​Dear Parishioners,
Please save the date: 12.00pm, Sunday 20 July 2025.
I would like to invite you to a celebration of ‘Family, Love, and Faithfulness Day’.
This is an Orthodox celebration founded in honour of the righteous prince St Peter of Murom and his wife, St Fevronia, patrons of marriage and family.
The program will include a short presentation about the meaning of the event, followed by a concert of folkloric songs and dances with traditional musical instruments by the 'Zabava' ensemble, and other items of celebration, ending with a round dance by all willing and able, led by the choreographer and teacher Luba Baksheev.
In recent decades we have not had many such events. It promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. With free entry- you can't go wrong.
See you there!
Fr Nicholas Karipoff

On Palm Sunday, 2025, the rector Archpriest Nicholas continued with granting 75th Anniversary awards for long service to the parish. Congratulations to Ludmilla Rudakov, Inna Smith, Michael Chernih, Damian Ford, Dmitri Souprounovich, Nektarios Kourbetis, Nicholas Matveev and Sergei Verezub, who received the awards for their many decades of service to the church.

This event which takes place on the feast of the Myrrh-bearing Women, two Sundays after Pascha, is a thank you to our Sisterhood and key volunteers.  The dinner was a wonderful social night that was exceptionally catered for by Nicholas Wirubov and his team – Nicholas Kocyan, Al Rudakov, Cameron Graeme, Mark Souprounovich, Johnny Moore, John Slayo, Terence Polorotoff, Ewan Benson, Tiimothy Itahi,  Nicholas Matveev, Fr Genna Baksheev, Fr Peter Sheko, Ian smith, Michael Chernih, Peter Ivlenkov and William Younan.  Thanks to Nadia Chernih, Nada Jirkowsky  and also some anonymous donors (!)  for the  wonderful desserts. Special mention to Fr Alex, recovering from a shoulder operation, who cleared the tables with the use of one hand! 

The proceedings of the Pastoral Conference began, appropriately, with the Pre-Communion Prayers — a foreshadowing and preparation for the next day.  Following this was the service of Great Compline, featuring two choirs — one singing in Slavonic, formed by various clergy, while the other sang in English, formed predominantly by members of the Cathedral’s choir.  All services were in the presence of our Archpastor, Archbishop George.

As part of the organisation of the conference, a nearby hotel was reserved for travelling clergy, with a bus transporting clergy to and from the Cathedral for services and other proceedings.

Wednesday proceedings commenced with the Entrance of Abp George, followed by the Lenten Hours and Typica — read alternately in Slavonic and English.  Emphasising the connection between bishop and his flock, Abp George was vested in the nave of the cathedral, while the priests were invited to vest in its hall before re-entering and taking their places as the assistants of the Bishop.

It was in this context that John was led forward and, with prayers and clerical tonsure, was made a Reader for Holy Ascension Church in Melbourne.  Axios!

Immediately after this, the Presanctified Divine Liturgy began, and it was celebrated according to the established order.  The true unity of the Church was shown in the unity around the chalice, with communicants including all clergy and many of the laity present at the Liturgy.

As is customary, clerical awards were given at the Small Entrance. For each awardee, the clergy and choir sang a resounding ‘Axios!’ — a declaration for the present, and a prayer for future service. These awardees included:
 — Fr Nicholas Dalinkiewicz, of Holy Protection Cathedral in Melbourne, awarded the Mitre;
 — Fr Kyril (Gavras), of Holy Ascension Church in Melbourne, awarded the Palitsa;
 — Fr Sergey Zavyalov, of Holy Resurrection Church in Auckland, elevated to Archpriest and awarded the Palitsa;
 — Fr Andrew Smith, of Holy Annunciation Church in Brisbane, awarded the Gold Cross;
 — Fr Pavel Baksheev, of Holy Dormition Church in Dandenong, awarded the Purple Skoufia;
 — Fr John Sullivan, of St Mary’s Mission in Dardanup, awarded the Nabedrennik.

The sermon was delivered by Abp George.  With the occasion of Great Lent, he spoke on the need for all Orthodox Christians to again turn our lives to repentance; further, he spoke on the need for pastors to lead their flock to repentance — through their own study and personal experience, and then through teaching the flock entrusted to them, by word and example.

A photo of all clergy was taken as a token to remember the occasion, and a memorial litia was served, before clergy adjourned to the Cathedral’s hall for a luncheon fully catered by the Sisterhood of the Cathedral.

Following this luncheon, the clergy were invited to the educational components of the Pastoral Conference.

The first component was led by Fr Michael Protopopov.  A beneficial precursor to a policy on education for our diocese, he explained, was for the clergy of the diocese to consider the purpose, personnel and desired outcomes for education on the Orthodox faith — including for teenagers, for adults, for converts, within parish schools, and in the family home.  This groupwork activity was very stimulating for all participating clergy, who had the opportunity to consider the purpose of education in the life of their parish and the lives of their parishioners.

