Difference between revisions of "Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines"
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===Melbourne=== | ===Melbourne=== | ||
By the early twentieth century, a significant number of Lebanese had settled in Melbourne. These families kept in contact with each other, working as hawkers, shopkeepers, or wholesalers, during the week, and using the weekend for social activities including meeting in the Exhibition Gardens on Sundays. | By the early twentieth century, a significant number of Lebanese had settled in Melbourne. These families kept in contact with each other, working as hawkers, shopkeepers, or wholesalers, during the week, and using the weekend for social activities including meeting in the Exhibition Gardens on Sundays. | ||
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Saint Nicholas included both Arabic members and Russian members, the latter group also contributing to bringing Archim. Antonious to Australia, converting the church into an Orthodox church, writing icons, and organising a choir which would chant the Liturgy in Slavonic on every fourth Sunday. When the Russians established their first church in Melbourne in the early 1950s, the committee of Saint Nicholas donated a Slavonic Bible in memory of Archim. Antonious, and as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the Syrian/Lebanese and the Russians. | Saint Nicholas included both Arabic members and Russian members, the latter group also contributing to bringing Archim. Antonious to Australia, converting the church into an Orthodox church, writing icons, and organising a choir which would chant the Liturgy in Slavonic on every fourth Sunday. When the Russians established their first church in Melbourne in the early 1950s, the committee of Saint Nicholas donated a Slavonic Bible in memory of Archim. Antonious, and as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the Syrian/Lebanese and the Russians. | ||
− | With Arabic and Slavonic choirs, a youth society, Syrian/Lebanese youth that knew the service in Arabic, and a priest willing to travel to Sydney, Adelaide and New Zealand to raise funds for the fledgling church, Archimandrite Antonious was a very suitable and dedicated priest for the Melbourne flock. However, after a short illness, he reposed on [[November 9]], 1943. He was buried by Metropolitan Timotheos and assisted by Archimandrite [[Theophylactos (Papathanasopoulos) of Australia and New Zealand|Theophylactos]] and Fr [[Michael Shehadie]], and was replaced by Exarch George | + | With Arabic and Slavonic choirs, a youth society, Syrian/Lebanese youth that knew the service in Arabic, and a priest willing to travel to Sydney, Adelaide and New Zealand to raise funds for the fledgling church, Archimandrite Antonious was a very suitable and dedicated priest for the Melbourne flock. However, after a short illness, he reposed on [[November 9]], 1943. He was buried by Metropolitan Timotheos and assisted by Archimandrite [[Theophylactos (Papathanasopoulos) of Australia and New Zealand|Theophylactos]] and Fr [[Michael Shehadie]], and was replaced by Exarch [[George Heydar]] in 1948. |
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*''[http://www.stnicholas.org.au/Articles/DrBtrney.htm Source] | *''[http://www.stnicholas.org.au/Articles/DrBtrney.htm Source] | ||
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Revision as of 11:58, May 11, 2006
Melbourne
By the early twentieth century, a significant number of Lebanese had settled in Melbourne. These families kept in contact with each other, working as hawkers, shopkeepers, or wholesalers, during the week, and using the weekend for social activities including meeting in the Exhibition Gardens on Sundays.
The first Orthodox church in Melbourne, Holy Annunciation, was established in East Melbourne. The establishment of this community church was a joint effort by Greek speaking Orthodox, Arabic speaking Orthodox, and Russian speaking Orthodox. The services were in both Greek and Arabic. The altar servers were of Greek and Lebanese/Syrian descent. Some of the icons were donated by Lebanese/Syrians, and the first warden was Lebanese. By the 1920s however, Holy Annunciation became a predominately Greek speaking church with a priest who could not speak Arabic.
By the 1920s Lebanese/Syrians, were only attending special services at Holy Annunciation such as weddings, baptisms and funerals. Some chose to send their children to Sunday school at Anglican or Protestant churches, where English was used. But none of this truly met the needs of the Lebanese/Syrian community. They shared their Orthodox place of worship for up to forty years until the excesses of Greek nationalism drove them out. By the late 1920s, it was obviously necessary to found their own Arabic speaking church.
In 1929, James Batrouney visited Lebanon/Syria, met Archimandrite Antonious (Mobayed), and on his return to Melbourne, Archim. Antonious was recommended as a suitable priest (being well-educated and speaking Arabic, Russian and Greek) for the church in Melbourne. Patriarch Arsanios of Antioch commissioned Archim. Antonious as the first priest of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Victoria. He arrived on 12 Nov 1931, bringing and donating everything essential for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Some of these items can still be found at Saint Nicholas Church today.
The first services were held in Saint George Anglican Mission, the beginning of a long and amicable relationship between Anglicans and Orthodox in Victoria. In March 1932 the community purchased a church, where Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church stands today, using four £125 donations from John Batrouney, Joseph & Walter Davis, and Alex Malouly. The iconostasis, based on the iconostasis of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Tokyo, was completed by Palm Sunday, 1932, when the first service was held in the Church.
At the first council meeting of May 1932, the majority favoured the name Saint Anthony, in honour of their first priest, however many preferred Saint George. To settle the dispute, Archim. Antonious placed 12 names in a bag on the altar and George Facoory, the oldest member of the community, drew out Saint Nicholas. The church was consecrated on 1 October 1933 by Metropolitan Timotheos, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia. The consecration, attended by Rev. F.E. Maynard (Anglican) and the Greek and French consuls, was chanted in Arabic, English, Greek, and Slavonic.
Saint Nicholas included both Arabic members and Russian members, the latter group also contributing to bringing Archim. Antonious to Australia, converting the church into an Orthodox church, writing icons, and organising a choir which would chant the Liturgy in Slavonic on every fourth Sunday. When the Russians established their first church in Melbourne in the early 1950s, the committee of Saint Nicholas donated a Slavonic Bible in memory of Archim. Antonious, and as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the Syrian/Lebanese and the Russians.
With Arabic and Slavonic choirs, a youth society, Syrian/Lebanese youth that knew the service in Arabic, and a priest willing to travel to Sydney, Adelaide and New Zealand to raise funds for the fledgling church, Archimandrite Antonious was a very suitable and dedicated priest for the Melbourne flock. However, after a short illness, he reposed on November 9, 1943. He was buried by Metropolitan Timotheos and assisted by Archimandrite Theophylactos and Fr Michael Shehadie, and was replaced by Exarch George Heydar in 1948.