On April, 24, 2017 his Grace George, the bishop of Canberra had an official meeting with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russian Federation in New Zealand, Valeriy Tereshchenko. The following persons were also present:

archpriest Vladimir Boykov, the dean of the Russian Orthodox church in New Zealand, rector of Auckland church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ;

father Alexey Popkov, the priest of Wellington church of Christ the Saviour;

Third Secretary of the embassy Arthur Zakayev.

The topics discussed during the meeting included the building of a new Russian church in Auckland. Vladyka George and father Vladimir thanked the ambassador for his assistance in obtaining a permit for buying land for the future church.

The ambassador was interested in the bishop’s visit to New Zealand, he also asked about the quantity of Orthodox churches, their priests and parishioners. Vladyka answered these questions, and also told about the Orthodox churches in Australia. Father Vladimir Boykov spoke about the history of Russian immigration in New Zealand. At the end of the meeting Valeriy Tereshchenko wished all Orthodox parishes in New Zealand to develop fast and productively.

On April, 25 Vladyka George served the Divine Liturgy in Wellington church of Christ the Saviour. Other priests that took part in the service are:

archpriest Vladimir Boykov, the dean of the Russian Orthodox church in New Zealand, rector of Auckland church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ;

father Alexey Popkov, the priest of Wellington church of Christ the Saviour.

About 50 people attended the service, 20 of which took the Holy Communion. After the prayer behind the ambo father Alexey was granted the rank of an archpriest.

After the service, a Serbian choir Vox Serbica (conductor Mima Nikolic) gave a concert in the church. They performed 5 pieces of sacred music:

Ninje Otpushchajeshi (A. Arkhangel’ski)

Bogorodice Djevo Radujsa (S. Rakhmaninov)

Pod Tvoju Milost (D. Bortnyanski)

Da ispravitsja (K. Stanković)

Otche nash (N. Kedrov)

The concert continued in the church hall, where the choir sang 5 more pieces:

Magdo, Magdo (Serbian folk song, arr. Marko Taicević)

Letyat Utki (Russian folk song)

Tamo Daleko (Ðorđe Marinković)

Nad Okoshkom Mesec (S. Esenin / E. Popov)

Eleno Kjerko (Macedonian folk song)

After the Serbian choir, the students of Sunday school Anastasiya and Ekaterina Reed sang the song ‘Christ is Risen’ in English. Tania Koroteeva and Sofia Koroteeva recited Easter poems. Elena Popkova recited a poem ‘The Resurrection of Christ’.

After lunch, Vladyka, priests and other people went to the Russian cemetery, where a memorial service was held and a memorial cross was blessed.

The following morning Vladyka George met Metropolitan Amphilochios of the Greek Orthodox church in the Greek church of St. Andrew. This concluded the visit of Vladyka to Wellington.

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With the blessing of His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Grace George, the bishop of Canberra paid a pastoral visit to Russian Orthodox churches in New Zeland.

The first city he visited was Auckland, as the Russian church in Auckland celebrated its dedication day on the first Sunday after Easter.

On April, 22, 2017, Vladyka George held a night service in Serbian Orthodox church (the Russian Orthodox church has room for no more than 30 people). Several priests took part in the service:

archpriest Vladimir Boykov, the rector of the church of the Resurrection of Christ in Auckland, the dean of the Russian Orthodox churches in New Zealand;

father Alexey Popkov, from Wellington;

father Alexander Skorik and hierodeacon Pantaleon (Zhygalin) from Auckland.

Abour 80 people attended the service. At the end of the matins, Vladyka gave his blessing to all.

The following morning, bishop George served a Divine Liturgy at the same church. The rector of the Serbian church father [простите, я не нашла, как переводмится “протонаместник”] Savva Antych joined the service. After the service Vladyka, priests and all the people went to Russian cemetery where a memorial service was held and the place of future burials of Russian Orthodox people was blessed. Afterwards, everyone joined a festive lunch in the hall on the territory of the cemetery. After lunch, Vladyka had a conversation with some of the parishioners. This concluded his visit to Auckland.

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On April 15-16, 2017 all Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter. Wellington church of Christ the Saviour is no exception. On Saturday, on Easter eve, all church members came to the blessing of Easter buns, eggs and cheese. The night service started at 11 p.m., with around 100 people in church. The holiday hymns started with Easter matins, at the end of which the priest brought the shroud of Christ into the altar (before that, it was placed in the centre of the church). Easter sacred procession started at midnight. Some of the parishioners lead the procession, carrying icons. Everyone was holding candles. The first exclamation ‘Christ is Risen!’ was proclaimed in front of the closed church doors. After multiple responses ‘He is Risen indeed!’ the service continued inside the church. The priest changed his robes several times during the service, thus bringing even more ornament to this festive matins. Although not everyone could stay for very long, still many people stayed till the end of the service. The Holy Gospel during the liturgy was read in several languages: French, English, Maori, Greek, Old Slavonic, Ossetian, and Chinese.

