On Saturday 6 December and Sunday 7 December we had services for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, for the Afterfeast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, and in honour of Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria (+c. 305 AD) and Great Martyr Mercurius of Caesarea (+3rd Cent. AD).  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  For the first time since Pascha 2025, we were joined for Divine Liturgy by Protodeacon Martin Naef.  At the end of the service, our parish rector congratulated Father Martin on his appointment as second protodeacon at Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Strathfield and thanked him for his long and faithful service to the parish.  As a token of gratitude from the parish, he was presented with a gold set of new protodeacon’s vestments: an embroidered sticharion, double orarion and cuffs.  'Many Years' was then sung for Father Martin, his Matushka Tatiana, and for our long-serving Parish Council member Katherine Marcotrigiano who was celebrating her name-day.  Following the service, a festive lunch was served in Father Martin’s honour.

On Wednesday 3 December and Thursday 4 December we had services for the Great Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Wednesday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Thursday morning.  Our church was beautifully vested in blue.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  Following Divine Liturgy on Thursday a light memorial meal was served in memory of our parishioner, Tatiana Elgin-Borodin (+ 5 December 2014).

On Sunday 16 November our parish held its 2025 Annual General Meeting.  The 2025 Annual Report was presented.  A discussion of various aspects of parish life followed.  A report on the Twenty-First Diocesan Assembly prepared by parish delegate Reader Alexey Douriaguine was also tabled and accepted.  Nina Golovin, Anna Kourbatov, Anne Nielsen, and Kate Marcotrigiano were elected to serve on the 2025-26 Parish Council together with the parish rector and our Warden, Vladimir ("Rick") Golovin.

Our Summer 2025-26 Schedule of Services - covering December, January, and February - is now available.  A PDF copy of the English-language Summer 2025-26 Schedule of Services is available here, and a Russian-language copy is available here.  Printed copies are available in church.  Services of note over the summer will be the Great Feasts of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple on 3-4 December, the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) on 6-7 January, the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany) on 18-19 January, and the Meeting of the Lord on 14-15 February.

On Saturday 15 November and Sunday 16 November we had services for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Martyrs Acepsimas the bishop, Joseph the priest, and Aeithalas the deacon of Persia (+376-380 AD) and in commemoration of the dedication of the church of Great-Martyr George in Lydda (Fourth Cent. AD).  Matins was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  As Saturday 15 November was a day of commemoration of the departed, a general panikhida was served immediately before Matins.  At the panikhida we commemorated our departed founders, benefactors, parishioners, family members and friends.  As an act of kindness in memory of their departed ones, those attending the panikhida brought non-perishable foods to be passed to a local charitable organisation for relief of the homeless.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land, and six newly-baptised Orthodox Christians received Holy Communion for the first time.  Following Divine Liturgy, an announcement was made concerning the Annual General Meeting to be held that afternoon.

On Saturday 8 November and Sunday 9 November we had services for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Martyr Nestor of Thessalonica (+306 AD).  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At both services we were joined by enquirers wishing to learn more about Orthodox Christianity.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.   At the Prayer before the Amvon, prayers of blessing were read over a beautiful new mitre and an ornate new set of protodeacon’s vestments (a sticharion, double orarion and cuffs).  The mitre was to be a gift from the Gosford and Wallsend parishes and the Mid North Coast Mission to Archpriest Nikita Chemodakov on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination – it was given to him at a festive gathering in Sydney later that day.  The vestments are to be a gift to Protodeacon Martin Naef in recognition of his long service to our parish – they will be presented to him in December.  At the end of the Sunday services an announcement was made concerning the parish Annual General Meeting to be held on Sunday 16 November 2025.  Across the two days, a collection was taken up to benefit the family of newly-reposed Archpriest Alexander Skorik (+25 October 2025); $880 was collected, and a further $120 has been contributed from parish funds to make our donation $1000.

Our 2025 Annual Report, including the independently audited 2024-25 Financial Statements, is now available.  It includes some parish history, an overview of our governance arrangements, and a summary of our activity and accomplishments in 2024-25.  A copy of the report, which will be formally presented to our parish Annual General Meeting on Sunday 16 November 2025, is available here.  We encourage our parishioners and friends with questions or comments concerning our Annual Report to contact us.

