Saturday 12 October was the twentieth anniversary of the uncovering of the incorrupt relics of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco, an event that preceded his solemn glorification in 1994 by the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia.  On the evening of Saturday 12 and the morning of Sunday 13 October the parish rector presided at services in honour of the Holy Hieromartyr Gregory, enlightener of Greater Armenia.  Following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, a moleben was served to the Mother of God and to Saint John.  It being the eve of the feast of the Protection of the Theotokos, our icon of the Mother of God “Protectress of Newcastle” was placed in the centre of the church alongside the parish icon of saint John.  After the moleben a pannikhida was served for the repose of the soul of Michael Jermolajew, it having been the fortieth day of his repose on Wednesday 9 October.  Despite the importance in our parish of the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God there were no services this year, our rector participating instead in services marking the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Holy Protection parish in Cabramatta, a suburb in Sydney’s west.  Archbishop Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal and Canada presided at the festive services, together with the parish rector Archpriest Boris Ignatievesky, the Dean of New South Wales Archpriest Nikita Chemodakov, and a number of other Diocesan clerics.