On Friday 6 January and Saturday 7 January we had services for the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ.  Great Compline with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Friday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Saturday morning.  A great many people were present on Saturday morning, with friends from Sydney and Newcastle joining us.  Following the Prayer before the Amvon a brief moleben of thanksgiving was served to observe the anniversary of the deliverance on Christmas Day in 1812 of the Russian Church and Empire from the invasion of the French and twelve other nations.  In place of a sermon, the parish rector read aloud in Russian and in English the Nativity Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia.  Many stayed afterwards to share in a festive meal.