At the end of the service (that is, about 3 a.m.) everyone who was in church, gathered in the hall, and after a wholesome festive Easter ‘early breakfast’, went home.

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Dear brothers and sisters! We are happy to announce that on April, 25, 2017 his Grace George, the bishop of Canberra, will visit our church.

On that day, the Divine Liturgy in our church will start at 9.30. After the liturgy, there will be a concert of Serbian choir Vox Serbica. Afterwards, everyone is invited to join the feast. PLEASE BRING A PLATE OF FOOD FOR THE FESTIVE LUNCH. After the concert and lunch, his Grace is planning a trip to Russian cemetery in Makara, where he will hold a memorial service and bless the memorial cross.

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PASCHAL EPISTLE OF

HILARION,

Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York,

First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Beloved Archpastors, Honorable Fathers, Dear in the Lord Brothers and Sisters:

With a heart filled with the endearing sensation of Paschal joy, I congratulate the hierarchs, clergymen, monastics, parishioners and worshipers of our churches, scattered throughout the whole world, on the joyful celebration of the glorious Resurrection of Christ, and I greet you with the angelic good news: CHRIST IS RISEN!

I greet you with these holy Christian words joy of eternal life, I send you all prayerful wishes for Paschal communion with God, spiritual peace, firm health, boldness, well-being, and the many mercies and blessings of God, and express my heartfelt gratitude for your prayers, support and help in bearing the burden of obedience imposed on my unworthiness, and for your efforts and participation in the life of the Church. The words of the Paschal greeting, like the trumpets of the archangels, which will in time lift up all who have died, lift even now the morale of all Orthodox Christians as it does every year on the light-filled night of Holy Pascha. “Even the disbelievers,” wrote Archbishop Anthony (Bartoshevich) of blessed memory, “sense something special on this night, they feel that something is happening that they cannot comprehend.”

By His sacrificial love and victory over sin, evil and death, Christ delivered enlightenment, purification from sin and renewal to all who genuinely believe in Him (Hebrews 10:10-14, Colossians 1:21-23). Piously partaking of the Mystery of His Eucharist on this “feast of faith,” towards which the great Chrysostom beckons us, let us seek the strength to “walk in the newness of life… not serve sin… and be alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:4-11). The Lord now awaits our renewal, while the mystical powers, through “grace by grace,” are given from the over-abundant spiritual fullness we receive in Christ (John 1:14-16).

St Tikhon, Patriarch-Confessor of All Russia, summons us to this renewal through his example, having 100 years ago meekly accepted the position of Patriarch, bravely leading the way to the Russian Golgotha for many millions of “living sacrifices,” the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, who are our shared treasure and the seed of the rebirth of the Orthodox Church. We archpastors are likewise summoned to this renascence by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which will take place during the days of Holy Pentecost, so that we may worthily, piously and in the spirit of wisdom perform the constructive, peace-making and salvific work of the Church, to perfect and improve her earthly life and all her works. We are also called towards renewal through all the celebrations of this important year—especially the 10th anniversary of the reestablishment of unity within the Russian Orthodox Church, which became possible through the patience, all-forgiveness and humility of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Laurus, who, in the words of Apostle Paul, “enlarged their hearts” (2 Corinthians 6:11), to accommodate all the faithful flock. The Lord calls upon us all towards this renewal, for, as St Gregory the Theologian writes, “Thus the day of spiritual renewal is honored!”

May our purifying and illuminating conscience, labors and life spread like a breeze from heart to heart throughout our diaspora like the “Pascha of purification” (Paschal canon, Ode 4)! May this call of the Resurrection on the third day of the Lover of Mankind, God, inspire our life in the Church, in society, in family and personal life to “glorify Him with a pure heart.” Amen.

With Paschal joy in the Resurrected Christ,

+HILARION,

Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York,

First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

Pascha 2017.

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On April, 2, 2017, the librarian of Wellington church of Christ the Saviour, Natalia Platova had a meeting with the parishioners. After the Sunday liturgy and lunch father Alexey Popkov invited everyone to the church hall to see a presentation of Orthodox books from the church library. Natalia Platova told about the books she considered best, and recommended them to everyone. People who were at the meeting, got interested in the Orthodox literature, and after the presentation some of them went to the library to borrow some of the books and read them at home. Also, the listeners expressed their wish to increase the collection of books in English, and getting new books for the library.

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On April, 2, 2017, the sacrament of Unction took place in Auckland. About 150 Orthodox Christians came to Serbian Orthodox church because the Russian Orthodox church in Auckland can hold no more than 50 people.

Archpriest Vladimir Boykov held the sacrament, with the help of four more priests: father Alexey Popkov from Wellington, father Alexander Skorik from Auckland, father Eugene Kulanov from Christchurch, and father Savva, the Serbian priest.

After the sacrament f. Vladimir Boykov reminded everyone that after attending the unction it is necessary to keep one’s mind in peace and tranquility.

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