We’ve just received word of a clean-up day that’s happening in Sydney:

With the Blessing of Hieromonk Father Joachim of St John the Baptist Skete, Kentlyn NSW.

We wish to extend to everyone an invitation to come and join us in a much needed Clean Up Day at the Skete, in order for Father Joachim to move into his new accommodation.
It is then with your prayers and your continued support that we are able to move into the next phase of building at St John The Baptist Skete.

Date Saturday 13 February, 2010
Commencing at 10am and concluding at 4pm
Lunch will be supplied by the Ladies of All Saints Parish.

Afterwards, Vespers will be served by Fr Joachim.

For further information, visit the Facebook event page, or call Fr Joachim on (02) 4626 3945.

The St John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco Chapel, first church of the Australian Indigenous Orthodox Mission, is holding a luncheon for Meatfare Sunday.

In addition to this, the priest of this chapel, Fr Seraphim Slade, has sent a schedule of services for this website, as follows:

Commemoration of the Departed, Blessed St Xenia of St Petersberg:
Friday, 5/Feb: Vespers from 6:30pm
Saturday, 6/Feb: Hours and Divine Liturgy from 9am.

Meatfare Sunday, New Martyrs of Russia:
Saturday, 6/Feb:  Vespers from 6:30pm
Sunday, 7/Feb: Hours and Divine Liturgy from 9:30am (Liturgy starts at 10am), followed by a Meatfare Sunday Luncheon.

The Chapel asks that all those intending to attend the Meatfare Sunday Luncheon would notify on (02) 4845 1370 for catering purposes.

Forgiveness Sunday (13-14 February): No services (as Fr Seraphim is at Cambelltown)

First Week of Great Lent (15-19 February): Various services, please phone Fr Seraphim on 0432 113858 for details.

Sunday of Orthodoxy:
Saturday, 20/Feb: Vespers from 6:30pm
Sunday, 21/Feb: Hours and Divine Liturgy from 9:30am (Liturgy from 10am).

Commemoration of the Departed:
Friday, 26/Feb: Vespers from 6:30
Saturday, 27/Feb: Hours and Divine Liturgy

Second Sunday of Great Lent (St Gregory Palamas):
Saturday, 27/Feb: Vespers from 6:30pm
Sunday, 28/Feb: Hours and Divine Liturgy from 9:30am (Liturgy starts at 10am)

Paradise Kids 4 Africa is holding a Black Tie Fundraiser in Sydney in a bid to raise money and awareness for Fr Themi’s work in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

The Fundraiser is at The Grand Roxy, Brighton Le Sands, Sydney, and doors will open at 6pm on Friday, 23 April, 2010.

There are only 300 tickets being sold, at the cost of $150pp.  In return, guests will be treated to a three course meal, with Fr Themi as the guest speaker.  Further attendees include, schedule permitting:

• Ross Greenwood, Radio and TV presenter,
• John Mangos (TV news presenter),
• Mary Coustas (Effie from Acropolis Now), and
• The Hon Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia

This event is being co-ordinated by Allstar Event Management, who recently became one of Paradise Kids 4 Africa’s largest corporate sponsors.

To purchase tickets or sponsor this event, contact:

Steve Kourgialis, 0431 333 393, or steve@allstarevents.com.au

Fr Themi will be drawing the Donate & Win promotion.  Every $10 donation with Ezi Donate - which goes towards Faith, Food and Education in Sierra Leone - gives a ticket to win one of three prizes

First prize: Holden Barina 3 Door Hatch
Second prize: 2 return tickets to Los Angeles, USA
Third prize: Plasma TV system

To be in the running, you can purchase tickets from steve@allstarevents.com.au, admin@pk4a.com, or pk4a@pk4a.com, or entire books for $200 each.  All donations are tax deductible.

If you’re in Sydney, please consider supporting this worthy cause.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand and First Hierarch of ROCOR, a new podcast has begun based in Melbourne, Australia.

The Russian Orthodox Podcast began in January 2010 after Syezd (the ROCOR Youth Conference), and is hosted by the Polorotoff family.

