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Now available - the December 2020 issue of "Word of the Church" ("Церковное Слово") - 31/12/2020
Last updated: 2020-12-30 23:06:25

The December 2020 issue of “Word of the Church” (“Церковное Слово”), the official journal of the Australian-New Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, has recently become available in our parishes. This edition commemorates the centenary of the foundation, in 1920, of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and is in a beautiful new format that includes colour photographs and QR codes with links to further information.  Content includes details of ordinations, clergy awards, and appointments; reports on feast-day celebrations in Geelong and at the Kazan Convent in Kentlyn, NSW; an extensive report marking the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of Saint John the Baptist Skete in Kentlyn, together with an appeals for funds to assist with the rebuilding of the skete; an obituary of His Holiness Irenej, Patriarch of Serbia, who reposed this year as a result of the coronavirus; the Jubilee Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion; a beautiful colour reproduction of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, suitable for framing; materials on globalisation from the perspective of the Russian Orthodox Church; and more.  Copies are $5.00.


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2020 - The year in review - 31/12/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2021-03-29 06:40:58

For us as for everyone, 2020 was dominated by the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 and the public health measures implemented to manage it.  Our parish had no public services from Wednesday 18 March until Saturday 16 May and restrictions on attendance were in place from May until the end of the year.  We had five baptisms, amongst whom were Elliana Sutula, James Janson, Isla McDougall, and Thea Markarova.  We served the funeral of Tatiana Gerasimovna Silis.  Our much-loved former Head Sister, Olga Petroff, departed this life after a grievous illness.  Litanies and prayers were offered to mark the Centenary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and together with the Wallsend parish we provided an English-Russian wall calendar commemorating this milestone in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church.  Our website provided information to help with the planning of weddings and instructive material about Sunday commemorations and readings, certain Great Feasts, and the system of tones used for singing in the Russian Orthodox Church.  We commissioned and approved the design of a new iconostasis for our parish centre and commenced arrangements for its manufacture.  Our parish rector made pastoral visits to the Mid North Coast of New South Wales in August and November.  All the news from 2020 can be read here.  Glory be to God for all things!


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Services on 19-20 December, the Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost - 20/12/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-12-19 21:10:13

On Saturday 19 December and Sunday 20 December we had services for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Saint Ambrose of Milan (+397 AD).   All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  In his sermon at Divine Liturgy the parish rector spoke about the life and example of Saint Ambrose, a wonderful shepherd of the Church of Christ and a steadfast defender of Orthodoxy.  Following Divine Liturgy a memorial litia was served for Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of Montenegro and the Littoral, and more than one hundred hierarchs and clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church who have departed this life in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus.  A comprehensive list of the departed clergy is available in Russian here, and a shorter list in English that includes monastics is available here.  These were our final services for 2020.


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Our 2020 Annual Report - 06/12/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-12-08 05:24:46

Our 2020 Annual Report, including the independently audited 2019-20 Financial Statements, is now available. A copy of the report can be accessed in PDF form here.  In view of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, and with Bishop George’s blessing, there will be no parish Annual General Meeting this year.  Instead, the 2020 Annual Report was endorsed by the Parish Council at a meeting on Tuesday 1 December 2020.  We encourage our parishioners and friends with questions or comments in relation to our Annual Report to contact us.


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Services on 5-6 December, the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - 06/12/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-12-05 21:03:32

On Saturday 5 December and Sunday 6 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 Holy and Right-Believing Great Prince Alexander Nevsky (+1263 AD).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  In place of a sermon at Divine Liturgy, the parish rector read aloud the Jubilee Epistle of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.


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Services on 3-4 December, the Great Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple - 04/12/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-12-03 23:00:38

On Thursday 3 December and Friday 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 Thursday evening and Divine Liturgy was served early on Friday morning.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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The December 2020 meeting of the Parish Council - 01/12/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-12-08 05:25:40

On Tuesday 1 December the Parish Council met by teleconference.  The usual reports on parish life and finances were tabled and discussed.  The draft 2020 Annual Report and the audited financial statements were considered, accepted and approved for distribution.  A quote for the manufacture of a new iconostasis, a design for which was approved by the Parish Council in August 2020, was accepted.  It is expected that the new iconostasis will be completed and ready for installation by mid-2022.


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Our Summer 2020-21 Schedule of Services - 15/11/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-12-06 07:06:49

Our Summer 2020-21 Schedule of Services - covering December, January and February - is now available in PDF format.  A copy of the English-language Summer 2020-21 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Summer 2020-21 Schedule of Services is available here.  Printed copies in both languages are available in church as of Sunday 15 November.   Updated 6 December 2020:  From Monday 7 December 2020 attendance numbers at religious services in New South Wales are subject to the two square metre rule.  We are permitted 65 people because the total area of our church, adjoining hall and choir loft is approximately 130 square metres.  Although this means that restrictions have effectively been lifted for all evening and weekday services, the size of our parish is such that we will continue to manage attendance on Sundays and large services.  The only large weekday services in our parish during Summer 2020-21 will be the Christmas services on 6-7 January.  In our parish approximately 100 people attend Sunday services regularly.  These people have now been divided into two teams of approximately fifty people each and most have been advised which team they belong to.  Team A may attend on the first Sunday of the month and Team B may attend on the third Sunday of the month. The 15 free places will be used to accommodate those not allocated to a team, occasional worshippers, and visitors.  Those allocated to a team who wish to attend Sunday services more frequently may email attendance@gosfordrussianchurch.org.au.  If possible, a place will be allocated.  Those wishing to attend a Christmas service on 6-7 January should express interest by 20 December 2020.  When expressing interest please indicate if the evening or morning service is preferred.  Places at Christmas services will be allocated to regular worshippers first, and then to family members and visitors in order of registration.


