Siluan (Mrakic) of Australia and New Zealand
His Grace Siluan (Mrakić) is the ruling bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand. He was consecrated to this position on 7 August 2016, and is the first Australian-born bishop in the Serbian Orthodox Church.
He is fluent in English, Serbian and Russian.
Biographical Timeline
Alexander Mrakić was born on 17 September 1979 in Sydney, Australia, to Veljko and Janja Mrakić, and he was baptised in the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, Blacktown, Sydney. His parents were originally from Herzegovina. He went to Parramatta Primary School and Arthur Phillip High School, both in Sydney, before entering the Seminary of St Peter of Cetinje, Montenegro, in 1995, with the blessing of then-Bishop Luka (Kovacevic) of Australia and New Zealand. Graduating seminary in 2003, he entered the Theological Institute of the Orthodox Theological Faculty, Belgrade, with the blessing of then-Bishop Nikanor (Bogunovic) of Australia and New Zealand, graduating in 2005.
He then returned to Australia where he became a novice at New Kalenic Monastery, Canberra, with then-Bishop Milutin (Knezevic) of Australia and New Zealand. In 2006, he continued his obedience with Bp Milutin (who had been transferred to the newly-formed Diocese of Valjevo), before enrolling at the Moscow Spiritual Academy at Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, where he was awarded a Patriarch Alexius I scholarship for his second year of studies, awarded for excellent academic results. Graduating in 2009, he completed the 'Candidate of Theology' in 2010 on the topic of The Anthropology of the Venerable Justin Popovic - defending his thesis before twelve professors, including Bp Atanasije (Jevtic), retired bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina.
He was tonsured a lesser schema monk on 18 December 2010, and was ordained to the diaconate on the next day, both by Bp Milutin of Valjevo.
In 2012, he began study at St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College, being awarded a master's thesis in patristics on the topic of A Review of the New Criticism of the Neo-Patristic Synthesis: Insights from Father Justin Popovic. After graduating, he was ordained to the priesthood on 21 November 2014, was elevated to protosyncellos on 19 December, and was appointed Dean of the First Deanery of Valjevo in late-2015.
In May 2016, Protosyncellos Siluan was elected Bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, with his consecration occuring in Belgrade on 7 August, and his enthronement on 22 October at St George Historical Cathedral, Cabramatta, by Bishop Longin (Krco) of New Gracanica-Midwestern America.
| Siluan (Mrakic) of Australia and New Zealand | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Irenej |
Bishop of Australia and New Zealand (Serbian) 2016-present |
Succeeded by: incumbent |
