Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)

Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)
Jurisdiction	ROCOR
Diocese type	Diocese
Founded	by 1948
Current bishop	Metr. Hilarion
See(s)	Sydney
Headquarters	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Territory	Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Indonesia
Liturgical language(s)	Slavonic, English, Indonesian, Korean
Musical tradition	Russian Chant
Calendar	Julian
Population estimate	158,506 (Census 2001)
Official website	Diocese of Aust. & NZ

The Diocese of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, headquartered in Sydney, is a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Its current primate is His Eminence Hilarion (Kapral), both First Hierarch of ROCOR and Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, and from Bright Week 2015 it is administered by His Grace George (Schaefer), Bishop of Canberra.

History

• The first Russian parish established in Australia and New Zealand was St. Nicholas Church (now Cathedral), Brisbane, in 1926.
• The first ROCOR bishop of Australia and New Zealand was Bp Theodore (Rafalsky), 1948-55.

Organisation

The Diocese of Australia and New Zealand is a diocese within the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Within the diocese, of which Metropolitan Hilarion is currently the head and sole bishop, there are various deans who are in charge of one or more geographic areas. There are approx. 62 parishes, missions and communities in the diocese, including 17 monasteries and sketes: with 28 parishes and missions across Australia, 26 in Indonesia, 4 in New Zealand, one parish & skete in South Korea, and one parish each in Pakistan and India.

The Diocese of Australia and New Zealand of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia was a founding member of SCCOCA, but later departed.

The Episcopacy

Bishops

• Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of New York and Eastern America, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand.
• Bishop George (Schaefer), appointed to be Bishop of Canberra, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand.

Within this structure are a number of Deaneries, which - given the size of the diocese - are important in the running of the Diocese:

• • Archimandrite Daniel (Bambang Dwi Byantoro), head of the Indonesian Orthodox mission (ROCOR) (26 parishes and missions).
  • Mitred Archpriest Michael Protopopov, Vicar-General of the Diocese, and dean of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia (11 parishes and missions)
  • Mitred Archpriest Michael Klebansky, dean of Queensland (5 parishes)
  • Archpriest Nikita Chemodakov, dean of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory (11 parishes and missions)
  • Archpriest Vladimir Boikov, dean of New Zealand (4 parishes and missions)
  • Priest Adrian Augustus, dean of Pakistan and India (2 parishes and missions)
  • Priest Paul (Kang), head of the Korean Orthodox Mission (1 parish).

Hierarchs in Australia

Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of ROCOR, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia & New Zealand

• Bishop Theodore (Rafalsky) of Sydney, 1948-1955.
• Bishop Philaret (Voznesensky) of Brisbane, 1963-1964.
• Bishop Sava (Rayevsky) of Sydney, 1955-1971.
• Bishop Anthony of Melbourne, 1956-1968
• Bishop Constantine (Essensky) of Brisbane, 1967-1976.
• Archbishop Theodosius (Putilin) of Sydney, 1970-1980.
• Archbishop Paul (Pavlov) of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, 1980-1995.
• Bishop Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Brisbane, 1996-1997.
• Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral), Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, 1996-present.
• Bishop George (Schaefer), Bishop of Canberra, 2015-present.

External links

• Official Website of the Diocese
• Official Website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
• History of the Russian Orthodox Presence in Australia, by V. Rev. Fr Michael Protopopov (2005)