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Services on 14-15 November, the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost - 15/11/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-11-15 00:16:57

On Saturday 14 November and Sunday 15 November we had services for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Martyrs Acindynus and his companions of Persia (+341-345 AD).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  Prayers for deliverance from the coronavirus were offered at Divine Liturgy.  Following the Prayer before the Amvon, prayers of blessing were read over new deacon’s vestments, a gold sticharion and a beautiful orarion with embroidered icons, both items the work of the sisters of Saint Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus.  At the end of the service, the parish rector presented the newly-blessed vestments to Protodeacon Martin Naef.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 31 October-1 November, the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost - 01/11/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2021-01-21 06:54:59

On Saturday 17 October and Sunday 18 October we had services for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Righteous John, the Wonderworker of Kronstadt (+1908).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  Prayers for deliverance from the coronavirus were offered at Divine Liturgy.  In his sermon on Sunday the parish rector spoke about the life and teachings of Saint John of Kronstadt.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 17-18 October, the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 18/10/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-10-18 02:38:57

On Saturday 17 October and Sunday 18 October we had services for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Holy Hierarchs and Wonderworkers of Moscow: Peter (+1326), Alexius (+1378), Jonah (+1461), Macarius (+1563), Philip (+1569), Job (+1607), Hermogenes (+1612), Philaret (+1867), Innocent (+1879), Macarius (+1926), Tikhon (+1925) and Peter (+1937).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  In his sermon at Divine Liturgy the parish rector spoke about the history of the commemoration of the Holy Hierarchs of Moscow; the life and service of Metropolitan Innocent, Patriarch Tikhon, and Metropolitan Peter; and the priceless inheritance that we have as children of the Russian Orthodox Church.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 13-14 October, the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God - 14/10/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-10-16 06:04:33

On Tuesday 13 October and Wednesday 14 October we had services for the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God.  All-night Vigil was served on Tuesday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Wednesday morning.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.  Many of those present took the opportunity to receive Holy Communion.  Following the dismissal the parish rector congratulated Matushka Marie on her recent name-day (12 October, Saint Mary of Palestine), thanking her for her work conducting the choir, baking prosphora, and organising attendance in both our parish and the Wallsend parish.  Many Years was sung for her, and Head Sister Nina Golovin presented her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.


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Services on 3-4 October, the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - 04/10/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-10-05 04:31:42

On Saturday 3 October and Sunday 4 October we had services for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost and the Leave-taking of the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning. Following Divine Liturgy on Sunday those present venerated the Holy Cross before it was returned to the altar.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Now available - the September 2020 issue of "Word of the Church" ("Церковное Слово") - 01/10/2020
Last updated: 2020-10-16 06:36:46

The September 2020 issue of “Word of the Church” (“Церковное Слово”), the official journal of the Australian-New Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, has recently become available in our parishes. As usual, it contains a number of interesting articles in both Russian and English. This issue includes the Russian-language text of the Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion on the fiftieth anniversary of the canonisation of Saint Herman of Alaska; the Russian and English texts of the Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion to Participants in ROCOR Centenary celebrations in Sydney in July 2020 organised by the Two-Headed Eagle Society; the text of episcopal circulars and decrees; a ‘Homily on the Veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross’ by Saint Theodore the Studite; a moving article by Matushka Karen Baker reflecting on the coronavirus pandemic and on the death of her husband in a motor vehicle accident, leaving her a young widow with six children; and others.  Copies are $5.00.


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The repose and funeral of Tetyana Silis - 26/09/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-10-03 23:19:29

On Monday 21 September, the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, we learned with sadness of the sudden repose that morning of our oldest parishioner, Tetyana Gerasimovna Silis. Tetyana, a first cousin to Metropolitan Hilarion, was less than one month from her ninety-fourth birthday.  Her funeral was served in our church on Saturday 26 September.  She was afterwards laid to rest at Point Clare Cemetery.  We offer heartfelt condolences to Tetyana’s only child, her daughter Lilija, and to her grandson Leonid.  May God grant her rest with the saints, and make her memory to be eternal!


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Services on 20-21 September, the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God - 21/09/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-09-26 03:47:19

On Sunday 20 September and Monday 21 September we had services for 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 Sunday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Monday morning.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 19-20 September, the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 20/09/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-09-26 08:26:08

On Saturday 19 September and Sunday 20 September we had services for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the Forefeast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, and in honour of Martyr Sozon of Cilicia (+ 304 AD).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy, the Prayer in Time of Devastating Epidemic was offered and the newly-baptised Isla McDougall received Holy Communion for the first time.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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A baptism - James Janson - 13/09/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-09-13 08:23:22

On 13 September the parish rector baptised James Janson, the infant son of Thomas and Valentina Janson.  James, whose sponsors were Alexander Aksyonov and Anastasia Aksyonova, was baptised in honour of Apostle James, brother of the Lord.  We warmly congratulate Thomas, Valentina, Alexander and Anastasia, and wish the newly-baptised servant of God James many years!


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A baptism - Isla McDougall - 12/09/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-09-13 08:24:08

On Saturday 12 September the parish rector baptised Isla McDougall, the three year-old daughter of Igor Turkin and Chloe McDougall.  Isla, who was baptised in honour of Martyr Vasilissa of Egypt, had as her sponsors Maria Martynyuk, Kaye Weston, and Sebastian Reid.  We warmly congratulate Igor, Chloe and the godparents, and wish the newly-baptised handmaiden of God Isla many years!


