Thursday, April 20, 2017
Two walls of frescoes completed
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Passion Week and Pascha in Australia
Photos from the services of Passion Week and Pascha in Melbourne and Sydney:
Blessing of eggs at the end of the Paschal midnight service in Melbourne.
Palm Sunday in St Gregory the Theologian parish in Melbourne and holy week services in Sydney.
The shroud in Sydney St John of Kronstadt parish:
Melbourne: The procession with the shroud on Holy Friday evening, which had been beautifully decorated by the sisterhood.
The Annunciation Sisterhood monastery chapel at Pascha
Friday, February 17, 2017
Feast of St Gregory the Theologian in Bentleigh
On Tuesday, January 25th (February 7th, new style), Metropolitan Photios of the GOC concelebrated with Bishop John of Melbourne (ROCA) and hieromonk Ioannis (GOC) at the St Gregory the Theologian Church in Bentleigh. Protopriest Stylianos led the chanting.
Despite the Church feast falling on a weekday and the sudden rain, nearly 50 people attended. After Matins and Divine Liturgy a blessing of the five loaves followed, as well as prayers for the living with blessing of a Phanuropita and prayers for the departed with blessing of Kolyva.
The sun came out for the procession around the Church. Afterwards, the sisterhood offered a meal in the hall which was likewise well attended.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Concelebration at the St Sava feast in Canberra
On January 14/27, Metropolitan Photios (GOC) presided at the services in honour of St Sava of Serbia at the Monastery “New Kalenich”, the patronal feast of the monastery. Bishop John (ROCA) concelebrated, along with archimandrite Hristifor (FSOC), protopriest Bojan (FSOC), hieromonk Simeon (FSOC), hieromonk Ioannis (GOC), priest Nebojsa (ROCA), priest Alexandar (FSOC) and protodeacon Vasily.
Matins and Divine Liturgy was followed by a procession around the Monastery church and the rite of the Serbian Slava.
The preceding week, about 30 children attended the yearly St Sava children’s camp. The boys assisted by serving in the Altar and the girls formed a choir to sing the Liturgy.
Festivities continued for the following two days at the St Sava Festival.
Message from bishop John regarding the ROCA schism
In connection with the recent illegal meeting in New York state in January 2017, the following decrees banning clergy associated with Australia (Archbishop Andronik and Hegumen Andrei) have been issued.
These decrees emphasise the extreme seriousness of the situation, and the dire consequences of disobedience, both for the clergy themselves, and for those lay people who attend the services of the banned clergy.
Unity in the Orthodox Church is based on our practice of love, which we show through obedience. This duty is given to all Church members, from the first to the last.
The surest and safest path for parishioners in this confusing matter is to show obedience to the Sobor of Bishops, and concentrate maximally on prayer and good works, for their own salvation, and for the salvation of us all.
In our modern time, with its modern, distorted understanding of ‘love’ it may be difficult for some to understand traditional Church practice. However, our Orthodox Church practice is not something that can ‘change with the times’. Neither is the Church truly a ‘democratic organisation’ in the modern understanding of that term.
The government of the Church is entrusted to the Bishops.
The Sobor of Bishops, consisting of 12 hierarchs, has discussed the matters troubling our ROCA presently, and has arrived at the decision to ban certain clergy, out of love for these persons, and the hope for their repentance, as well as for the love and safeguarding of all the people.
The surest and safest path for parishioners in this confusing matter is to show obedience to the Sobor of Bishops, and concentrate maximally on prayer and good works for their own salvation, and for the salvation of us all.
It is necessary for Orthodox Christians to exercise great patience and faith in our evil days. Do not allow the evil one to lead you astray, away from the Church of Christ, which He founded and governed through the Holy Apostles, leading Her to this day through their successors, the Bishops of the Church
With love in Christ,
+John
(Bishop of Melbourne)
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Christmas in Sydney
On the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, the Serbian parish community of Holy Great-Martyr George in Granville (Sydney) had their first full cycle of Divine Services.
The community is part of the Free Serbian Orthodox Church under the omophorion of Bishop Ambrose of Methone, with whose blessing priest Nebojsa Mirkovic (ROCA) celebrated the services for Nativity, blessing the traditional Serbian “Badnjak” oak Christmas tree. On the day of the Nativity, the Divine Liturgy followed.
The Serbian parish community of St George will be celebrating regular Divine Liturgies with the help of Fr Nebojsa at the Serbian memorial hall at 92 Good Street, Granville. For details of times, please contact Fr Nebojsa Mirkovic
Telephone: 0413354913
Feast of St John of Kronstadt parish in Sydney
On December 19/January 2, the parish of the Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt in Sydney celebrated its Altar feast. Bishop John visiting from Melbourne concelebrated with priest Nebojsa Mirkovic. The Divine Liturgy was followed by the Serbian Slava.
Concelebration in Sydney
On Sunday 18.12/1.1. Bishop John visited the Greek parish of Sts Cosmas and Damian in Dulwich Hill (Sydney), concelebrating with priest George (GOC) and priest Nebojsa (ROCA).
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Concelebration and blessing of new Altar on the parish feast of St Nicholas in Brisbane
On Sunday, 5/18 December, the Free Serbian parish of St Nicholas celebrated its parish feast.
The new Altar table was consecrated by Bishops Ambrose and John, with Archimandrite Hristifor and Hieromonk Simeon concelebrating.
The parish feast of St Nicholas was transferred to the preceding Sunday, when the Serbian Slava was also celebrated. The sisterhood provided a sumptuous fasting meal.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Concelebration in Melbourne
On Sunday 14/27 November, Bishop Ambrose served in the Free Serbian Church of St Stefan Dechanski in Carrum Downs, Victoria, concelebrating with Bishop John, Archimandrite Hristifor, Protopriest Bojan, Hieromonk Simeon and Priest Zvonimir.
The parish celebrated its church feast day in honour of St King-Martyr Stefan Dechanski (transferred from 11/24 November to the Sunday), with the rite of Serbian Slava and a procession around the church.
After the service, the sisterhood of St Angelina served sumptuous meal in the parish hall.