Approximately 30-40 of us attend each Sunday morning Divine Liturgy, sometimes more, sometimes less. There are fewer of us at evening services, which are generally attended by only about 12-15 people.

We have services on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, and on certain festive days. Please see our service schedule for more information. Evening services are generally entirely in Church Slavonic. At Divine Liturgy, the Epistle and Gospel are generally always repeated in English, and some litanies are in English.  The sermon is always given in English.

Our parish is a small one. Although there are a number of young adults many of us are elderly, and we have few young families at this stage in parish life. Children are nevertheless welcome in church. We have no separate Sunday school or children’s services. Our children are baptised and participate fully in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church, receiving Holy Communion from their infancy.

All people of goodwill are welcome at our services, although only baptised Orthodox Christians can participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church. Visitors may be surprised to find very few seats in our church; this is because we generally stand throughout the Divine Services. Our parishioners are encouraged to dress modestly and in such a way as to avoid drawing attention. Men should wear long pants and women should wear skirts. Married women generally – although not always – cover their heads with a scarf.

The evening services are usually between one and a half and two hours in length. These services are largely made up of alternating readings and short hymns. There is generally no preaching or teaching at evening services, the prayers, hymns and reading from Sacred Scripture providing the best instruction. Morning services are generally between two and two and a half hours in length. Readings from the Epistles and the Holy Gospel take place about one-third of the way through the service. The reception of Holy Communion and preaching occur close to the end.

After morning services a number of us stay for lunch, a cup of tea or coffee, and a chat. We pray together before we eat.

Our background is mixed, with many of us coming from Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine. Most of us came to Australia from Eastern Europe after WW2, or our parents and grandparents did. Unlike most other Russian Orthodox parishes in Australia, very few of us came from China. Some of us came to Australia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some of us are not Russian, being Orthodox Christians of Macedonian or Greek heritage, and some of us are converts to Orthodox Christianity.

Almost everyone in the parish speaks English fluently. English is the main language used for preaching, announcements, meetings, and general conversation. As one would expect in a Russian Orthodox parish, Russian is also often used.

We live throughout the Hunter Region. Some of us live in close proximity to the church; some closer to the city of Newcastle; some live of the shores of Lake Macquarie; and others live in Maitland.