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A design for a new iconostasis in our parish centre - 07/09/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-09-07 08:42:05

In late 2017 our Parish Council resolved to undertake two major improvements to our parish centre in West Gosford: the construction of a mezzanine floor and choir loft, and the design and installation of a new iconstasis.  Work on the mezzanine floor was commenced in mid-2018 and completed in mid-2019.  On the recomendation of the parish rector, Moscow-based iconographer Maria Burganova-Yaltanskaya was then commissioned to design a new iconostasis.  Information about Maria and examples of her work can be viewed here and here.  Her final design can be viewed here.  This design was accepted by the Parish Council in August 2020 and a plan for the production and installation of the new iconostasis is now being developed.


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Services on 5-6 September, the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 06/09/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-09-08 08:33:13

On Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September we had services for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Hieromartyr Eutchyes, the disciple of Apostle John the Theologian (+ First C. AD).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy, the Prayer in Time of Devastating Epidemic was offered.  Attendance at the services remained restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 18-19 August, the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord - 19/08/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-09-08 08:33:32

On Tuesday 18 August and Wednesday 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 Tuesday evening and Divine Liturgy with the blessing of grapes, apples and other fruit was served on Wednesday morning.


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Our Spring 2020 Schedule of Services - 18/08/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-08-17 17:49:03

Our Spring 2020 Schedule of Services - covering September, October and November - is now available in PDF format.  Services of note during this period include those for the Nativity of the Mother of God on 20-21 September and for the Protection of the Mother of God on 13-14 October.  A copy of the English-language Spring 2020 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Spring 2020 Schedule of Services is available here.  NOTE: As of 1 June 2020, the number of people able to be present at all services in our church is restricted by New South Wales Government public health orders to thirty (30).  In view of this, attendance at Sunday services will be by invitation only.  Those wishing to attend specific weekday Divine Liturgies should express interest in doing so by emailing attendance@gosfordrussianchurch.org.au.  As attendance at evening services is generally low these services are open to all who wish to attend.  The NSW Department of Health recommendation that face masks be worn in places of religious worship should be noted.


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Services on 15-16 August, the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - 16/08/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-08-15 23:20:07

On Saturday 15 August and Sunday 16 August we had services for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Venerable Isaac (+383 AD), Dalmatus (+446 AD), and Faustus (+5th C.) of Constantinople.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  In his sermon at Divine Liturgy the parish rector spoke about the three saints commemorated and their steadfast defence of Orthodoxy against Arianism and Nestorianism; about the adoption by Tsar Peter the Great of Saint Isaac as a patron saint because he had been born on the saint’s day of commemoration; and of how there are no chance events, things rather unfolding according to Divine Providence.  Attendance at the services was restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 13-14 August, the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord - 14/08/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-08-15 00:43:50

On Thursday 13 August and Friday 14 August we had services for the feast of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord and in honour of the Holy Maccabean Martyrs (+166 BC).  Matins with the bringing out of the Cross was served on Thursday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Friday morning.  At the Prayer before the Amvon at Divine Liturgy the Lesser Blessing of Water was served and there was a blessing of honey, a number of jars of which had been donated in memory of the departed servants of God Anna, Olga and Olga.  As the faithful venerated the Precious Cross after Divine Liturgy, the parish rector spoke about the way in which so many threads of the experience of God's people were woven together in the day’s liturgical commemoration: the faithfulness of the Maccabean Martyrs in Old Testament times, the offering of prayers for deliverance from disease during processions with the Cross in the hot summer month of August in Constantinople, the baptism of Rus’ on this day in 988 AD, and the custom of the Russian people seeking God’s blessing on new honey.  Attendance at the services was restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 8-9 August, the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and the day of commemoration of the great-Martyr Panteleimon - 09/08/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-08-09 08:42:19

On Saturday 8 August and Sunday 9 August we had services for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and 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 on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  As it was also the fiftieth anniversary of the glorification of Saint Herman of Alaska, the magnification to that saint was sung on Saturday evening and Metropolitan Hilarion’s epistle marking this occasion was read in place of a sermon on Sunday morning. The customary blessing of water was served early on Sunday, outside and before the church doors.  A moleben to Saint Panteleimon was served immediately after Divine Liturgy, following which the usual prayers were offered for the Patriarch and the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Australian and Russian lands, parish clergy and office-bearers, the people present, and for our departed parishioners.  Attendance at the services was restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.  As a festive meal was not possible, the Ladies’ Auxiliary prepared and packaged piroshki and cake for those present to eat at home afterwards.


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Useful information about when weddings can be celebrated, together with a list of available dates in 2020, 2021 and 2022 - 08/08/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-08-07 21:46:39

In conjunction with Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Wallsend, our parish has developed and published an explanation of the reasons why weddings cannot be celebrated on certain days and dates and during certain seasons. It incorporates a list of Sundays and Fridays on which weddings can be celebrated that has now been updated to include Sundays and Fridays in 2021 and 2022.  This information, which can be accessed either here or via our Needs page under Weddings has been prepared to help our parishioners and friends when planning weddings in parishes of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Should anyone have any questions about this information, please contact us.


