On Saturday 10 June and Sunday 11 June we will have services for the First Sunday after Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints and the Day of Youth of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).  Matins will be served at 6.00pm on Saturday and the Hours and Divine Liturgy will be served at 9.00am on Sunday.  At the end of Divine Liturgy a brief moleben will be served for the young people of our parish and for all ROCOR youth.

On the weekend of Saturday-Sunday 27-28 May, our parish clergy,  Archpriest James Carles and Deacon Michal Matys, participated in a Pastoral Conference of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.  The Pastoral Conference was convened to coincide with celebrations marking the centenary of the founding of the parish of Saint Nicholas in Brisbane, the first Russian Orthodox parish in Australia.  Solemn divine services were held on Saturday evening and Sunday morning at which three bishops served: Archbishop Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal and Canada, Bishop George of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, and Bishop Luke (Murianka) of Syracuse, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese.  Concelebrating with them at Divine Liturgy on Sunday were forty-nine priests and deacons of our diocese, including our own parish clergy, and representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church.  The Russian Orthodox Men’s Choir of Australia sang at both services.  Links to news articles with more detail and photographs will be shared as they become available.

Our Winter 2023 Schedule of Services - covering June, July and August - is now available.  Services of particular note during this period will be All-night Vigil and Divine Liturgy on Tuesday-Wednesday 11-12 July in honour of the Holy Preeminent Apostles Peter and Paul.  A copy of the English-language Winter 2023 Schedule of Services is available here, and a copy of the Russian-language Winter 2023 Schedule of Services is available here.  Printed copies in both languages are also available in church.

On Sunday 21 May and Monday 22 May we had services commemorating the Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari, Italy, in 1087 AD.  This is the patronal feast-day of our church.  All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves was served on Sunday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Monday morning. Divine Liturgy on Monday was preceded by the Lesser Blessing of Water and followed by a moleben to Saint Nicholas.  At All-night Vigil and Divine Liturgy our parish clergy, Archpriest James Carles and Deacon Michal Matys, served together.  It being a working day, only a small number of our parishioners and friends were able to be present.  Upon completion of the services on Monday there was an informal festive meal in the church hall.

On Saturday 13 May and Sunday 14 May we had services for the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, the Fifth Sunday of Pascha.  Matins was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning. On both days the parish rector was assisted by Deacon Michal Matys.  At Divine Liturgy on Sunday prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine, and the newly baptised servants of God James and John received Holy Communion for the first time.  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about our Lord’s conversation with the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well (John 4:5-42), and of how all that we long for finds its true satisfaction only in Christ.

On the weekend of Saturday-Sunday 29-30 April our parish rector visited Saint Symeon of Verkhoturye Orthodox Mission on the NSW Mid North Coast. On Sunday 30 April, the Third Sunday of Pascha, the Hours and Divine Liturgy  was served at Wauchope Community Arts Hall.  Fifteen people were present.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine.  In his sermon, Father James spoke about the humble and faithful service of the Myrrhbearers as a model for Christian life.

On Saturday 22 April and Sunday 23 April we had services for Thomas Sunday, the Second Sunday of Pascha.  Matins was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served at on Sunday morning.  At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine and following the Prayer before the Amvon, the Prayer at the breaking of the Artos was read.  In place of a sermon, the Paschal Epistle of Bishop George of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand was read aloud.  After the dismissal, pieces of the Artos were distributed to the faithful.

This year, our parish had a small number of traditional services for Holy Week and Pascha.  Matins with the reading of the Twelve Passion Gospels was served in the evening on Thursday 13 April and Vespers  with the bringing out of the Shroud of Christ was served in the afternoon on Friday 14 April.  On Saturday evening we had an early Midnight Office and procession followed by Paschal Matins and the blessing of Easter baskets with cakes, eggs, and other festive foods.  The parish rector was assisted on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon by Deacon Michal Matys, and on Saturday evening by Protodeacon Martin Naef.

On Saturday 8 April and Sunday 9 April we had services for Palm Sunday, the Sixth Sunday of Great Lent and the Great Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.  All-night vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil, and five loaves and the blessing of palms and pussy-willows was served at on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning.  Prior to the evening service our church had been decorated beautifully with palm fronds.  On both days the parish rector was assisted by Deacon Michal Matys and at Divine Liturgy on Sunday prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine.

The April 2023 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. Content includes news of clergy ordinations, awards, and assignments; information about the centenary celebrations of Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Brisbane, planned for late May 2023; the Russian-language text of an interesting interview with Mitred Archpriest Gabriel Makarov, the rector of the Brisbane Cathedral; a report in Russian and English on the Great Lenten Pastoral conference of the Southern Deanery of our Diocese (covering Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania), held in March this year in Warrnambool, Victoria; a report in Russian and English on the blessing in February 2023 of a new church in Lonnavale, Tasmania; articles in both languages about the suffering Ukrainian Orthodox Church; and more.  Also included is a handy supplement providing contact details for all our parishes, monasteries and missions and their clergy.  Copies are $5.00.