Following a short break, Fr Nicholas Karipoff delivered a talk, entitled 'The Image of the Pastor: the Bible, Vitae, and Pastoral Theology'.  He weaved the work of various writers together to present resources for the development of an Orthodox pastor, including Metr. Anthony (Khrapovitsky), Archim. Kyprian (Kern), Abp John (Shakovskoy), and the foundational work for pastoral theology by St Gregory the Dialogist.  The discussion following this talk included numerous requests for Fr Nicholas to share his talk more broadly, and especially the list of works cited; and, the affirmation that the wine in the chalice at the Presanctified Liturgy was, after the submersion of the intincted Body, considered to likewise be the Blood.

Other clergy were able to speak on events of diocesan importance, including:
— Fr Stephen David advised that St John of Kronstadt Academy was organising the first Orthodox Education Conference, to be held on 26 July 2025 at St Nicholas Cathedral Hall, in Brisbane;
— Fr Peter Hill advised that the Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute had record enrolment in 2025, and that further inquiries were welcome;
— Fr Paul Tokareff announced that the 2025 Syezd Youth Conference was to be held in Adelaide — the first time it had been in that city in many years;
— Fr Yaroslav Belikow further announced that the 2025 Teen Retreat was to be held in Geelong;
— Fr Nicholas Karipoff advised that the Parish History for the 75 years of Holy Protection Cathedral, ‘Pokrov Chronicle’, was available for sale;
— Fr Joachim successfully moved that a letter of support be sent from our Diocese to Metropolitan Basilios of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, expressing our support in the difficulties experienced by the faithful in Syria;
— Fr Michael Protopopov announced that the upcoming Triennial Diocesan Assembly would take place on 25-27 October 2025.

The massive work of the organisers of the Pastoral Conference was acknowledged by the clergy, and all were most thankful to the clergy, sisterhood, and organisers from Holy Protection Cathedral for a successful Pastoral Conference.  In the past, these had typically been held in Sydney; however, the move to hold these on a rotational basis was favourably received, and all welcomed Brisbane as the next host.

Expressing an especial gratitude to the Sisterhood, whose mammoth work ensured the optimal functioning of clergy throughout the Conference, Fr Paul Tokareff led the assembled clergy in praying ‘Many Years’ for the Sisterhood of Holy Protection Cathedral.

Having taken place in a peaceful and rejuvenating atmosphere, the Pastoral Conference closed with prayer, and clergy departed to their parishes with the blessing of their archpastor. 
​

​Fr Nicholas Dalinikiewicz (pictured on the left) recently  celebrated the  41st anniversary of his ordination on the Feast of the Three Hierarchs, February 12.  
We give a heartfelt “Many Years” to Fr Nicholas, Matushka Liz, their children and grandchildren.

​The day was especially poignant as it was also the nameday of Fr Nicholas’ recently reposed son, John (Vunya), who is greatly missed in our parish. 

It is worth noting that our rector, Fr Nicholas Karipoff, will be celebrating his 44 years as a priest on Annunciation this year, April 7, and Fr Peter will celebrate his 40th anniversary on November 30 this year. 
Collectively, that is a marathon number of clergy years from our senior priests! 

As part of the continuing celebrations of our 75th anniversary, more awards were given following the liturgy at Christmas.  Congratulations to Sisterhood members for their tireless years of service:  Valentina Brjozovksy, Tania Fomin, Valentina Ohotin and Zina Scamangas.  Also awarded were: Theodor Stirkul, Fedor Tobolov, and Vasily Tobolov who laboured selflessly building the new cathedral.

​The recent Sisterhood AGM, held on Sunday November 24, was a significant occasion with head Sister, Lubov Nikolaevna Cowall, deciding to step down. Luba has taken on this challenging role for nearly two decades, with her crowning effort being the 75th anniversary celebrations for our parish this year.  In his recent article for the Diocese, the rector, Fr Nicholas Karipoff, noted the achievements of the Sisterhood under Luba’s leadership. A great deal has been done in various projects by the Sisterhood for the parish, charitable work for monasteries and help for the needy. The task of leading the Sisterhood is enormous; it requires a huge time commitment and diverse skill set and is physically and logistically challenging.  Luba has taken on this challenge tirelessly and has acquired a vast reservoir of knowledge in many aspects of parish life. Luba is now looking forward to some extensive travel in the coming months and enjoying some more leisurely socialising!  We extend a warm thankyou to Luba for having devoted so much of her time and energy to Sisterhood and church life.
 
