ПАНТЕЛЕИМОНСКИЙ ЛИСТОК
PARISH NEWSLETTER
~ Number 92, July 2010 ~

PARISH LIFE: OUR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Our AGM was held on Sunday 4 July in the parish hall after Divine Liturgy, with 19 of our 30 financial members present.  At the meeting the 2009 Annual Report, summarising parish life and finances in the 2009 calendar year, was presented, and the current Parish Council and Auditing Committee were re-elected unopposed.  Congratulations to all Parish Councillors and members of the Auditing Committee, and thanks to all parish members who participated. Readers of the newsletter who do not already have a copy of the Annual Report can read it on our website.  Our next general parish meeting will be in November 2010 when we will meet to select to delegates to attend the triennial Diocesan Conference in Sydney on December 26-27, 2010.

PARISH LIFE: JUNE-JULY 2010

On Sunday 20 June 2010 we farewelled Peter and Tanya Iliuk and their children Stephanie, Cyra, and Zachariah, the family having decided to relocate to the Gold Coast.  Peter and Tanya had lived in Umina Beach since their marriage in 2003, and all of their children were born and baptised in our parish. Peter assisted in the building of our new parish centre in 2004, and Tanya had actively helped the work of the Ladies’ Auxiliary.  Father James said a brief word after the service, thanking them for their contribution to parish life over the years and wishing them all the best for their move.  He and Father Martin afterwards served a moleben asking for God’s blessing on the family as they journey to and establish their new home, and thanking God for His blessing upon them and us during their time in our parish.  We offer them best wishes for the future.

On Tuesday 22 June the outgoing Parish Council met for the last time, primarily for the purpose of reviewing in detail the draft 2009 Annual Report.  After careful discussion, a number of changes and additions were made to the draft.  Although time-consuming, this process ensured that the report was both comprehensive and representative of the Parish Council as a whole.  The Annual Report was well-received by the AGM, details of which are reported elsewhere in this newsletter.

On Friday July 2 we learned with sadness of the death of our parishioner, Victor Manjetny. Victor had suffered a serious stroke some ten years ago, and had for many years been cared for at home by his wife, Julia. When this became impossible, Victor was moved to the Saint Sergius Home in Cabramatta.  Victor last attended services back in the days when our parish met at the Narara Community Centre, ill health having prevented him coming to our church at West Gosford.  His funeral was at the Holy Protection Church in Cabramatta on Monday July 5, with Archpriest Boris Ignatievsky and Father James serving.  We pray that God will give rest to His long-suffering servant Victor, and that He will console Julia and her family.

The evening of Monday July 5 was an eventful one in parish life, with two baby boys arriving.  The first was Lucas Kfoury, the son of Andrew and Cindy Kfoury, who arrived at 7.47pm, a baby brother to Christopher and Jasmine.  The second was Leo Pereboeff, the son of Paul and Linda Pereboeff, who arrived at 10.15pm, a baby brother to Susanna, Isaac, and Justin.  Our warmest congratulations and best wishes to both sets of parents, Andrew & Cindy and Paul & Linda, and to their families.

On Friday July 9 Father James served a memorial service in the Rose Chapel at Palmdale Lawn Cemetery & Memorial Park for the newly-reposed Paul Zuks-Booth, a Russian Orthodox resident of Umina Beach, originally from Perth, WA, who had not previously been in contact with our church. Parishioners and friends are asked to remember the newly-departed servant of God Paul in their prayers.

On Monday July 12, the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Father James and Father Martin and their families, together with a number of Gosford parishioners, joined the cathedral parish at Strathfield for the celebration of its patronal feast.  Presiding at Divine Liturgy was His Grace Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart, visiting our diocese until November 2010.  Vladyka Agapit was joined by Bishop Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and by priests and deacons of both churches.

On Tuesday July 20 the returned Parish Council met for the first time following the AGM.  Parish financial reports for May and June and Ladies’ Auxiliary financial reports for Quarters 1 and 2 2010 were considered.  Attention was also given to the replacement of the air conditioning in the parish centre, and preparations for our feast-day on Saturday August 7.

Our air conditioning units broke down some time ago, but their absence was not felt until the colder weather arrived in June and July.  Although the church warms up during the Sunday services as people arrive and candles are lit, it is extremely cold of a Saturday night and early on a Sunday morning.  The June and July Parish Council meetings have also been chilly affairs.  Members of the Parish Council and our choir mistress, Olga Itsikson, have been raising funds for the replacement of the units, with over $2000.00 already donated or collected.  It is expected that the new units, which have already been purchased, will be installed by our feast-day.