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Services on 18-19 July, the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - 19/07/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-07-19 03:02:24

On Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July we had services for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Saint Sisoes the Great (+429 AD).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.   Prior to the evening service on Saturday the Office at the Departure of the Soul from the Body was served for the newly-reposed handmaiden of God Olga Petroff.  In his sermon on Sunday the parish rector spoke about the Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans, the rules for Christian living set out in the appointed reading from that letter (12:6-14), and the importance of "rejoicing in hope, [being] patient in tribulation, and continuing steadfastly in prayer".  Attendance at the services was restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 4-5 July, the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - 05/07/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-07-19 01:51:25

On Saturday 4 July and Sunday 5 July we had services for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Saint John, the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco (+1966 AD).  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At All-night vigil, the faithful were anointed with oil from the lampada that burns at the relics of Saint John, enshrined in the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco, USA.  Attendance at the services was restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 20-21 June, the Second Sunday after Pentecost - 21/06/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-06-21 01:23:53

On Saturday 20 June and Sunday 21 June we had services for the Second Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of All Saints of Russia.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy, the Prayer for the Prosperity of the Russian Orthodox Church was offered and the Archpastoral Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion to the Clergy and Flock of the Dioceses of Eastern American and Australia & New Zealand was read in place of a sermon.  Attendance was restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 6-7 June, the Great Feast of Pentecost - 07/06/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-06-07 08:02:40

On Saturday 6 June and Sunday 7 June we had services for Trinity Sunday, the Great Feast of Pentecost.  Prior to the services the church was beautifully decorated with green branches symbolising the new life that we have in the Holy Spirit.  All-night vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Saturday evening.  On Sunday morning Divine Liturgy was preceded by the Lesser Blessing of Water and followed – in accordance with the custom of the Russian Orthodox Church – by Vespers with the kneeling prayers.  Attendance was restricted by public health regulations to a total of thirty people.


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Services on 30-31 May, the Seventh Sunday of Pascha - 31/05/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-06-07 08:01:47

On Saturday 30 May and Sunday 31 May we had services for the Seventh Sunday of Pascha, the Afterfeast of the Ascension and in hounor of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  Attendance was restricted by public health regulations to ten people in addition to essential workers.


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Our Winter 2020 Schedule of Services - 30/05/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-05-30 10:00:08

Our Winter 2020 Schedule of Services - covering June, July and August - is now available in PDF format.  Services of note during this period include those for Pentecost on 6-7 June, for the commemoration of Saint Panteleimon on 8-9 August, and for the Transfiguration of the Lord on 18-19 August.  A copy of the English-language Winter 2020 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Winter 2020 Schedule of Services is available here.  Printed copies in both languages are now available in church.  NOTE: As of 1 June 2020, the number of people able to be present at all services in our church is restricted by New South Wales Government public health orders to thirty (30).  In view of this, attendance at Sunday services will be by invitation only.  Those wishing to attend specific weekday Divine Liturgies should express interest in doing so by emailing attendance@gosfordrussianchurch.org.au.  As attendance at evening services is generally low these services are open to all who wish to attend.


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Services on 27-28 May, the Great Feast of the Ascension - 28/05/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-06-07 08:01:10

On Wednesday 27 May and Thursday 28 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 Divine Liturgy was served early on Thursday morning.  Attendance was restricted by public health regulations to ten people in addition to essential workers.


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Services on 16-17 May, the Fifth Sunday of Pascha - 17/05/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-05-18 07:11:36

On Saturday 16 May and Sunday 17 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 Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  For the first time in over two months, we were able to have a number of parishioners in church in addition to clergy, servers, singers and helpers.  Many of those present took the opportunity to confess and receive Holy Communion.  Following the Prayer before the Amvon at Divine Liturgy, prayers of thanksgiving were offered for the Reestablishment of Canonical Communion in the Russian Orthodox Church, accomplished in Moscow on 17 May 2007 in the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion by the wise and ever-memorable archpastors Patriarch Alexey II and Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla).  After the dismissal the parish rector congratulated 16 year-old Monica Karmadonoff on her name day, recalling her baptism on Palm Sunday 2004 and noting that she was the first baby baptised in our West Gosford parish centre.


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The May 2020 meeting of the Parish Council - 12/05/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-05-23 01:53:12

On Tuesday 12 May the Parish Council met by teleconference.  Reports were heard on parish life and finances.  Particular attention was given to the COVID-19 crisis, its impact on parish life, and the possibility of recommencing open-door services, albeit with restricted numbers, from 15 May.  It was agreed that services with ten worshippers present, in addition to essential workers, would begin as of the weekend of 16-17 May.  The parish rector indicated that he would begin to serve in the Wallsend parish again from the weekend of 23-24 May.  The Parish Council is due to meet again on Tuesday 9 June.


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Services on 9-10 May, the Fourth Sunday of Pascha - 10/05/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-05-19 06:35:10

On Saturday 9 May and Sunday 10 May we had closed-door services for the Third Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Paralytic.  This Sunday takes its name from the appointed reading from the Holy Gospel, John 5:1-15, which gives an account of the healing by our Lord Jesus Christ of a man paralysed for thirty-eight years. All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy the commemoration books of the parishioners of the Wallsend parish were read and the Prayer in time of Devastasting Epidemic was offered.  Following Divine Liturgy a moleben to Saint Nicholas was served at which the Wallsend parishioners and their families were again commemorated.


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Services on 2-3 May, the Third Sunday of Pascha - 03/05/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-05-19 06:34:13

On Saturday 2 May and Sunday 3 May we had closed-door services for the Third Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-bearers. On this day the Orthodox Church commemorates those who brought funeral spices and ointments to the tomb for Christ's burial: Mary Magdalene, Mary the Theotokos, Joanna, Salome, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Susanna, Mary and Martha of Bethany, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.  Matins was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy the commemoration books of all our parishioners were read and the Prayer in time of Devastasting Epidemic was offered.  Following Divine Liturgy a moleben to Saint Panteleimon was served at which our parishioners and their families were again commemorated.


