Saint Nicholas' is an Orthodox Christian parish of East Slavic tradition serving Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. It includes Orthodox Christians of Belarussian, Ukrainian, Russian, Macedonian, and other backgrounds. We are a parish of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, a self-governing part of the Russian Orthodox Church, is completely independent in pastoral, educational, administrative, management, property, and civil matters. Our parish is doctrinally Orthodox, liturgically traditional, and welcoming to all. In our services we use English, the language of this country, together with Church Slavonic, the liturgical language of the Slavic peoples. Established in 1952, our parish is the oldest continuously functioning Orthodox parish in the Hunter Valley and one of the oldest in our Diocese. Visiting our parish
We usually have services on the second and fourth Sundays of each month and on the preceding Saturday evenings. Our Schedule of Services can be viewed here. Our church is generally only open when we have services. Visitors are always welcome! If you would like to contact us before visiting, it is best to send an email. We check this inbox regularly and will respond to messages within 24 hours. You can also contact us in the same way to arrange baptisms and memorial services. The availability of our parish priest
Our parish priest, Archpriest James Carles, serves here in a voluntary capacity. He does not live in the Hunter Region but travels here from the Central Coast for services. He has part-time secular employment during the week and is presently undertaking full-time tertiary study. In addition to our parish, he has responsibility for Saint Panteleimon Russian Orthodox Church in Gosford and Saint Symeon of Verkhoturye Orthodox Mission on the New South Wales Mid North Coast. During study periods (in 2025, 17 February-12 July and 21 July-15 November) his pastoral availability is strictly limited to scheduled services in the three communities; individual “needs” that arise in connection with these scheduled services (e.g. confessions, molebens, and memorial services); essential parish administrative tasks; and end-of-life care and funerals. Father James is available to talk after Divine Liturgy on the Sundays when we have a service. He can also be contacted by email. Supporting our parish
Our parish is a small one that relies on community support and the voluntary service of our clergy to make ends meet. If you find this website to be of interest or of assistance, please consider helping us. Donations may be made directly to our bank account:
St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church BSB: 032-509 Account number: 281104
May the Lord bless you! Forthcoming services and activities
Services on 13-14 December, the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - 14/12/2025
On Saturday 13 December and Sunday 14 December we will have services for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Prophet Nahum. Matins will be served at 6.00pm on Saturday and the Hours and Divine Liturgy will be served at 9.00am on Sunday. After Divine Liturgy on Sunday Seraphim Orthodox Shop will have a Christmas Pop-Up Market in our church hall. Parish Life
Our 2025 Annual General Meeting - 23/11/2025
On Sunday 23 November our parish held its 2025 Annual General Meeting. The 2025 Annual Report and an overview of parish life were presented by the parish rector and a report on the Twenty-First Diocesan Assembly was presented by parish delegate Cyprian Minns. Irene Lupish, Olga Bogacheva, Reader James Savage and Cyprian Minns were elected to serve on the 2025-26 Parish Council together with the parish rector and our Warden, Nikolai Goura. 00001
Our Summer 2025-26 Schedule of Services - 23/11/2025
Our Summer 2025-26 Schedule of Services - covering December, January and February - is now available. A PDF copy of the English-language Summer 2025-26 Schedule of Services is available here, and a Russian-language copy is available here. Printed copies are available in church. 00002
Services on 22-23 November, the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - 23/11/2025
On Saturday 22 November and Sunday 23 November we had services for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of the Holy Apostles Erastus, Olympus, Herodian, Sosipater, Quartus and Tertius of the Seventy. Matins was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning. As Saturday 22 November was the anniversary of the repose of the founder of our parish, Archpriest John Lupish (+1977), Matins was preceded by a panikhida. At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for the unity of the Orthodox Church, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land, and four new Orthodox Christians received Holy Communion for the first time. At the end of the service on Sunday an announcement was then made concerning the parish Annual General Meeting to be held that afternoon. 00003
Services on 1-2 November, the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost - 02/11/2025
On Saturday 1 November and Sunday 2 November we had services for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Great-Martyr Artemius at Antioch (+362). Matins was served on Saturday evening and the Hours and Divine Liturgy were served on Sunday morning. At Divine Liturgy prayers were offered for the unity of the Orthodox Church, peace in Ukraine, and peace in the Holy Land. At the Prayer before the Amvon, prayers of blessing were read over an ornate new protodeacon’s orarion and cuffs, a gift from our parish to be presented to Deacon Michal Matys. Following the dismissal, a litia was served for the newly-reposed Archpriest Alexander Skorik (+25 October 2025) and a collection was taken up to benefit his family. An announcement was then made concerning the parish Annual General Meeting to be held on Sunday 23 November 2025. 00004 
Plans for major improvements to our church and grounds - 10/10/2025
In 2024-25 the Parish Council finalised a plan for major improvements to our church and grounds including new and refurbished outside toilets, new entrances at the front and on both sides of the church, new access ramps to the church and hall, a small office (or, alternatively, an apartment for clergy accommodation), and new paving. Implementation of the plan was delayed for most of 2025 as we undertook urgent repairs to our church roof and cupolas. A Development Application (DA) is now being prepared for lodgement. The parish received a very generous donation in September 2025 that will allow us, upon approval of the DA, to extend and refurbish the outside toilet block. Overseeing the initial stage of this work and fundraising for subsequent stages will be a priority for the Parish Council that will be elected at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November. Church & Community Life
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