On Saturday 25 October and Sunday 26 October services for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God and the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council were held at Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Strathfield, NSW.   All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  As almost the entire complement of the clergy of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese was in Sydney for the Twenty-First Diocesan Assembly, most of our parishes and missions had no services.  Our parish rector served at the cathedral together with Archbishop George, Archbishop Gabriel of Montral and Canada, and forty-nine priests and deacons from across the Diocese.  On Sunday morning a number of clerics received ecclesiastical awards.  At the end of Divine Liturgy a moleben of thanksgiving was served for the work of the Diocesan Assembly and a litia was served for Archpriest Alexander Skorik, a cleric of the New Zealand Deanery who had reposed on Saturday evening.

On Saturday 18 October and Sunday 19 October we had services for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Holy Apostle Thomas.  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy we were joined by friends from Wallsend parish and the customary prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  As it was the eve of the centenary of the repose of  Saint Jonah, Bishop of Hankow (17 April 1888- 20 October 1925, canonised 1996) a moleben to the saint was served following Divine Liturgy.  At the completion of the Sunday services an announcement was made concerning the parish Annual General Meeting to be held on Sunday 16 November 2025.

On Saturday 4 October and Sunday 5 October we had services for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Holy Apostle Quadratus of the Seventy and Hieromartyr Phocas, Bishop of Sinope (+117 AD).  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy the customary prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  Following Divine Liturgy many people enjoyed piroshki freshly prepared by our Ladies’ Auxiliary.

On Friday 26 September and Saturday 27 September we had services for the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves and the bringing-out of the Cross was served on Friday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Saturday morning.  Across the two days we were joined by friends from Newcastle, the Mid North Coast, Sydney, and Brisbane.  At Divine Liturgy the customary prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  Following Divine Liturgy, all venerated the Holy Cross.

On Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September we had services for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross, and the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  The scheduled Sunday services were preceded by a blessing of water.  At Divine Liturgy prayers we were joined by friends from Newcastle and Sydney.  The customary prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land, and a newly-baptised infant, Sophia, received Holy Communion for the first time.

On Saturday 6 September and Sunday 7 September we had services for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Apostoles Bartholomew and Titus.  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land, and a newly-baptised infant, Theodore, received Holy Communion for the first time.

On Monday 18 August and Tuesday 19 August we had services for the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Monday evening, and the Hours and Divine Liturgy  were served on Tuesday morning.  Our church was vested beautifully in bright new white vestments, received from Belarus in May and being used for the first time.  For the services we were joined by visitors from Sydney, Newcastle, the Gold Coast, and England.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  In accordance with Orthodox custom, there was a blessing of fruit at the end of Divine Liturgy on Tuesday.

Our Spring 2025 Schedule of Services - covering September, October and November - is now available in digital format.  Services of note during Spring 2025 will be for the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God on Saturday-Sunday 20-21 September and the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on Friday-Saturday 26-27 September.  It should be noted that we will have services on the second and third Sundays of November this year rather than on the first and third Sundays as is usual, and that Saint Demetrius Saturday, a day of commemoration of the departed, will be observed in our parish on Saturday 15 November instead of Saturday 1 November.  A copy of the English-language Spring 2025 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Spring 2025 Schedule of Services is available here. 

On Sunday 17 August 2025 we had an Extraordinary Parish Meeting.  The purpose of the meeting was to elect a lay delegate to attend the Twenty-First Diocesan Assembly of our Australian-New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.  Reader Alexey Douriaguine was chosen as the delegate, with Gregory Alexandrovsky chosen as a reserve.

On Saturday 16 August and Sunday 17 August we had services for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Holy Seven Youths (‘Seven Sleepers’) of Ephesus (c.446 AD).   All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  At the end of the service on Sunday the third and final announcement was made concerning the Extraordinary Parish Meeting to be held that day.

