On Saturday 18 April, Bright Saturday, Simon Polorotov was ordained to the diaconate by Metropolitan Hilarion during Divine Liturgy at Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Fairfield, NSW.  The newly-ordained Deacon Simon is the older brother of Protodeacon German Polorotov and will undertake his clerical service at Fairfield, filling the position vacated by Father German upon his move to the Tweed Heads parish.  Father Simon is a long-term friend of our parish, he and his family having donated the icons of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga and Blessed Xenia of Saint Petersburg that adorn our iconostasis at West Gosford.  We warmly congratulate Father Simon on his ordination to the diaconate and wish him many years of faithful service to the Holy Orthodox Church.  Axios!  A photo-report is available on the Fairfield parish website here, and an article in the Russian-language newspaper "Unification" can be viewed here.