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{{orthodoxyinaustralasia}}
Similar to most other jurisdictions in Australia, and other parts of the 'diaspora', a detailed early '''history of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and New Zealand, and All Oceania''' is better told in terms of cities, which later formed into the [[diocese]], rather than the other way around.
==Pan-Orthodox Community Churches under Jerusalem==The first wave of Lebanese, then called Syrian, immigration was in the 1880-1890s, where when work was found in hawking and peddling goods in the country areas of the eastern states of Australiaand in Dunedin. The first place of worship was usually Antiochian Orthodox faithful in Australia took part in the state capital cities construction of a community church dedicated to the Holy Trinity in Surry Hills, Sydney , and to the Holy Annunciation, East Melbourne, with a the Greek and Russian Orthodox faithful. [[Priest]]s able to speak Greek speaking priest who also spoke and Arabic and , sometimes , Russian too, were later provided by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Services were done in different 'old-world' languages, servers of the parishes were from various immigrant backgrounds, and [[icon]]s were donated by people from all Orthodox ethnicities.
==Exarchate==Problems overseas created local catastrophes. The Antiochian Orthodox faithful took 1898 deposition of the Greek speaking Patriarch of Antioch, and the subsequent 1899 election of an Arabic speaking Patriarch of Antioch, caused an adverse reaction on the part in of hellenophonic patriarchates. The [[Patriarchate of Constantinople]] awarded the construction jurisdiction of a community church dedicated overseas parishes to the Holy Trinity newly-recognised [[Church of Greece]] in Surry Hills, Sydney1908, with the stipulation that services be in Ecclesiastical Greek and Russian Orthodox faithful. A priest was later provided by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.
==Exarchate=Church of St George, Sydney===Problems overseas created local catastrophes. The 1898 deposition of the Greek speaking Patriarch of AntiochIn 1913, and Father [[Nicholas Shehadie]] was sent to Australia as Exarch to determine the subsequent 1899 election extent of an Arabic speaking Patriarch of Antioch, caused a reaction on the part of the old-world patriarchatesproblem and to find possible solutions. The Patriarchate of Constantinople awarded the jurisdiction of overseas parishes While this was intended to be temporary, World War I intervened preventing Father Nicholas from returning to Lebanon where his family resided. Hence, his stay became permanent. He realised the newly-recognised need for a [[Church of Greecechurch]] for the Antiochian Orthodox, and determined to build it. Divine Liturgy was held in 1908, with the stipulation parishioners' homes until that services be in Ecclesiastical Greektime.
The first services were held in Saint George Anglican Mission, the beginning of a long and amicable relationship between Anglicans and Orthodox in Victoria. In January 1963 March 1932 the community purchased a visiting priest church, where Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church stands today, using four £125 donations from KousbaJohn Batrouney, Joseph & Walter Davis, and Alex Malouly. The iconostasis, based on the iconostasis of the [[Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Tokyo, Japan)|Holy Resurrection Cathedral]], Tokyo, was completed by Palm Sunday, 1932, when the first service was held in the Church. At the first council meeting of May 1932, it was decided to name the church after St Nicholas. The church was consecrated on [[October 1]], Lebanon1933 by Metropolitan [[Timotheos (Evangelinidis) of Rhodes|Timotheos]], the head of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand. The consecration, attended by an Anglican minister, V Rev Exarch Emilianos Shehadie served . F.E. Maynard, and the parish until 17 July 1963Greek and French consuls, was chanted in Arabic, English, Greek, and Slavonic.
==Diocese==
In 1969, Bp [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibran]], having been consecrated by Metropolitan [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]], arrived in Sydney, Australia. In 19731971, an Anglican priest in New Zealand decided, seeing the trend of Anglicanism away from its traditional roots, to convert to Orthodoxy, and was ordained in September 1972 by Bp [[Gibran requested that a new church be built on the other side (Ramlawey) of SydneyAustralia and New Zealand|Gibran]]. Fr [[John ShehadieJack Witbrock]] served as [[rector]], son of Exarch Nicholas Shehadie, was appointed priest of the new church of St NicholasMichael's, PunchbowlDunedin, and served there for the next 12 years until his 1987 retirementhe was succeeded by Fr [[Ilyan Eades]].
In Melbourne, the desire of Fr Malatius Hussney to actively involve new arrivals to Australia led to a split, with the older members of St Nicholas feeling unwanted. As ; as a result, St George was founded in Thornbury, Melbourne, in 1972. The next year, Bp Gibran wanted a new church built in the western suburbs of Sydney. Fr [[John Shehadie]], son of Exarch Nicholas Shehadie, was appointed priest of the new church of St Nicholas, Punchbowl, and served there until his 1987 retirement.