The August 2025 issue of “Word of the Church” (“Церковное Слово”), the official journal of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, is now available in our parishes. This is the second issue for 2025.  Content includes articles on the 100^th anniversary of the repose of the Holy Hierarch Jonah of Hankou, on the centrality of the resurrection to Christian life and faith, and on the 80^th anniversary of the tragedy of the repatriation of the Cossacks in Lienz; all three articles are in both English and Russian.  An obituary of Archpriest John Weir, a much-loved clergyman of our Northern Deanery who reposed suddenly on 24 June 2025, is also included in both languages.  Information about clergy transfers, awards, and disciplinary matters is also included.  Copies are $5.00.

On Friday 8 August and Saturday 9 August we had services in honour of Great Martyr Panteleimon (+305 AD), the heavenly patron of our parish.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served by our  parish rector on Friday evening.  The lesser blessing of water was served early on Saturday morning, after which Archbishop George arrived.  Many friends from Sydney and Newcastle also joined us.  Vladyka George then presided at Divine Liturgy, assisted by our parish rector and visiting clergy Archpriest Dionisy Halim (Wollongong), Protodeacon Alexander Kotlaroff (Strathfield), and Deacon Michal Matys (Carlton).  The choir, strengthened by a number of visiting choristers, sang beautifully under the direction of Nikolai Morozow.  Following Divine Liturgy, a moleben to Saint Panteleimon was served.  At the conclusion of the services on Saturday a festive meal was enjoyed by those present.

On 4 December this year it will be the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood of Mitred Archpriest Nikita Chemodakov.  Father Nikita, who is the senior-most priest of our Australian-New Zealand Diocese by ordination, is rector of the parish of Saint Nicholas, Fairfield, and Dean of the Central (NSW & ACT) Deanery of the Diocese.  He was ordained priest by the ever-memorable Archbishop Averky (Taushev) at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, where he was then completing his theological studies.  He has served as rector of the Fairfield parish for an exemplary 47 years.  Details of divine services and a celebratory luncheon to be held on Sunday 9 November 2025 are available in Russian here and in English here. 

On Saturday 2 August and Sunday 3 August we had services for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Venerable Symeon, fool-for-Christ, his fellow ascetic, Saint John (+c. 590 AD) and the Holy Prophet Ezekiel (6th Cent. BC).   All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about the life of the Prophet Ezekiel.  At the end of Divine Liturgy an announcement was made concerning the Extraordinary Parish Meeting to be held on Sunday 17 August 2025.

On Saturday 19 July and Sunday 20 July we had services for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Venerable Thomas of Mount Maleon (10th Cent. AD) and Venerable Acacius, who is mentioned in The Ladder (6th Cent. AD).  Matins was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land, and three newly-baptised Orthodox Christians received Holy Communion for the first time.  An announcement was also made concerning the Extraordinary Parish Meeting to be held on Sunday 17 August 2025.

On Friday 11 July and Saturday 12 July we had services in honour of the Holy Glorious and All-Praised Leaders of the Apostles, Peter and Paul.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Friday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Saturday morning.  On Saturday morning we were joined by friends from Newcastle and Sydney, and at Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about the different backgrounds and characters of the Apostles Peter and Paul, of their labours for the Gospel of Christ, and of their martyrdom together in Rome.

On Saturday 5 July and Sunday 6 July we had services for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At both services the parish rector served alone.  On Sunday morning we were joined by friends from Newcastle and Sydney, and at Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.

On Saturday 21 June and Sunday 22 June we had services for the Second Sunday after Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints of Russia.  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  Concelebrating with our parish rector at Divine Liturgy was Archpriest Alexander Morozow, the rector of Saint John the Baptist Cathedral in Canberra, visiting our parish for the baptism of his grandson, Daniel.  Prayers were offered for  peace in Ukraine and peace in the Holy Land.  At the end of the service Father Alexander gave a sermon in both Russian and English on the commemoration of All Saints of Russia and how the path to sanctity, the path of spiritual struggle, is open to us all.  Following the dismissal, Father James introduced Father Alexander and welcomed him to our parish, noting his steadfast service in the Canberra parish of more than 40 years.

