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bishop=Metr. Abp. [[Paul (Saliba) of Australia and New Zealand|Metropolitan Archbishop Paul]]|

territory=Australia, New Zealand, and Dependenciesthe Philippines|language=Arabic, English, Greek, Macedonian, Moldovan, Romanian, Russian, SlavonicFilipino (others as needed)|music=Bulgarian Chant, [[Byzantine Chant|Byzantine]], [[Russian Chant, |Russian Choral, Western Choral, Znammeny ]] & [[Znamenny Chant|Znamenny]] Chant|calendar=[[Revised Julian Calendar|Revised Julian]] and , [[Julian Calendar]] (depending on parish)|population=3743,490 (2005 internal Church census)500 to 123,000|website=[http://www.antiochianantiochianarch.org.au Antiochian Archdiocese]

<!-- == History ==*:''coming soon!Expanded in: [[History of Antiochian Orthodoxy in Australasia]]''The first wave of Syrian (now Lebanese) immigration was in the 1880-1890s, where work was found in hawking and peddling goods in the country areas of the eastern states of Australia. The first places of worship were in Sydney and Melbourne, with a Greek speaking priest who also spoke Arabic and, sometimes, Russian. The Antiochian Orthodox faithful took part in the construction of both Holy Trinity, Sydney, and Holy Annunciation, Melbourne.

== Recent History ==*''coming soon!''-->==Organization==The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese is treated as one single archdiocese spanning two countries, with Due to the problems concerning the Archbishop election of an Arab Patriarch of Antioch in Australia 1899 and a Deanery for New Zealand. There are 25 the decision of the [[parishChurch of Constantinople]]es and missions across Australia, 8 to appropriate jurisdiction of parishes and missions in the Deanery diaspora to the [[Church of Greece]] with the sole use of New ZealandEcclesiastical Greek, these churches were effectively closed off from the Arab Orthodox, aside from the sacraments. However, these faithful would not be denied Orthodoxy in their language and culture, and approximately 37founded three Antiochian Orthodox churches in Australasia: St George,500 Sydney (founded by Fr [[faithfulNicholas Shehadie]] in the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand, exarch); St Nicholas, Melbourne (founded by Archim. The Archdiocese also has one female monastery of [[Monastery of Antonious (Mobayed)|Antonious]]); and St Anna Michael, Dunedin (founded by Hmk [[Nicholas (Preston, AustraliaManovitch)|St AnnaNicholas]] . These churches, founded in Victoriathe 1920s and 1930s, and runs continued to be the only Antiochian Orthodox parishes in Australasia through the [[Melbourne Institute period of Orthodox Christian Studies]]the Exarchate.

The In 1969, the Church of Antioch sent Archimandrite Gibran (Ramlawey) to Australia as Patriarchal Exarch to find the best way to solve problems caused by two priests having to serve every Antiochian Orthodox in Australia. On his recommendations, the Diocese of Australasia Australia and New Zealand was created, and Archimandrite Gibran was a founding member of elected as [[SCCOCAPatriarchal Vicar]]. The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese Two parishes were created very soon after his arrival - St Nicholas, Punchbowl, NSW was created as a result of Bp [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of Australia and New Zealand believes this organisation became defunct in the year 2000|Gibran]]'s directive, and St George, Thornbury, Vic. was created as a result of tensions caused by differing waves of immigrants.

Parishes The late 1980s saw some growth in parishes. In 1985, a parish was created in Mays Hill, NSW; 1989 saw the first parish committee for a church in Brisbane, Qld. The mid-1990s saw the first instance of growth by group conversion as a result of the Anglican Church of Australia's decision to ordain females, which gave the Diocese four parishes, a monastery and missionsfive priests, and dates of foundation (where known):mostly parish priests who were assigned to pastor the flock that they had guided into Orthodoxy.

'''* NSW'''*Buna-Vestire (Bankstown) In 1999*Saint Elias , Bp Gibran reposed. The Holy Synod of Antioch, having raised Australia and New Zealand to an Archdiocese, consecrated Archim. Paul (WollongongSaliba) 1985*Saint , the Antiochian Orthodox parish priest of St. George Cathedral (RedfernChurch in Washington DC, as the Metropolitan Archbishop of the new Archdiocese. His tenure has seen a rapid growth of parishes, Sydney) 1934*Saint Mary (Mays Hill) 1997*Saint Mary (Mount Pritchard ) 1999*Saint Michael (Sylvania) 2002*Saint Michael & Gabriel (West Ryde) 2001*Saints Peter & Paul (Rooty Hill) 2000*Saint Nicholas (Bankstown) 1967*Saint Nicholas (Mayfield) 2000*Saint Nicholas (Punchbowl) 1976clergy and the use of English in the Divine Liturgy of Antiochian Orthodox parishes.

