2nd Episcopal Assembly of Oceania COMMUNIQUE

The members of the 2nd Episcopal Assembly of all canonical Orthodox Bishops of Oceania welcomed once again the opportunity to meet in Sydney from October 16-17, 2011, under the chairmanship ex officio of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia.

The Assembly commenced with prayer at the central offices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, Redfern.

Present were: His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos (Ecumenical Patriarchate – Australia), His Eminence Metropolitan Paul (Antiochian Patriarchate),His Grace Bishop Irinej (Serbian Church), His Grace Bishop Mihail (Romanian Church), His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios (Ecumenical Patriarchate – New Zealand), His Grace Bishop Ezekiel (Assistant Bishop), His Grace Bishop Seraphim (Assistant Bishop), His Grace Bishop Nikandros (Assistant Bishop), His Grace Bishop Iakovos (Assistant Bishop), the Very Rev.Father Michael Protopopov (representing His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church, who read a letter of greeting from His Eminence MetropolitanHilarion ) and Rev. Father Michael Smolynec (representing His Eminence Archbishop Ioan of Parnassou of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Diaspora).

Dormition of Most Holy Theotokos in Djunis

As before, this year the celebration of prayerful representation of Most Holy Mother of God in a most festive manner was marked in Djunis, the monastery dedicated to the feast day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Rivers of believers who came in the evening to this sacred place welcomed His Grace Bishop Dr Jovan of Nis who served the All night vigil service.

Prayerful remembrance of Holy family of Stiljanovic

Today's feast day of Saint Stefan and Jelena (Stiljanovic) was solemnly celebrated with the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Belgrade Cathedral Church where the  Holy Liturgy was served by Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej and Bishop Jovan of Sumadija served Divine Liturgy in Jagodina

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch visited Jagodina on Sunday, October 16, 2011, on the feast day of St. Dyonisius the Areopagite, the Athenisan judge who was converted to Christianity with a sermon of Apostle Paul at Athenian areopagus, and who was according to the legend the first Athenian bishop, and served the Divine Liturgy with his host Bishop Jovan of Sumaidja and with the concelebration of a guest from greece father Sotiros Patras and the clergy of the Diocese of Sumaidja. The occasion for this visit of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej was a memorial service for the 80th anniversary since the erection and the consecration of the monument to suffered citizens of Jagodina in all wars fought for the liberation of Serbia, which is located at the Square of youth in the centre of the city. 

Prayer and the joy of meeting of two people

At Jatarice in Mokra Gora, last Saturday on All Souls Day, the Russian memorial chapel of St. Andrei The First-Called was consecrated,  built in a spirit of the ancient Russian architecture. The memorial chapel is dedicated to the Russian and Italian prisoners, died in an collapsed tunnel of Budim in 1916 at the Austro-Hungarian route of the railway via Shargan, as well as builders from Russia who participated in the construction of the Shargan eight in the period of 1921-1925.

20 years of Diocese of Osek-Polje

In the church of St. Great martyr Demetrius in Dalj, on Saturday 15, 2011 with the Divine Liturgy the twentieth anniversary of the restoration of the Diocese of Osek-Polje and Baranja was marked, the twentieth anniversary of the enthrownement of His Grace Bishop Lukijan on the throne of bishops of the Diocese and the Patron Saint's Day of the Diocese of Osek-Polje and Baranja - Saint Stefan Stiljanovic.