00038
Now available - the April 2020 issue of "Word of the Church" ("Церковное Слово") - 28/04/2020
Last updated: 2020-04-28 05:37:55

The April 2020 issue of “Word of the Church” (“Церковное Слово”), the official journal of the Australian-New Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, has recently become available in our parishes. As usual, it contains a number of interesting articles in both Russian and English. This issue includes the Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion in Russian and English; “Домашнее Богослужение Воскресного Дня”; “How Saint Valentina of Minsk helped during the Great Patriotic War”; the text of episcopal statements, letters and decrees; materials relating to the coronavirus pandemic; and a directory of Diocesan parishes and clergy.  Copies are $5.00.  During the period in which our church is closed, we will post a copy to any of our parishioners who would like one.


00039
Services on 25-26 April, Thomas Sunday - 26/04/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-04-26 02:45:04

On Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April we had closed-door services for the second Sunday of Pascha, Thomas Sunday.  Thomas Sunday is so named because the appointed reading from the Gospel (John 20:19-31) gives an account of the initial unbelief and subsequent confession of faith of the Apostle Thomas.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy the commemoration books of the Wallsend parish were read.  Following the Prayer before the Amvon the prayer at the breaking of the Artos was read and the artosi for both our parish and the Wallsend parish were cut for distribution.  The pieces of the artos have been wrapped and frozen and will be distributed when our churches reopen.  Following Divine Liturgy a general pannikhida was served in anticipation of Radonitsa (the "Day of Rejoicing"), a commemoration of the departed that in the Russian Orthodox tradition is customarily observed on the second Tuesday after Pascha.  In accordance with the instructions of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia we commemorated their Beatitudes the ever-memorable Metropolitans Anthony and Anastassy; Metropolitans Philaret, Vitaly and Laurus; our ever-memorable Diocesan hierarchs Archbishops Theodore, Savva, Theodosy, Afanasy, and Paul; the departed clergy of our Diocese; all those who for Christ and the Russian Church laboured in divers lands, and the other archpastors, pastors, founders and benefactors of the Russian Diaspora; for the elect sons and daughters of the Church of Russia, who faithfully struggled for her unity, good estate and honour in the realms of piety, blessedness, governance, the protection of the persecuted and the veneration of the New Martyrs and Confessors; for all our righteous ancestors, and for their peaceful repose and blessed memory.  At this pannikhida the names of the departed in all the commemoration books of our parish and the Wallsend parish were read.


00040
No services to be held at Rookwood Cemetery on Radonitsa - 21/04/2020
Last updated: 2020-04-25 07:39:18

Having received advice from Rookwood General Cemetery, Bishop George has advised the clergy of the Sydney Deanery that there are to be no services at the cemetery on Radonitsa this year.  In the Russian Orthodox tradition, Radonitsa (the "Day of Rejoicing") is the first day after Pascha on which the departed are commemorated.  It is customarily observed on the second Tuesday after Pascha.  Instead of graveside services, Bishop George has recommended that a general memorial service be served in church.  Although our church remains closed, our parish rector will commemorate our departed founders, benefactors, parishioners and relatives in a general memorial service following divine Liturgy on Thomas Sunday, Sunday 26 April.


00041
The 2020 Paschal Epistle of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia - 19/04/2020
Last updated: 2020-04-25 07:32:21

The 2020 Paschal Epistle of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia may be read in English here and in Russian here.


00042
The 2020 Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia - 19/04/2020
Last updated: 2020-04-25 07:29:17

The 2020 Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, may be read in English here and in Russian here.


00043
Holy Week and Pascha in Gosford, 2020 - 19/04/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-04-21 07:20:09

Despite the restrictions on social activity and church life this year made necessary by the threat of the coronavirus COVID-19, our parish was able to have a number of traditional services for Orthodox Holy Week and Pascha.  Matins with the singing of "Behold, the Bridegroom comes" ("Се, Жених грядет") and the exapostilarion “Thy Bridal chamber” ("Чертог твой") was served in the evening on Sunday 12 April, Monday 13 April, and Tuesday 14 April.  Matins and Divine Liturgy for Great and Holy Thursday were served on the evening of Wednesday 15 April and the morning of Thursday 16 April.  Vespers with the bringing out of the Shroud of Christ was served in the afternoon on Friday 17 April and Matins with Lamentations before the Tomb of Christ was served later that evening.  On the morning of Saturday 18 April, Great and Holy Saturday, Vespers with Divine Liturgy was served.  On Saturday evening Midnight Office and a small procession were followed by Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy.  The Paschal Hours and Vespers were served on the morning of Sunday 19 April.  At each of these services a small number of experienced readers, singers and servers were present to ensure the orderly conduct of the services.  At Divine Liturgy on Thursday the commemoration books of the Wallsend parish were read, and at Divine Liturgy on Saturday our parish commemoration books were read.


00044
Services on 11-12 April, the Great Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) - 12/04/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-04-12 00:24:50

On Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April we had closed-door services for the Great Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday.  All-night vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil, and five loaves was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  Pussy willows and palm branches were also blessed on Saturday evening.  At Divine Liturgy the commemoration books of all our parishioners were read and the Prayer in time of Devastasting Epidemic was offered.  In his sermon on Sunday the parish rector spoke about the events commemorated on Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday; about the humanity and divinity of Christ; about the ancient monastic practice in Palestine of leaving the monasteries during Great Lent to fast and pray in the wilderness before coming together again on Palm Sunday; of the way in which a Great Lent in the wilderness had been imposed on many by present circumstances; and of the relevance in these circumstances of the appointed reading from the Apostol (Philippians 4:4-9) with its exhortation to not be anxious about anything, to present all requests to God, and to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure and lovely.  Following Divine Liturgy a moleben to Saint Panteleimon was served at which our parishioners and their families were again commemorated.