'''* Queensland'''*Saint Barnabas (Parkwood)*Saint From ten parishes at his enthronement in late 1999, the total at the end of eight years of Met. Abp Paul (Woolloongabba) '''* South Australia'''*Saint Elias (West Croydon) '''* Western Australia'''*Saint Anthony s tenure, at the close of 2007, stands at approximately 34 parishes or missions and 1 monastery, including three English-language parishes in Sydney, Melbourne and the Great (Perth) *Saint Helen (South Bunbury) '''* Australian Capital Territory'''*Saint Ignatius Mission (Canberra) '''* Victoria'''*Saint Nicholas (East Gold Coast, served by 42 clergymen, including two university [[chaplain]]s in Melbourne)*Saint George (Thornbury)*Saint Mary (Kingsville)*Saint Paul (Dandenong)*Good Shepherd (Canterbury) 2003*Saint Herman of Alaska (Canterbury) 1999*Forty Holy Martyrs (Mirboo North) 2005*Saint Anna Monastery (Preston) 1995and the first Orthodox military chaplain in Australia.

In 2008, a "historic moment in the history of...the Archdiocese" occurred, with the Archdiocese accepting two denominations in the Philippines, including over 30 religious leaders and 32 churches with ~6000 adherents, forming two vicariates in the Philippines (based in Davao and Manila, one for each former denomination). This event was especially marked by a change in the name of the Archdiocese to include '''* Australia, New Zealandand the Philippines'''*Saint George Auckland 2001*Wellington Mission 2001*Saints Simon & Jude Canterbury 2003*Christchurch Mission *Saint Gregory , with Met. Abp Paul as primate of Nyssa & Saint Marina 2001*Saint Michael Dunedin 1911*Invercargill Mission 2004*Hamilton Mission all three [http://www.antiochianarch.org.au/NewsItem.aspx?i=38]. 2005Notably, however, the Davao Vicariate would later leave the Antiochian Archdiocese and join [[ROCOR]] as [[Western Rite]] parishes.

== Organisation==The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese is a single archdiocese spanning a number of countries. The Archbishop resides in Australia, and there is a Deanery for New Zealand and a Vicariate in the Philippines. There are 25 [[parish]]es and missions across Australia, 8 parishes and missions in the Deanery of New Zealand and 32 parishes and missions in the Philippines; the Archdiocese estimates (2005) indicate ~37,490 active congregants in Australia and New Zealand, there are ~3,000 adherants in the Philippines, while the Prime Minister's estimate (2007) is that there are ~120,000 Antiochian Orthodox adherants in Australia. The Episcopacy Archdiocese also has one female monastery of [[St. Anna Convent (Preston, Victoria)|St Anna]] in Victoria, co-founded the multi-jurisdictional [[Melbourne Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies]] and runs the [[St. Paul's Theological Course of Studies|St Paul's Theological Course of Studies]]. Many students of theology have been sponsored by the Archdiocese to study at Balamand University, at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St Vladimir's Seminary]], USA, or through the St Stephen's Course of Studies in Orthodox Theology via the [[Antiochian House of Studies]]. The Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Australasia (as it was then called) was a founding member of the [[Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Churches in Australia]] which, according to the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, was moribund for a number of years before becoming defunct in 2000. The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand (as it was then called) was a founding member of [[Eastern Hierarchs]], believing it to be an organisation working towards spreading the love of God throughout the whole mystery of His Church. It was part of the Episcopal Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in Oceania that met in 2010 in response to the Chambesy meeting. ==Administration=====Current Episcopacy===

**The Vicar-General of Archdiocese, Dean of Cathedral: Right Reverend [[Archimandrite]] [[Nabil (Kachab)]].**Dean of Australia: Archpriest [[George Nasr]].**[[Deanery of New Zealand (Antiochian)|Dean of New Zealand is ]]: [[Archpriest]] [[Jack Witbrock]].**Dean Vicar of Clergy for the Archdiocese is Manila: Archpriest George Nasr.Pascualito Monsato

===Primates in Bishops of Australia and New Zealand===* Archbishop Bishop [[Gibran (RimlawiRamlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibran (RimlawiRamlawey)]] Bishop , Patriarchal Vicar of Australia and New Zealand, 1969-1999.* Metropolitan Archbishop [[Paul (Saliba) of Australia and New Zealand|Paul (Saliba)]] Metropolitan Archbishop , Primate of Australia and New Zealand, 1999-present.

==See Also==*[[Orthodoxy in Australia]]*[[Orthodoxy in New Zealand]]*[[Orthodoxy in the Philippines]] == External links ==* [http://www.antiochianantiochianarch.org.au Official website of the Archdiocese]

* [http://www.antiochpat.org/ Official website of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch]