Rockdale, New South Wales, Australia, August 10, 2023
By Aleksandar Mladenovski
Bp. Mihail of the Romanian Church with Macedonian, Serbian, Romanian, and ROCOR clergy
This is the day which Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
To the immense joy of the multitude of believers in attendance, on August 8, 2023, on the feast day of the holy Great Martyr Paraskeva (Petka) of Rome, the Macedonian Orthodox parish of St. Petka in Rockdale, a suburb of Sydney, Australia celebrated its patronal feast in a grand, pan-Orthodox manner, marking a historic day for the Holy Orthodox Church on the Australian continent.
The feast day this year was significant as the parishioners welcomed the holy relics of their patron, St. Paraskeva of Rome.
The parish had submitted a humble petition to receive the holy relics to His Grace Bishop Mihail of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Australia and New Zealand, and in a great act of love, Bp. Mihail responded positively, and committed to bringing the relics of St. Paraskeva himself to the parish on its feast day.
With the blessing of the ruling hierarch of the Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia-Sydney, His Eminence Metropolitan Timotej, a grand festal welcome was organised for the arrival of the holy relics of St. Paraskeva.
Bp. Mihail was received at the front of the church by the parish priest, Fr. Vlado Nedeski, together with clergy from the Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia-Sydney, the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Australia and New Zealand, the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s Diocese of Australia and New Zealand.
Following the solemn welcome of the relics, and with the blessing of Met. Timotej, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was presided over by Bp. Mihail. Serving with His Grace were Fr. Vlado Nedeski and Fr. Aleksandar Ivanovski (Macedonian), Fr. Nicu Dranca (Romanian), Fr. Dyonisius Halim (ROCOR), and Fr. Miodrag Peric, Fr. Nikola Bilic, Fr. Branko Bosancic, and Fr. Veselin Svorcan (Serbian). Abbess Maria Miros and the sisters from the Russian Orthodox Convent Our Lady of Kazan in Kentlyn, New South Wales, also prayerfully attended.
All present had the opportunity to venerate the holy relics of St. Paraskeva.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, on behalf of the Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia-Sydney and the Orthodox faithful present, rector Fr. Vlado Nedeski expressed enormous gratitude to Bp. Mihail for his great act of love in bringing the holy relics of St. Paraskeva to the parish and serving the Divine Liturgy.
St. Petka Macedonian Orthodox Church livestreamed several videos from the service that can be viewed on the parish’s social media page: Liturgy part 1, Liturgy part 2, Bp. Mihail's words to the parish.
Fr. Vlado Nedeski also thanked all the clergy from the sister Orthodox Churches that were in attendance. He especially acknowledged His Grace Bishop Siluan of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand and His Grace Bishop George of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia for sending their clergy to participate in the celebrations so all could come together as the Body of Christ to honour the memory of the holy Great Martyr Paraskeva of Rome.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a festal meal of love was held in the church hall.
To show its appreciation for his great act of love, the parish gifted a hand-painted icon of St. Paraskeva of Rome, specially made for Bp. Mihail by Presbytera Daniela Nedeska. The parish also gifted him an episcopal pectoral set, asking him to remember the Macedonian Orthodox faithful and all Orthodox faithful of Australia in his prayers.
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