On Friday 20 June the funeral of Nikolay Sorokin was served in our church.  Archpriest Boris Ignatievsky, the rector of the Protection of the Holy Virgin parish in Cabramatta, presided.  Nikolay, who departed this life on 6 June, was 94 years of age.  He was afterwards laid to rest at Point Clare Cemetery in the same grave as his late wife, Alexandra.  We offer our heartfelt condolences to Nikolay’s daughter Elena, son-in-law Ilia, and grandson Alexey.  May God grant his newly-departed servant rest with the saints and life everlasting!

"The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia finds it necessary to raise its voice out of bitter necessity, for we find that in a time of crisis and growing confrontation amongst nations, aspects of the Russian state and society are wandering onto an extremely dangerous path: instead of the promulgation of Christian repentance and purification, we observe in certain circles a return to a false, God-opposing ideology that prevailed in the last century. This return is fraught with harmful consequences. Should it continue, we fear that modern Russia risks being considered a dark stain amongst the nations, marked by a revival of spiritual corruption, instead of her being a radiant beacon of Orthodox Truth, which is surely the calling to which her long history of Christian piety directs her."  The full text of this important statement, released by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia on Thursday 5 June 2025, can be read in English here and in Russian here.

“The history of the Church is not only academic studies of the events of the past and narratives about the affairs of bygone days, the legends of ancient times, which are like the pages of a dusty book darkened by time. In the history of the Church, the Holy Spirit lives and acts, guiding us into all truth (John 16:13). That is why the study of Church history – to which I urge all of you – helps us to better understand many phenomena in contemporary religious life, teaches us to separate the main from the secondary and to distinguish spirits (1 Cor. 12:10), comprehending the all-wise Providence of God for the Church.”  Patriarch Kirill’s Epistle is available in full in Russian here.  A complete English-language translation will be shared as soon as it becomes available.

On Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June we had services for the Seventh Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning. On Sunday morning, prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  In his sermon, the parish rector, noting that it was the seventeen-hundredth anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, spoke about the work and significance of the Council.

On Wednesday 28 May and Thursday 29 May we had services for the Great Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Wednesday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Thursday morning.  On Thursday morning, prayers were offered for Orthodox unity and peace in Ukraine.  As it was on this feast-day in 2007 that canonical communion was re-established within the Russian Orthodox Church, the Prayer for the Prosperity of the Russian Church was also read.

The Twenty-First Diocesan Assembly of our Australian-New Zealand Diocese is to be held at Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Strathfield, NSW, from the evening of Thursday 23 October until the afternoon of Sunday 26 October 2025.  As all Diocesan clergy will be participating in the Assembly, the only services in our Diocese on Saturday-Sunday 25-26 October will be at the Strathfield Cathedral.  A news article about the Twentieth Diocesan Assembly may be read here.  A delegate from amongst the laity to join the parish rector in representing our parish at the Assembly will be chosen at a parish meeting to be convened on Sunday 17 August 2025.  Further information about the parish meeting and the Twenty-First Diocesan Assembly will be made available in due course.

Our Winter 2025 Schedule of Services - covering June, July and August - is now available.  Services of note during this period include those for the Apostles Peter and Paul on 11-12 July; for our patronal feast of Saint Panteleimon on Friday-Saturday 8-9 August; and for the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Monday-Tuesday 18-19 August.  A copy of the English-language Winter 2025 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Winter 2025 Schedule of Services is available here.  Printed copies in both languages are also available in church.

On Saturday 17 May and Sunday 18 May we had services for the Fifth Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  On Sunday morning, prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.   At the end of Divine Liturgy prayers of blessing were read over a set of beautiful new white covers for the Holy Table, Table of Oblation, and icon stands.  The new covers, the work of the sisters of Saint Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus, will be used for the first time on the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in August this year.

Our parishioners and friends will be saddened to learn that as of 29 April 2025, long-serving parish cleric Protodeacon Martin Naef has been formally transferred to Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Strathfield.  Father Martin was ordained to the diaconate in January 2008 and, apart from a two-year period from 2012-2014 during which he and his family lived in Europe, he has served in our parish ever since.  As he will now be travelling abroad until August 2025, a formal farewell is being planned for September 2025.

On Saturday 3 May and Sunday 4 May we had services for the Third Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers.   All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At both services the parish rector served alone, and at Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.