Readers will recall the visit to our parish in May 2009 of two sisters from the Convent of Saint Elisabeth in Mink, Belarus.  The sisters had with them many items for sale, including bookmarks for the Holy Gospel and clergy vestments.  Father James was able to purchase some white, red and green bookmarks at the time.  A number of parishioners were interested in a set of priest’s vestments with a grapevine pattern, but the set the sisters had with them was made for a priest of somewhat fuller figure than Father James.  Plans were made to place a custom order in due course.

After some months of deliberation, it was recently decided to order, instead, two sets of deacon’s vestments, one in black and one in green, these being the only vestments that Father Martin did not have.  As for priest’s vestments, it was agreed that as Father James had a set of vestments in each colour, no further vestments for him were required at this stage.  At the same time, bookmarks in gold, blue, black and purple were ordered.  All items have been handmade at the Convent, and are expected to arrive in Australia soon.  These items have been paid for by the Ladies’ Auxiliary. 

DIOCESAN LIFE: WORD OF THE CHURCH

The second issue of the reformatted Diocesan Journal, ‘Word of the Church’, is now available.  Now edited by Archpriest Michael Protopopov, the new format has a glossy cover and includes articles in English and Russian.  The current issue, available in church, has details of Episcopal decrees and awards; articles about the 6oth anniversary of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Perth, the tonsure and ordination of Hierodeacon Panteleimon, and the 65th anniversary of the forced repatriation of Cossacks from Lienz; and reminiscences of Archbishops Theodosy and Paul, Archpriest Nicholas Grant, and Priest Vladimir Evsukoff.

PARISH LIFE: THE MONTH AHEAD

August will be a busy month in parish life, with services on four weekends of five, the Dormition Fast, and the celebration of the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.  We will have three Sunday services, the third of these being an English-language Divine Liturgy on the day of commemoration of the Icon of Christ “Not-Made-By-Hands”, the afterfeast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.  The other weekend service will be on Saturday August 7, for our feast day.

PARISH LIFE: PARISH FEAST DAY

Parishioners and friends are reminded that our feast-day of Saint Panteleimon will be celebrated this year on Saturday 7 August, with Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart presiding.  It is expected that a number of priests and deacons from Sydney will also join us, together with the faithful from parishes there and in Newcastle.  We will have All-night vigil at 6.00pm on the evening of Friday August 6.  Lunch after Divine Liturgy on Saturday will be at the Niagara Park Community Centre, located within the shopping centre.  Please note that the Blessing of Water will now be at 7.45am, and Divine Liturgy will begin at 8.30am, allowing Bishop Agapit adequate time to return to Sydney for an afternoon flight to Adelaide. 

PARISH LIFE: CHARITABLE WORK

Our money box collection during the Apostles’ Fast was for the assistance of the Russian Orthodox Church in Chile following the earthquake there in February. All money boxes are now due back to Paul Pereboeff.

On Sunday August 1 we will be taking up a collection to assist the Saint Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, New Jersey.  Envelopes in which to place contributions are included with this newsletter.  In 2009 the Synod of Bishops directed that this collection be taken up in 2009 and 2010 on the feast of Saint Vladimir (or the closest convenient Sunday) to assist in the restoration of this remarkable church, built to commemorate the 950th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’.  More information about the Saint Vladimir Memorial Church can be found at: http://www.stvladimirnj.org/. 

PARISH LIFE: WINTER CAMP

Our ‘Rough-It Camp’ in honour of the Martyred Crown Prince Alexei was held as planned on Friday 16 – Sunday 18 July at Camp Chapman, a Girl Guides camp in Somersby. As it turned out, it was not quite a rough camp, the facilities at Camp Chapman being comfortable and modern.  Although a smaller camp than last year, with approximately 30 adults and children attending, all had a good time. Camp activities included candle-making, cooking over an open fire, building with bamboo, and singing around the campfire.  The proximity to church was certainly helpful in that our usual services were not disrupted, and there was no need to transport the things necessary for church to the campsite.  Although consideration is being given to a summer camp in December this year, our next parish camp is likely to be in Winter 2011.

THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL ARE ASKED FOR: