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Rev. Fr '''Seraphim Raymond Slade''' was a priest in the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand in the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]]. He was noted as the first Indigenous Australian ordained to the priesthood in the Orthodox Church, and as the founder of the Australian Indigenous Orthodox Mission.
==Biographical Sketch==
* Married to Matushka Helen.
* Worked for many years as a radio broadcaster in regional communities.
* Converted to Orthodoxy through reading the life and works of St [[John Maximovitch|John of Shanghai and San Francisco]].
* Served as a Subdeacon within the ROCOR Diocese. He served in [[Holy Cross Russian Orthodox Church (Hobart, Tasmania)|Hobart]], leading reader services and supporting the parish, and in Melbourne at the [[Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God (Melbourne, Victoria)|Protection Cathedral]].
* 2004: Began working in Aboriginal prison ministry.
* 2008 March: Began missionary work among the Aboriginal people.
* 2008 July 7: Ordained to the diaconate in [[Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist (Canberra, ACT)|Canberra.
* 2009 Jan 22: Ordained to the priesthood in [[Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God (Melbourne, Victoria)|Melbourne]].
* 2009: Established a chapel dedicated to St [[John Maximovitch|John of Shanghai and San Francisco]], which was blessed by Metropolitan Hilarion on 4 July. Served there and in [[Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist (Canberra, ACT)|Canberra]].
* Particularly in his final years, Fr Seraphim had a long-standing illness. He underwent surgery in December 2018, but as a result of complications, he reposed on 25 December 2018. He was survived by his matushka, Helen.
==References==
* [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2009/7enmhganning.html New St John of Shanghai Church Consecrated for An Orthodox Aboriginal Community]
* Unofficial obituaries posted on Facebook