Friday, September 27, 2019
Children’s camp in England
In August, a children’s camp was held in England, with approximately 20 children from our various sister churches participating. The children had lessons on the Law of God, daily church services, many games and excursions.
Nun Evgenia from the Annunciation Hermitage in Australia (ROCA) and nun Pelagia from the Convent of St John of Shanghai in the Ukraine (ROCA) gave lessons to the younger children throughout the camp. The older children had daily group discussions on more challenging topics, with each topic presented by a parent.
On the final day of the camp, which coincided with the camp chapel feast day of St Olav of Norway (29.7./11.8), the Very Reverend Archimandrite Daniel (GOC) served the Divine Liturgy, with the children chanting, reading and serving. Father Daniel’s also gave thought-provoking talks to both children and parents, which were very popular.
Services in the chapel evening and morning.
Lessons
Lesson activities
Singing practice
Artwork
Mosaics made by the children
Excursion to the ocean
The children enacted select Lives of Saints. Here St Eusthathios Placidas.
Monday, April 29, 2019
Pascha in Sydney
On Pascha Bishop John again visited Sydney, serving at the parish of Sts Cosmas and Damian (GOC) at Dulwich Hill. The service was in Greek and English. He concelebrated with priest George Jan (GOC) and ordained subdeacon Elias to the diaconate during the Paschal midnight liturgy. Fr Deacon Elias will be assigned to serve both at St John of Kronstadt (ROCA) and Sts Cosmas and Damian parishes (GOC).
In the afternoon, Bishop John visited the home-chapel of St John of Kronstadt, where father Nebojsa had celebrated the full paschal service the night before. During his visit, a group of parishioners sang the paschal hours.
The start of Paschal Matins
Parishioners of all ages
Subdeacon Elias standing at the iconostasis until he was brought into the Altar for ordination.
Axios!
First litany by the new deacon.
Just above the church, we saw a plane write “Christ is risen!” in the sky! The flying calligrapher in the plane is in the process of writing + ХРИСТОС АНЕСТИ +
At the home-chapel of St John of Kronstadt
Paschal Vespers on the first day of Pascha.
Small Entrance at the Liturgy on the second day of Pascha.
Monday, April 22, 2019
Palm Sunday in Sydney
On Palm Sunday 2019, Bishop John visited his flock in Sydney at the St John of Kronstadt parish, currently at the St Cosmas and Damian Greek Orthodox Church (GOC) in Dulwich Hill.
On Palm Sunday, he concelebrated with priest George (GOC) and priest Nebojsa (ROCA). About 150 people attended, most of whom received Holy Communion.
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Joyous occasion: Wedding in Sydney
On Sunday 14/27. January 2019, the servants of God Nikola and Natalie received the Mystery of Marriage. Father Nebojsa Mirkovic served at the Greek church of Sts Cosmas and Damian in Sydney (Dulwich Hill).
Many years to the newly weds!
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Feast of St John of Kronstadt in Sydney
The parish of St John of Kronstadt celebrated its January feast day at the Greek church of Sts Cosmas and Damian this year, accommodating a larger number of parishioners. The service was entirely in English, with Bishop John presiding and father Nebojsa Mirkovic concelebrating.
At the small entrance, father Nebojsa was awarded with the nabedrennik and kamilavka.
After the service, the parish gathered for an extended meeting and discussion.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Feast of Saint Nicholas in Brisbane
On Sunday, 10/23.12, the monastery of St Nicholas (Free Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand) celebrated their patronal feast. Bishop Ambrose presided at the festal services in concelebration with Bishop John, Archimandrites Hristifor and Simeon, Protopriest Zvonimir, and Priests Alexander and Atanasije.
Bishop John presided at the Divine Liturgy on Saturday 9/22.12. Thereafter followed a moleben asking God’s blessing for the Free Serbian Diocesan Council meeting, which subsequently elected Archimandrite Hristifor (Nedjic) as candidate to be Bishop for the Free Serbian Diocese of Australia and New Zealand.
Meeting Bishop Ambrose on Sunday 10/23.12.
Procession around the Church
The Slava.
The St Nicholas Church has been frescoed beautifully over the course of the past year.
After the service, the parish sisterhood offered a sumptuous meal in the hall.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Concelebration in Melbourne
On Sunday, 26.11/9.12, Bishop Ambrose served in the parish of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Beaumaris (Melbourne), in concelebration with Bishop John of Melbourne (ROCA), Protopriest Stylianos, Hieromonks Theophilos and John, and Deacon Anastasios. During the service, he ordained Fr Anastasios to the priesthood.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Bishop Ambrose in Sydney
On Sunday, November 12/25, 2018, the feast day of St John the Merciful, Bishop Ambrose visited the Greek Old Calendar parish of Sts Cosmas and Damian in Sydney. He concelebrated with father Nebojsa Mirkovic (ROCA).
Monday, August 27, 2018
Children’s camp in England
During August 2018, an informal children’s camp was held in England, where Bishop John contributed with teaching Law of God classes. The children experienced communal camp life, daily church services, living in tents and taking their turn in a roster of duties.
Everyone sang and read at the services together.
We had our meals together, during which we listened to reading from an edifying children’s book.
Daily blessing of porridge at breakfast!
The children had lessons every day. This years’ theme was the Divine Liturgy.
Vespers in candlelight.
The children prayed every morning and evening in the improvised barn-chapel, which they themselves helped decorate.
View of the altar in the barn-chapel.
Finding the spot in the service book…
The altar server with the censer ready.
We celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday and at the end of the camp.
The children baked their own prosphoras, which were offered at the Liturgy.
In addition to other excursions, we made a pilgrimage to the monastery of St Fursey, a 7th century Irish missionary monk who established a monastery on the site of an earlier Roman fortress.
Troparion of St. Fursey of Burgh Castle, Tone 5
Establishing thy monastery in a Roman fortress / thou didst teach men that the Orthodox Faith is a true bastion / against the onslaughts of every evil force, O Father Fursey. / Wherefore pray to God for us / that we may all be bastions of the Faith / standing firm against the rising tide of falsehood, / that our souls may be saved
The walls of the huge Roman fortress where St Fursey built his monastery.
Group photo of the pilgrims.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Transfiguration at the Convent of the Annunciation in London
On the great feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, Bishop John visited the historical Convent of the Annunciation in London, UK. The Convent was established in the 1950s by St. John of Shanghai and San Fransisco and nuns from the Holy Land, guided by the ever-memorable Abbess Elizabeth (Ampenoff).
The Midnight Office, Hours and Liturgy were read and chanted in Slavonic, Arabic and English, and attended by faithful of diverse national backgrounds. Bishop John blessed the grapes and fruits brought by the people. After the service, the sisters invited the parishioners for tea.
Newly-ordained priest Nicolae Capitanu (Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania) services the large population of Old Calendar Romanian faithful in London.