A note of thanks too, to the outgoing Sisterhood secretary, Olga Bursian, who has taken on the role for several years.  Olga has been tireless in her assistance to the Head Sister during this time, and her contribution has been much appreciated.  
 
Congratulations to the newly elected Sisterhood committee:
Head Sister – Valentina Brjozovsky
Deputy Head – Elena Sosnik
Treasurer – Marta Bialocerkowski (continuing in the role from previous years)
Secretary – m Nicole Baksheev
The Sisterhood are an integral part of keeping our parish running smoothly and often their work is done in the background rather than being on show.   Our parish is fortunate to have such a group of resilient and capable workers.  God willing, our Sisterhood will grow from strength to strength in the future! 

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Sunday July 21, 2024
His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, first Hierarch of the Russian Church outside Russia, will make his inaugural visit to Australia in July. He will serve Liturgy at Holy Protection Cathedral on Sunday July 21, which will be followed  with a luncheon in the hall afterwards. Tickets for the lunch can be bought from the candle kiosk at church.  
Adults $30, children 15 & under: $15
The cut-off date for bookings is Sunday July 7 (or earlier if all seats have been sold).

Metropolitan Nicholas (Olhovsky) was born to Russian immigrant parents in New Jersey, US.  In 1998, he graduated from Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, where he received a Bachelor of Theology Degree.   In 2000, he graduated from the State University of New York Technology School, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Information & Communications. In 2014, he received monastic tonsure and given the name "Nicholas" after the Holy Hierarch Nicholas of Japan, and was elevated to the rank of archimandrite two weeks later.  In 2022, following the repose of Metropolitan Hilarion, Archimandrite Nicholas was appointed acting ruling bishop of the Eastern American Diocese by decree of the Synod of Bishops.  A few months later, in September 2022, Bishop Nicholas was elected and confirmed First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) by the Council of Bishops and the holy Synod. 

Metropolitan Nicholas has been appointed as caretaker of the miracle-working Kursk-root icon of the Mother of God
'of the sign'  The icon dates back to the thirteenth century and is venerated for the many miracles and help given by the Mother of God.
In the year 1295, the icon was found by a hunter in Kursk, a province of Russia that had been recently devastated by the Tartar invasion and left in ruins. As the hunter picked up the icon, lying face down on the soil next to a tree root, the image straight away gushed with pure spring water.  Over time, a chapel was built at the site.  In 1383 the province was again invaded by Tartars who attempted unsuccessfully to burn the chapel containing the icon; they piled wood all around it but the chapel refused to burn.  Centuries later, in 1828, another group of anarchists tried to destroy the icon which was then housed in the Kursk Cathedral of the Sign.  They  placed a time bomb in the Cathedral which caused massive destruction.  However,  the holy icon remained intact and even the glass within the frame remained whole. Thinking to destroy the icon, the anarchists had, on the contrary, become the cause of its greater glorification.  There are many miraculous accounts of the icon which continued through the Bolshevik revolution to the present day.  You can read the full history of the icon here: eadiocese.org/kurskrooticon
It has long been the custom of the Synod that the Kursk-root icon be sent regularly to visit all the dicoeses of the ROCOR, being venerated in the Divine Services of their parishes and visiting the homes of the faithful. The icon also makes visits to other parts of the world, where the faithful often arrive in their tens of thousands to venerate it.

Friday, September 13, 2024. 7:30pm.  
​This concert is part of our 75th anniversary celebrations.

 Friday August 2, 2024, Melbourne Town Hall
 
Echoes of the Volga - A Night of Passion, Faith and Folklore!
Experience the mesmerising harmonies of the Russian Orthodox Male Choir of Australia (ROMCA) as the choir graces Melbourne with a soul-stirring and captivating concert for the very first time!
Following their triumphant tours across Sydney, Brisbane, Tasmania, Canberra, and their acclaimed performances overseas across Europe and the USA, this multi-award-winning ensemble brings their unparalleled artistry to the iconic Melbourne Town Hall on Friday 2nd August 2024.

​The annual event of our parish joining together with Geelong, Dandenong and Oakleigh parishes for a paschal celebration will happen again on the Friday after Pascha, May 10.  This year it is our parish who will host the event.  All parishioners are invited to the short Bright Friday Vespers at 6pm, followed by dinner in the hall.  
Please RSVP by Thursday May 4 to the head sister, Luba Cowall, to book your place.  [email protected].

The Feast of the Annunciation on April 7, 2024, marked the 43rd anniversary of our rector, Fr Nicholas Karipoff's ordination. That is no small milestone!  Our heartfelt thanks to Fr Nicholas for his remarkable years of pastoral work.  We also extend our thanks and congratulations to Fr Nicholas’ wife, Matushka Anna, and to his family, for their selfless years of support and work for the parish.  

We wish Fr Nicholas and his family  Many Years!   многая лета!