The April 2025 issue of “Word of the Church” (“Церковное Слово”), the official journal of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, is now available in our parishes. This is the first issue for 2025.  Content includes the 2025 Paschal Epistle of Archbishop George in Russian and English; articles in Russian and English concerning the March 2025 Pastoral Conference of our Diocese convened at the Holy Protection Cathedral in Brunswick (Melbourne), Victoria, during Great Lent; the text in Russian and English of a paper presented at that conference by Archpriest Nicholas Karipoff, ‘The Image of the Pastor: The Bible, Vitae of the Saints and Pastoral Theology’;  announcements concerning various awards bestowed on Diocesan clergy by the Synod of Bishops and by Archbishop George; articles in Russian marking the centenary of the repose of Patriarch Tikhon; articles in Russian and English about the December 2024 Diocesan Youth Conference (“Syezd”); a colour supplement of photographs from Chersonesus (near Sevastopol, Crimea); and more.  Copies are $5.00.

This year, our parish had a significant number of traditional services for Holy Week and Pascha. Matins was served in the evening on Sunday 13 April, Monday 14 April, Tuesday 15 April, and Wednesday 16 April.  Divine Liturgy was served in the morning on Great Thursday, 17 April, with everyone present receiving Holy Communion.  On Great Friday, 18 April, Vespers with the bringing out of the Shroud of Christ was served at midday and Matins with Lamentations before the Tomb of Christ was served in the evening.  In the morning on Great Saturday, 19 April, Divine Liturgy was served. Midnight Office  was served late that evening, with Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy following in the early hours of 20 April, the Sunday of Pascha.  At the midnight services the parish rector was assisted by Protodeacon Martin Naef. Paschal Vespers was served late in the morning on 20 April, the Sunday of Pascha.  Easter baskets with cakes, eggs and other festive foods were blessed following Matins and Vespers.

“Let us appreciate and sincerely give thanks unto God for His great loving-kindness and mercy shown towards fallen mankind by redeeming us from sin through His suffering on the cross and glorious Resurrection, making us heirs of His heavenly kingdom. … Let us not be tempted by the so-called pleasures and riches of this temporal world, but let us always strive for spiritual riches which do not fade away. Our way of life now will have eternal consequences. Archbishop George’s Epistle is available in full in English here and in Russian here.

“May the present celebration, for which we have been preparing with prayer and fasting, renew the right spirit, that is, a healthy spirit, in our hearts, in order to understand the mystery of Christ's Resurrection, to enjoy the "riches of goodness" of which Chrysostom writes, and to anticipate "eternal joy"! ...  May our feast be united with the general yearning of the faithful to God for peace and for the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. For "if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it," says the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 12:26).”  Metropolitan Nicholas’s Epistle is available in full in English here and in Russian here.

On Friday 11 April and Saturday 12 April we had services for the Sixth Saturday of Great Lent, Lazarus Saturday.  Matins was served on Friday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Saturday morning.  At the end of Divine Liturgy on Saturday prayers of blessing were read over a small number of pussy-willows in anticipation of Palm Sunday.

On Sunday 6 April and Monday 7 April we had services for the Great Feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Sunday evening, and the Hours, Typika, Vespers and Divine Liturgy were served on Monday morning.  At Divine Liturgy we were joined by friends from the Wallsend parish and prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.

On Saturday 5 April and Sunday 6 April we had services for the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent.   All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  The regular Sunday services were preceded by the Lesser Blessing of Water and followed by a moleben to Saint Tikhon the Confessor, Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America (+7 April 1925).  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday the parish rector was assisted by Protodeacon Martin Naef and prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine.  In his sermon, the rector spoke about Saint Mary of Egypt and about Saint Tikhon.  Following Divine Liturgy the church vestments were changed to blue and the church was decorated in preparation for the services for the Great Feast of the Annunciation.

On the evening of 27 March, Thursday of the Fourth Week of Great Lent, our parish rector presided at a General Service of Anointing with Oil (Holy Unction).  Approximately 30 people, both our own parishioners and friends from the neighbouring Wallsend parish, gathered to pray and receive anointing with oil for the healing of soul and body.  The readings and prayers were alternately in Slavonic and English.