00045
Services on 10-11 April, Lazarus Saturday - 11/04/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-04-11 02:09:50

On Friday 10 April and Sunday 11 April we had closed-door services for Lazarus Saturday, the day on which the Orthodox Church commemorates the raising of Lazarus from the dead after four days in the grave (John 11:1-45).  Matins was served on Friday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Saturday morning.  On Saturday at Divine Liturgy the commemoration books of all the parishioners of Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Wallsend, were read and the Prayer in time of Devastasting Epidemic was offered.  Following Divine Liturgy a moleben to Saint Nicholas was served at which the Wallsend parishioners and their families were again commemorated.


00046
Now available - the January 2020 issue of "Word of the Church" ("Церковное Слово") - 11/04/2020
Last updated: 2020-04-11 23:43:23

The January 2020 issue of “Word of the Church” (“Церковное Слово”), the official journal of the Australian-New Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, has recently become available in our parishes. As usual, it contains a number of interesting articles in both Russian and English. This issue includes the Nativity Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion in Russian and English; the text of episcopal statements, letters and decrees; a list of living and departed clergy of the Diocese for remembrance in prayer; and a directory of Diocesan parishes and clergy.  Copies are $5.00.  During the period in which our church is closed, we will post a copy to any of our parishioners who would like one.


00047
Services on 6-7 April, the Great Feast of the Annunciation - 07/04/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-04-11 02:10:13

On Monday 6 April and Tuesday 7 April we had closed-door services for the Great Feast of the Annunciation.  All-night Vigil (Great Compline, Matins and the First Hour) with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Monday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Tuesday morning.  On Tuesday at Divine Liturgy the commemoration books of all our parishioners were read and the Prayer in time of Devastasting Epidemic was offered.  Following Divine Liturgy a moleben to the Mother of God was served at which our parishioners and their families were again commemorated.


00048
Services on 4-5 April, the Fifth Sunday in Great Lent - 05/04/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-04-07 05:20:43

On Saturday 4 April and Sunday 5 April we had closed-door services for the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, the day of commemoration of Saint Mary of Egypt (+c.421 AD).  All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  On Sunday at Divine Liturgy the commemoration books of all the parishioners of Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Wallsend, were read and the Prayer in time of Devastasting Epidemic was offered.  Following Divine Liturgy a moleben to Saint Nicholas was served at which the Wallsend parishioners and their families were again commemorated.  On Sunday evening there was a small service of General Anointing, again behind closed doors.


00049
Services on 28-29 March, the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent - 29/03/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-04-07 05:19:33

On Saturday 28 March and Sunday 29 March we had closed-door services for the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent, the day of commemoration of Saint John of the Ladder, Abbot of Mount Sinai (+649 AD).  No services has been scheduled for this weekend as our rector had been due to make a pastoral visit to the Mid North Coast, but in view of the unfolding COVID-19 crisis his visit was postponed.  Instead, All-night Vigil was served in our church on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  On Sunday the commemoration books of all our parishioners were read and the Prayer in time of Devastasting Epidemic was offered.  Following Divine Liturgy a moleben to Saint Panteleimon was served at which our parishioners and their families were again commemorated.  On Sunday evening Vespers with the Fourth Passia was served, again behind closed doors.


00050
The March 2020 meeting of the Parish Council - 24/03/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-03-27 21:04:20

On Tuesday 24 March the Parish Council met by teleconference.  Reports were heard on parish life and finances.  Particular attention was given to the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on parish life.  It was agreed that the parish rector would serve Divine Liturgy privately on Sundays and major feast days while the church remained closed for public worship.  Arrangements would be made for the commemoration books of all our parishioners to be read at Divine Liturgy, thus ensuring that prayers continued to be offered for all our living and departed relatives, benefactors and friends.  In addition, molebens to Saint Panteleimon and Saint Nicholas would be served following Divine Liturgy on alternating Sundays.  Other matters discussed included the possibility of the parish rector taking Holy Communion to the faithful in their own homes, preliminary designs for our new iconostasis, and options for cashless transactions when purchasing prosfora and candles or making donations.  The Parish Council agreed to meet more often during the present crisis.


00051
Services during the third week of Great Lent - 22/03/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-03-28 12:29:56

Our services during the third week of Great Lent were Great Compline on the evening of Wednesday 18 March and Vespers with the Third Passia on the evening of Sunday 22 March.  At Vespers with the Third Passia on Sunday evening chapters 22 and 23 of Saint Luke’s Gospel were read in English.  This was our last service before Public Health Orders came into effect significantly limiting public services.


00052
Services during the second week of Great Lent - 15/03/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-03-28 12:26:47

In addition to services on in the evening on Saturday 14 March and in the morning on Sunday 15 March, our services during the second week of Great Lent were Great Compline on the evening of Wednesday 11 March and Vespers with the Second Passia on the evening of Sunday 15 March.  At Vespers with the Second Passia on Sunday evening chapters 14 and 15 of Saint Mark’s Gospel were read in English.


00053
Services on 14-15 March, the Second Sunday of Great Lent - 15/03/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-03-28 12:23:18

On Saturday 14 March and Sunday 15 March we had services for the Second Sunday in Great Lent, the day of commemoration of Saint Gregory Palamas (+1359 AD).  As Saturday 14 March was a day of commemoration of the departed a general pannikhida was served prior to the Saturday evening service.  In accordance with the instructions of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia we commemorated their Beatitudes the ever-memorable Metropolitans Anthony and Anastassy; the Metropolitans Philaret, Vitaly and Laurus; our ever-memorable Diocesan hierarchs Archbishops Theodore, Savva, Theodosy, Afanasy, and Paul; all those who for Christ and the Russian Church laboured in divers lands, and the other archpastors, pastors, founders and benefactors of the Russian Diaspora; for the elect sons and daughters of the Church of Russia, who faithfully struggled for her unity, good estate and honour in the realms of piety, blessedness, governance, the protection of the persecuted and the veneration of the New Martyrs and Confessors; and for all our righteous ancestors, and for their peaceful repose and blessed memory.  Matins was then served on Saturday evening.  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday the Prayer in time of Devastating Epidemic was read.  In his sermon our parish rector spoke about Saint Gregory Palamas and the defence of Orthodoxy and reflected on the importance of steadfast faith in the current crisis.  Following the service a collection was taken up to benefit the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, New York, raising $190.00.  As social distancing was recommended by the civil authorities, no cup of tea was offered after the Sunday service.