Currently in its early days, there are three episodes, featuring lives of saints and an interview with Metropolitan Hilarion.

Check out: The Russian Orthodox Podcast.

Holy Ascension Orthodox Christian Mission Centre and Monastic Community are, at present, holding services at the Protection of the Mother of God Cathedral, at 1-7 Albion St, East Brunswick.

The schedule of services is as follows:

• Sunday, 28 February – The Second Sunday of Lent (St Gregory Palamas), starting at 8am (until approx. 10am)

• Sunday, 21 March – The Fifth Sunday of Lent (St Mary of Egypt), starting at 8am (until approx. 10am)

• Sunday, 11 April – The Sunday after Pascha (St Thomas), starting at 8am (until approx. 10am)

All are welcome to attend and experience the Divine Liturgy in the English language.

For more information, see their webpage on Facebook.

During the 18th to the 20th of December, the Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Mother of God “Softener of Evil Hearts” will be visiting four Russian Orthodox parishes in Brisbane: St Nicholas’ Cathedral on Friday evening and Saturday morning, St Seraphim’s Parish on Saturday evening, the Vladimir Icon parish on Sunday morning and Holy Annunciation church on Sunday evening.

The schedule for this visit is on the Russian Orthodox Queensland website.

Following ordinations of the Dcn Jack Lufti and Dcn Stanley Nield in Melbourne and Wellington respectively, His Eminence Paul will continue his pastoral visits and ordination of deacons in Melbourne and Brisbane.

On Saturday the 28th of November, he will be in Melbourne, where he will celebrate the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Good Shepherd Australian Orthodox Mission at 6pm; during this service, he will ordain Norman De Silva to the diaconate.  At the end of the service, he will ordain Peter Gatehouse.  Both of these ordinands are members of the 40 Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Mission, Victoria.

A week later, Sayidna Paul will be in Brisbane at the Antiochian Orthodox Church of St Paul.  On Saturday the 5th of December, he will preside at the Vespers for St Nicholas, from 6pm.  On the following day, the 6th of December, he will preside at Matins and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, where he will ordain Emmanuel Abdel-Karim to the diaconate, with the name of Elia.  Matins will begin at 9am, with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy beginning at approximately 10am, with the festive luncheon beginning at after this at approximately Noon.

His Eminence Paul (Saliba), Metropolitan Archbishop of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, will be visiting parishes and ordaining deacons through November and early December.

On Sunday the 8th of November, he will be celebrating the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Antiochian Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, Melbourne, during which he will ordain Jack Lufti to the diaconate.

On the 13th and 14th of November, he will be visiting Wellington.  During this time, he will ordain Stanley Nield to the diaconate.  Stanley Nield is the father of the Rev. Dr Ian Nield, a priest in the Deanery of New Zealand and member of the Board of Trustees for the Archdiocese.

Subsequently, he will return to Melbourne and go to Brisbane for further ordinations.

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, Archpriest John Abdel-Karim will be delivering a presentation entitled Greek Orthodox Chanting Throughout the Centuries, which will include live examples of Byzantine chant.

In addition to being parish priest of St Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, Brisbane, Fr John is also a recognised authority on Byzantine chant, having learnt from teachers in Lebanon and taught Byzantine chant to many students in Brisbane, Adelaide and elsewhere.

This presentation will take place on 21 October, 2009, at the Respite Centre of the Greek Orthodox Community of St George, South Brisbane, beginning at 7:45pm.

Visitors are welcome.  For more details, contact the Greek Orthodox Community of St George on 3844 3669.

On 17-18 October, 2009, the Ninth State Youth Conference of the Fourth Archdiocesan District of Queensland and New Guinea, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, will be held on the Gold Coast.

The topic is Responsibility of Christian youth in modern society, and the guest speaker is Archimandrite Silouan (Fotineas).

It will be held at the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of St Anna, Gold Coast.  For more registration or further information, please e-mail the hosting parish at admin@gocstanna.org, or contact a parish in Queensland.