On Saturday 15 March and Sunday 16 March we had services for the Second Sunday of Great Lent and in honour of Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica (+1359 AD).  Matins was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  Our church was beautifully decorated with flowers donated by the family of the late Nina Lichman (+17 February 2025).  As Saturday 15 March was a day of commemoration of the departed, Matins was preceded by a general panikhida.   As an act of kindness in memory of their departed ones, those attending the panikhida brought non-perishable foods to be passed to a local charitable organisation for relief of the homeless.  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday the parish rector was assisted by Protodeacon Martin Naef and prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine.  We were joined by friends from Sydney and Newcastle.  At the end of Divine Liturgy prayers of blessing were read over a new black set of priest’s vestments that will be used for the first time during Holy Week this year.

On the first four evenings of the First Week of Great Lent (3-6 March), Great Compline with the reading of the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete was served.  The odes of the Great Canon were read by the parish rector alternatively in Church Slavonic and English.  During Great Compline many of those present participated in the reading and singing in both languages.

Our Parish Council is pleased to announce that in February 2025 we were able to secure full ownership of our parish centre.  By way of background, late in 2003 our Russian Orthodox community on the New South Wales Central Coast resolved to purchase a small industrial unit in West Gosford as a temporary parish centre.  Our community was then still newly-formed – the very first services were held here in November 2000, just three years earlier.  We reasoned at the time that a commercial property could be more readily sold if we could not afford to maintain it, and that such a property would also be an investment as the parish grew and we worked towards the purchase of land and the building of a permanent church.  The unit was purchased for $200,000.  We had $25,000 in savings and were able to secure a bank loan for a further $125,000.  The remaining $50,000 came from the Diocesan Council, who like us thought that the property would be a prudent investment.  Although the bank loan was for a 15-year period, we managed to repay it in full in just six years.  We soon realised that as the purchase of land and the construction of a church and hall would be a multi-million-dollar project, the move to a permanent church would not happen quickly.  With this understanding we focused on getting the best use we could of our parish centre by adding a mezzanine floor with a choir loft, an office, a meeting room, and a vestry.  We also adorned our small church with beautiful vestments, icons, candle-stands, and eventually a hand-carved iconostasis from Russia.  Finally, in January 2025 we were in a position to make an offer for the purchase of the Diocesan share of our parish centre, now valued at $700,000.  The offer was accepted and the arrangements concluded in February 2025.  In all of this we have been assisted by generous benefactors who have trusted our vision for a welcoming Russian Orthodox parish on the Central Coast and recognised all that with God’s help we have accomplished.  Glory be to God for all things!

On Saturday 1 March and Sunday 2 March we had services for the Sunday of Forgiveness.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday the parish rector was assisted by Protodeacon Martin Naef and prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine.  Immediately after Divine Liturgy, Vespers with the rite of asking forgiveness was served.  Following the services on Sunday our Ladies’ Auxiliary served pancakes.

This year, 2025, is the centenary of the repose of two great hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church:  Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (31 January 1865 - 7 April 1925, canonised 1981) and Saint Jonah, Bishop of Hankow (17 April 1888- 20 October 1925, canonised 1996).  In recognition of this significant anniversary, the Synod of Bishops of our Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia has called upon the bishops and clergy to make a particular effort to remember these two holy bishops.  To this end, they are to be commemorated at the dismissal of each Divine Liturgy up until the Great Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple (4 December, the day of the Patriarchal enthronement of Saint Tikhon in 1918) and to remember Saint Tikhon in a sermon and with a moleben on Sunday 6 April, the Fifth Sunday in Great Lent and the eve of the anniversary of his repose.  We will also serve a moleben to Saint Jonah on Sunday 19 October, the Ninenteenth Sunday after Pentecost and the eve of the anniversary of his repose.  Holy Hierarchs Tikhon and Jonah, pray to God for us!

Our Autumn 2025 Schedule of Services - covering March, April and May - is now available in digital format.  It includes all our services for Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha.  A copy of the English-language Autumn 2025 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Autumn 2025 Schedule of Services is available here.  Printed copies are available in church as of the weekend of 15-16 February.