00054
Services during the First Week of Great Lent - 08/03/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-03-09 06:57:37

This year we commenced our season of repentance on the evening of Monday 2 March with Great Compline and the reading of the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete.  Great Compline is a simple, solemn and characteristically Lenten service of psalms and prayers.  In accordance with Orthodox custom, Great Compline with further portions of the Great Canon was served on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.  In addition, on the evening of Sunday 8 March we had Vespers with the First Passia.  At the Passia chapters 26 and 27 of Saint Matthew's Gospel were read in English.


00055
Services on 29 February-1 March, Forgiveness Sunday - 01/03/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-03-01 05:17:44

On Saturday 29 February and Sunday 1 March we had services for Forgiveness Sunday.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  On Saturday evening many people took the opportunity to confess in preparation to receive Holy Communion on Sunday.  In his sermon at Divine Liturgy the parish rector spoke about Great Lent as a return to Paradise and the importance of fasting as a sign of submission to God’s will.  In accordance with the practice of many parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Vespers with the rite of asking forgiveness was served immediately after Divine Liturgy.  During Vespers the church vestments were changed from gold to black and the festive melodies gave way to the penitential Lenten melodies.  All present then venerated the Holy Icons and the Gospel and Cross before asking forgiveness of one another.  Early in the afternoon a number of our parishioners gathered at Point Clare Cemetery for a memorial service to mark the first anniversary of the death of Reader Paul Douriaguine


00056
A Pastoral Conference of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese - 21/02/2020
Last updated: 2020-03-15 07:09:31

On Tuesday 24 March and Wednesday 25 March many of the clergymen of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese will gather in Sydney for their customary Great Lenten Pastoral Conference.  On Tuesday evening the clergy will meet at the church of All Saints of Russia in Croydon for the Rule of Preparation for Holy Communion at 5.00pm and Lenten Matins and confession at 6.00pm.  On Wednesday morning from 8.00am the Hours and the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be served at Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Strathfield with Bishop George presiding and the clergy concelebrating.  Those of the faithful who wish to do so are welcome to attend the service on Wednesday morning and – if properly prepared – to receive Holy Communion.  Following Divine Liturgy the clergy will meet to discuss a range of pastoral, liturgical and administrative matters including plans for our Diocesan celebration of the centenary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.  UPDATE 13 March 2020: In view of the escalating COVID-19 crisis, the Pastoral Conference has been cancelled.


00057
Services on 15-16 February, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son - 16/02/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-02-16 02:39:35

On Saturday 15 February and Saturday 16 February, we had services for the Sunday of the Prodigal Son and the Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord.  All-night vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine and for Orthodox unity; the newly-baptised Elliana Sutula received Holy Communion for the first time; prayers of blessing were read over new priestly vestments, a beautiful epitrachelion (stole) and cuffs, the work of the Convent of Saint Elisabeth in Minsk, Belarus; and a collection taken up in support of Orthodox Action, a Diocesan charitable organisation, raised $479.00.  Following Divine Liturgy many gathered in the parish hall to enjoy pancakes freshly prepared by the parish Ladies' Auxiliary.


00058
Our Autumn 2020 Schedule of Services - 16/02/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-02-16 00:02:12

Our Autumn 2020 Schedule of Services - covering March, April and May 2020 - 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 2020 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Autumn 2020 Schedule of Services is available here.  Both can also be accessed on our Services page, and printed copies are available in church.


00059
Services on 14-15 February, the Great Feast of the Meeting of the Lord - 15/02/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-02-16 03:17:04

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 Divine Liturgy was served on Saturday morning.  In accordance with the custom of the Sydney parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, there was a blessing of fruit at the end of Divine Liturgy.  Following the service on Saturday the parish rector noted that it was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the repose of the ever-memorable Archpriest Nicholas Grant - active in the life of the Diocese as a layman and clergyman for 45 years - and Archbishop Paul (Pavlov) - Ruling Bishop of our Diocese from 1980 until 1992 - who reposed on 14 February and 15 February 1995 respectively.  He spoke briefly about their lives and distinguished service to the Diocese before intoning ‘Eternal Memory’.  He also welcomed Sister Maria from the Convent of Saint Elisabeth, noting the many items from the Convent adorning our church and the work done by the sisters to care for the needy in Minsk and to spread the Orthodox faith throughout the world.


00060
The February 2020 meeting of the Parish Council - 11/02/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-02-16 03:21:44

On Tuesday 11 February our 2019-20 Parish Council met for the first time this calendar year.  Convening in the new meeting room in our parish centre, the Parish Council heard reports on parish life and finances; considered charitable projects; and endorsed a contract with Moscow-based master iconographer Maria Burganova-Yaltanskaya for the design of a new iconostasis for our church.  God willing, the Parish Council will meet next on Tuesday 10 March.


