturday, a day of commemoration of the departed, there was a general memorial service prior to All-night vigil on Saturday evening.  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday, prayers were again offered for Orthodox Church unity, for relief from drought in Australia, and for peace in Ukraine.  At the end of the service a brief moleben was served before a copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother God.  Following Divine Liturgy announcements were made concerning the coming parish Annual General Meeting.

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.

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.