On Saturday 15 February and Sunday 16 February we had services for the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, for the Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord, and in honour of Righteous Symeon the God-Receiver and Prophetess Anna (1st C. BC).  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the  Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning. At Divine Liturgy on Sunday the parish rector was assisted by Protodeacon Martin Naef and prayers were offered for peace in the Holy Land.  

On Friday 14 February and Saturday 15 February we had services for the Great Feast of the Meeting of the Lord.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Friday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Saturday morning.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land, and there was a blessing of fruit and of candles.  Following Divine Liturgy our parish rector spoke briefly about the significance of the feast-day and about four ever-memorable departed clergymen of our Diocese: Archbishop Paul (Pavlov) (+15 February 1995, thirty years ago to the day), Archpriest Nicholas Grant (+14 February 1995), Protodeacon Vasily Hadarin (+13 February 2021), and Protodeacon Constantine Moshegov (+ 30 January 2022; ordained deacon 15 February 2007, 18 years ago to the day).   A memorial litia was then served for them.  Eternal memory!

Updated 16 February 2025: On Tuesday 18 March and Wednesday 18 March 2025 the clergy of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese will gather in Melbourne for their customary Great Lenten Pastoral Conference.  On Tuesday the clergy will meet at the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral for the Rule of Preparation for Holy Communion at 5.00pm and Lenten Matins and confession at 6.00pm.  On Wednesday from 8.00am the Lenten Hours, the Typika and the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be served at the Cathedral with Archbishop George presiding and Diocesan clergy concelebrating.  Those of the faithful who have the opportunity to do so are welcome to attend the services on Wednesday morning and may – if properly prepared – receive Holy Communion.  Following Divine Liturgy the clergy will meet in the cathedral hall for lunch, to hear a number of short talks, and to discuss pastoral, liturgical and administrative matters.

On Saturday 1 February and Sunday 2 February we had services for the Thirty-Second Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Venerable Euthymius the Great (+473 AD).  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and  Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday the parish rector was assisted by Protodeacon Martin Naef and prayers were offered for peace in the Holy Land.  It being Zaccheus Sunday, the final Sunday before the period of preparation for Great Lent, the parish rector spoke in his sermon about Zaccheus as a model of repentance and about not standing in the way of others who repent.  Following Divine liturgy, a memorial litia was served following Divine Liturgy for all our departed founders, parishioners and benefactors and koliva was blessed. In accordance with parish custom, a memorial litia was served on this day as it was the Sunday closest to the commemoration of Saint Xenia of Saint Petersburg, the patron saint of our Ladies' Auxiliary.

On Saturday 18 January and Sunday 19 January we had services in honour of the Great Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany).  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and  Divine Liturgy with the Great Blessing of Water were served on Sunday morning. At Divine Liturgy on Sunday the parish rector was assisted by Protodeacon Martin Naef and our parish choir sang beautifully under the direction of Nikolai Morozow.  A great many people - amongst whom were friends from Newcastle and Sydney - received Holy Communion on Sunday, and many stayed on after the service for a festive meal.

“Christmastide always evokes feelings of deep love and gratitude in a faithful heart. In these days, let us also raise up our prayerful thanks to God, offering our love to Him and our neighbours. Gratitude and love are always a sacrifice. These are the two mites of the Gospel widow.”  Metropolitan Nicholas’s Epistle is available in full in English here and in Russian here.

“I ask all of the faithful to make an effort to extend a helping hand to all those in need, giving alms to the poor, donations to the churches, helping them to bring the Word of God and grace to the world, helping others in whatever way you can, thereby showing love to your fellow man and fulfilling the commandment of God.”  Archbishop George’s Epistle is available in full in English here and in Russian here.

On Saturday 4 January and Sunday 5 January we had services for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost and the Sunday before the Nativity of Christ.  On this day, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Holy Fathers, all the righteous men and women who pleased God from the days of Adam down to Joseph, the betrothed husband of the Mother of God.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy our parish choir sang beautifully under the direction of Nikolai Morozow and prayers were offered for Orthodox unity, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land.  A great many people confessed and received Holy Communion.  At the end of the service a prayer of blessing was read over new icons of Saint Savva of Serbia and of All Saints of Saint Petersburg, both gifts to our parish from the Douriaguine family.