Eparchial (Diocesan) News

Annual Clergy Meeting and Seminar at the St. Petka Serbian Orthodox Church in San Marcos

On the final day of the Assembly, Saturday, February 14th at the St. Petka Serbian Orthodox Church, all the Clergy and faithful joined His Grace Bishop Maxim in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at which time Hierodeacon Hilarion from the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery was ordained to the Holy Priesthood. Following the Holy Liturgy everyone traveled to the Sretenje Monastery Grounds where lunch was served. Following lunch the Clergy and Delegates returned to St. Petka for several more hours of Assembly work. Upon completion of the last meeting everyone departed to their homes and parishes.This year's three day Assembly of lectures, meetings and fellowship hosted by the parishioners of St. Petka Church was a very successful and productive event enjoyed by all who attended.

On the Celebration of Serbian National Day: Independence and Nationhood 1804-1835-2009

IRINEJ, BISHOP OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHRUCH

THE FEAST OF THE MEETING OF OUR LORD IN THE TEMPLE, 15 FEBRUARY 2009

ROCKDALE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, ROCKDALE - SYDNEY

Desecrated Orthodox church in the Kolunic settlement near Bosanski Petrovac

In the night between 11th and 12th February 2009, unknown persons broke in and desecrated the Orthodox church in the Kolunic settlement near Bosanski Petrovac, which has caused great concern among the innumerous returning Serbs in that area of the Muslim-Croat entity, the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, report the media in the Republic of Srpska. At the same time, the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy there has communicated that unknown vandals have tried breaking in the St. Sava Cathedral in Drvar. The eparchy points out that in the last couple of years the attacks are continuing against everything Serb in that area, and especially the Orthodox temples, without culprits ever being found. During the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina the Bosniaks have destroyed of damaged all 12 churches in the region of Bosanski Petrovac, and only three have been renewed after the conflict. Before the war, there were 12,500 Serbs living there, and now 4,250 have returned from refugee dwelling. They live in very difficult conditions, as they are deprived of the right to work, and the school students are forbidden from the use of the Serbian language and Cyrillic alphabet.

Milan Perkovic

Source: Eparchy of Bihac and Petrovac

Communique Concerning the Dread Bush Fires in Victoria

Beloved Spiritual Children in Christ,

We turn to you in this most difficult hour for all peoples of Australia, a time when every soul "mourns and suffers" due to the great and horrific tragedies which have befallen our Continent. Fires and floods, these dread natural disasters, have consumed over two hundred innocent lives. Many have been hurt and countless lamentable and suffering individuals are left without a roof over their heads. Persons, who have endeavoured their entire lives to establish the basic needs for their children and to secure a peaceful end to their own lives, now have lost absolutely everything.

Division of the state property is a new attack on the church property

Metropolitanate of Dabro-Bosnia of the Serbian Orthodox Church is annoyingly surprised and resentful at the newest attack on its property, which was illegally dispossessed by the communist regime, and the surprise and resentfulness is greater because it is being done by those who were supposed to and are expected to help in returning the seized property.

Agreement on the division of the property at Prud , and later in Banjaluka, the government officials made the decision about a repartition of the dispossessed property of the SOC.

Bishop Mitrophan visits Boston parish for their church slava

His Grace Bishop Mitrophan of Eastern America made an archpastoral visit to the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Boston on Sunday, January 25, 2009 on the occasion of their Church Slava. Bishop Mitrophan officiated at the Divine Liturgy assisted by the host priest V. Rev. Aleksandar Vlajkovic and local clergy. Following the cutting of the Slava Kolach the bishop attended the parish's annual St. Sava Day Program.

Source: www.easterndiocese.org