00061
Special litanies and prayerful supplications to mark the Centenary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia - 10/02/2020
Last updated: 2020-02-16 06:40:56

At the December 2019 session of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) consideration was given to special litanies and other prayerful supplications to mark this year’s centenary of ROCOR’s foundation.  It was agreed that at the dismissal of every Divine Liturgy this year the prayers of a number of saints important to ROCOR would be invoked: our Fathers among the saints, Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the new Confessor; the Blessed New-Martyr Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsia; John, the Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Wonderworker; Jonah, the Bishop of Hankow in Manchuria; and the Holy Martyr Alexander of Munich.  In our parish, these commemorations began on Saturday 15 February 2020, the Great Feast of the Meeting of the Lord.  In addition, instructions were given for the commemoration at all memorial services of their Beatitudes the ever-memorable Metropolitans Anthony and Anastassy; the Metropolitans Philaret, Vitaly and Laurus; all those who for Christ and the Russian Church laboured in divers lands, and the other archpastors, pastors, founders and benefactors of the Russian Diaspora; for the elect sons and daughters of the Church of Russia, who faithfully struggled for her unity, good estate and honour in the realms of piety, blessedness, governance, the protection of the persecuted and the veneration of the New Martyrs and Confessors; for our righteous ancestors, and for their peaceful repose and blessed memory.  We will begin this commemoration at our next general pannikhida on Saturday 14 March.  A copy of the full Synod Memorandum is available in English here and in Russian here.


00062
Services on 1-2 February, the Thirty-Third Sunday after Pentecost - 02/02/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-02-01 23:27:38

On Saturday 1 February and Sunday 2 February we had services for the Thirty-Third Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Venerable Euthymius the Great (+473). All-night vigil with the singing of the magnification to Saint Euthymius was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning. This year, the Thirty-Third Sunday after Pentecost was the Sunday of Zaccheus, so named because of the reading from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 19:1-10) concerning the conversion of Zaccheus the tax-collector, one of the great Biblical models of repentance.  Following the Prayer before the Amvon the prayers of blessing were read over a new icon of the Holy Fathers of the 1917‑18 Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, a set of new chalice covers, and a new server’s sticharion.  The icon was given to our parish by the Nagikh-Day family and the other items were made for us by the Convent of Saint Elisabeth in Minsk, Belarus, from a beautiful piece of church brocade given to us many years ago.


00063
A baptism – Elliana Sutula - 25/01/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-01-25 21:55:21

On Saturday 25 January the parish rector baptised Elliana Sutula, the infant daughter of Evgenii and Anastasia Sutula.  Elliana, whose godmother was Natalia Yakimova, was baptised in honour of Saint Elena, Equal-to-the-Apostles.  We warmly congratulate Evgenii, Anastasia and Natalia, and wish the newly-baptised handmaiden of God Elliana many years!


00064
Services on 18-19 January, the Great Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany) - 19/01/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-01-19 00:19:37

On Saturday 18 January and Sunday 19 January we had services for the Great Feast of Theophany, the commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. All-night vigil - Great Compline and Matins with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves – was served on Saturday evening and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great with the Great Blessing of Water was served on Sunday morning. As in previous years, we were joined for the Theophany services by many friends from the Sydney parishes spending their summer holidays on the Central Coast.


00065
Russian Orthodox Christmas in Gosford - 07/01/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-01-14 06:22:34

On Sunday 5 January, Monday 6 January and Tuesday 7 January we had services to prepare for and celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Matins for the Eve of the Nativity and in honour of the Martyr Eugenia (+AD) was served on the evening of Sunday 5 January.  On the morning of Monday 6 January Vespers with the eight prophetic readings from the Old Testament and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great were served, after which we decorated our small church for the main festive services.  On Monday evening we had All-night Vigil (Great Compline, Matins and First Hour) with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves, and on Tuesday morning Divine Liturgy was served.  In place of a sermon at Divine Liturgy, our parish rector read aloud the Nativity Epistle of His Eminence Hilarion Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. Following the service on Tuesday many gathered in the church hall for a festive meal.


00066
Services on 4-5 January, the Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost - 05/01/2020
Category: Parish Life
Last updated: 2020-01-05 04:40:06

On Saturday 4 January and Sunday 5 January we had services for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, the Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ, and the day of commemoration of the Holy Fathers, the ancestors of Christ from Adam to Joseph the Betrothed, together with all the Righteous Ones of the Old Testament who lived in expectation of His coming. All-night Vigil was served on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy was served on Sunday morning.  During the evening service and before Divine Liturgy many of our parishioners confessed in preparation to receive Holy Communion.  At Divine Liturgy the appointed reading from the Apostol (Hebrews 11:9-10,17-23,32-40) was read in Church Slavonic, Russian, and English, and prayers were offered for relief from drought and from fire.  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about the historical certainty of the Incarnation of Christ and of the faithfulness of the Holy Fathers through the centuries prior.  With Bishop George’s blessing, on Sunday a collection was commenced for the relief of those adversely affected by the 2019-20 bushfire emergency.


00067
Now available - the November 2019 issue of "Word of the Church" ("Церковное Слово") - 01/01/2020
Last updated: 2020-01-19 02:01:13

The November 2019 issue of “Word of the Church” (“Церковное Слово”), the official journal of the Australian-New Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, is now available in our parishes. As usual, it contains a number of interesting articles in both Russian and English. In Russian: "Мельбурн: 70 лет приходу Покровского собора"; "Австралийцы поют в Соборе Кремля"; "Указы"; and more. In English: details of a number of service awards recently given to Diocesan clergy; the Resolution of the Nineteeth Triennial Assembly of Clergy and Laity of the Diocese; "Five ways Eastern Orthodoxy differs from other Christian denominations"; "Christmas Lent"; "Can a Christian marry a Muslim?"; "What is Patriarch Bartholomew's error?"; "Shame before Confession"; and more.  Copies are $5.00.


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