A great blessing for all the Orthodox in Australia

Parishioners of the Serbian Saint George’s in Saint Albans gathered 10.000 Australian dollars for the Church kitchen in Belgrade and for the youth on Kosovo and Metohija. - Patriarchal visit to the monastery of Saint Sava in Elaine as well as to a Greek monastery and Serbian and Russian churches in Geelong. - Local celebration of Venerable Elder Nikanor of Chilandar.

His Holiness Irinej was solemnly welcomed at the airport in Melbourn on 1 March 2016, where he was greeted by Bishop Irinej of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand in the presence of the clergy and the faithful, as well by high representatives of other Local Churches and members of the diplomatic corps of our country in Melbourn.

We remind that His Holiness is accompanied by Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, protopresbyter-staurophor StojadinPavlovic, director of the Administration office of the Serbian Patriarchate; and deacon AleksandarSekulic, Secretary to the Serbian Patriarch.

Next day, on 2 March 2016, the Primate of the Holy Serbian Church with his delegation payed a visit the church of Saint George in Melbourn’s suburb of Saint Albans, where he was welcomed by the principal of this church protopresbyter-stavrophor BorislavPetrovic.

Namely, Rev. BorislavPetrovic together with the chairman of the Church Committee Mr. Rade Nesovanovic organized yesterday’s welcome party of Patriarch Irinej and his honorable entourage. Pious believers managed to collect 10.000 AUD for the needs of  youngsters and the most vulnerable from Kosovo and Metohija as well as for  the Church kitchen of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovac.

Following the Matins at the monastery of Saint Sava in Elaine near Melbourn (this is the official name, although the church is dedicated to St. Alympius the Stylite) His Holiness visited the church cemetary and served the memorial service  (panichida) to syncellos Jovan Ristivojevic from Gojina Gora (Serbia), co-brother of this Serbian monastery in Elaine. Later on  there was an agape meal in Clifton Springs, a suburb of Geelong.

The same day afternoon, the high Serbian Church delegation visited the Greek monastery dedicated to the Most Holy Mother of God "She who is Quick to Hear", where a solemn doxology was celebrated. There they were welcomed by Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis and Bishop Jacob of Militupolis, as well as by abbess Kalisteni.

In the Serbian church of Saint Nicholas in Geelong the Serbian Patriarch and the high delegation was solemnly welcomed by the principal of the church Rev. protopresbyter Petar Bozic with lots of people.

In the evening His Holiness visited the Russian Orthodox Church in Geelong as well.

On Thursday, 3 March 2016, His Holiness officiated the Holy Liturgy with the concelebration of many visiting hierarchs and priests from various parts of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, as well as from dioceses of other sister Orthodox Churches. The hierarchs were concelebrated by archimandrite Teodor (Bojovic), abbot of the monastery of St. Sava, and archimandrite Lazar (Caran). The occasion of the liturgical gathering marked a local celebration of Venerable Elder Nikanor of Chilandar of blessed memory.

Serbian hierarchs, Their Graces Bishops Longin of New Gracanica-Midwestern America and Luka of Western Europe participate in prayerful gatherings in Australia as well.

 Photo: Deacon Aleksandar Sekulic