Fr Malatius worked very hard for St Nicholas, including going to Lebanon and Cyprus to help refugees of the Civil War to obtain visa's to come to Australia. After Fr Malatius left to serve parishes in the United States, Fr Emile Assaf was assigned to St Nicholas from 1977 to 1990. Fr Emile continued to serve newly arrived migrants, and also renovated and redecorated St Nicholas - rendering external walls, erecting a fence, replacing the floor, purchasing new pews, painting the walls with icons and, towards the end of his tenure, renovating the rectory.
In 1982, Fr Elias Khoury was ordained to the priesthood, and assigned to St Nicholas, Punchbowl. In 1985, he was elevated to Archpriest. In the same year, a new parish was established in Mays Hill and named St Mary's, for the Nativity of the [[Theotokos|Mother of God]]. The first priest was Fr [[John Shehadie|Hanna Shehadie]], and the community worshipped in Granville. In 1987, St Mary's - now led by Fr [[Stephen Godley]] - moved to Merrylands; also in 1985, a parish in Wollongong was founded and named for St Elias.
In 19851986, a new parish was established in Mays Hill, and named St MaryGeorge'sdecided to purchase its own church from the Anglican Church. Renovation started immediately, and were completed in 1988, when renovations of the hall began - these were completed in 1991, for making the Nativity hall one of the [[Theotokos|Mother of God]]most attractive Arabic special events halls in Melbourne. The first priest was Fr [[John Shehadie | Hanna Shehadie]]In 1994, and the community worshipped in Granvilleproperty adjacent to St George's (including a rectory) was purchased.
In 19871989, St Mary's moved to MerrylandsBp Gibran appointed the first committee of a new parish in Brisbane, which was registered in 1990. In 1993, led by Fr [[Stephen Godley]], and in John Abdel-Karim became the same year, first parish priest of the Antiochian Orthodox Church of St GeorgePaul, RedfernWoolloongabba, Sydney, was elevated to CathedralBrisbane.
In 19891994, Bp Gibran appointed Fr Elias Khoury, parish priest of St Nicholas, Punchbowl, began working with the first committee Department of Community Services and administered a new parish in Brisbaneprogram, Ortho-Care, which was registered in 1990designed to help those requiring financial and spiritual assistance.
In 1991the mid-1990s, changing beliefs and practises in the hall Anglican Communion, culminating in the ordination of women to the priesthood, caused a number of clergy to leave the Anglican Communion and join the Orthodox Church. Many of these moved to the Antiochian Orthodox Church, creating St Barnabas Parish, Gold Coast; St GeorgeAnthony the Great Parish, Perth; [[St. Anna Convent (Preston, Victoria)|St Anna's churchMonastery]], Melbourne; and a parish in Canberra (which later moved to [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|ROCOR]]), Thornburyalong with other clergy, was completedincluding Rev. Fr Geoff Harvey, and is now one of the most attractive Arabic special event venues in Melbournewho were assigned to pre-existing churches.
In January 19911998, the site for a parish at Mt Pritchard was founded and dedicated to St Mary's, Mays Hill, for the Dormition of the Mother of God. Bishop Gibran reposed on 16 January 1999 after thirty years of service for the Church in Australia and New Zealand. Fr Elias Khoury was purchased, with Fr Emile Assaf being transferred from St Nicholas, Melbourne, to pastor named as the temporary administrator of the new parish with Fr Aziz Abwidiocese.
==Archdiocese==In 1993September 1999, Fr John Abdel-Karim became the first parish priest Holy Synod of Antioch decided to elevate the Church diocese of St Australia and New Zealand to archdiocese with its own ruling metropolitan archbishop. Archimandrite Paul, Woolloongabbaparish priest in Washington DC, Brisbanewas appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. He arrived in Australia and took possession of the archdiocese on 29 November 1999.
1999 prompted a flurry of activity. In 1994December, Met. Abp Paul visited Newcastle and Brisbane, and prompted the first services were held in decision to build the church hall of St Mary'sPaul in Woolloongabba, Mays HillBrisbane. Fr Elias Khoury began working with the Department of Community Services and administered a new program Three parishes were formed in 1999, including St Ignatius Mission, Canberra, OrthoBuna-CareVestire Church, designed to help those requiring financial Bankstown (NSW) and spiritual assistance. St George's, ThornburyHerman of Alaska, purchased the property Canterbury (with rectoryVic) adjacent to the church.
In December 1999the meantime, Met Abp Paul visited Newcastle and then Brisbane. He prompted the decision to build the church Church of St Paul , Brisbane, celebrated its first services in their new church in Woolloongabba2002, Brisbanewith this church being consecrated in 2006.
In June 20002004, Fr Nicholas Gan of Newcastle was released to join at the Moscow Patriarchate. The Holy Synod instigation of Moscow accepted him on 19 July 2000Met Abp Paul, along with the Parish parish of St Nicholas Bankstown, bought the Theophany at Mayfield West, Newcastle, which had been under land that the care of Bp Gibran church is on behalf of Moscowfrom the NSW government. The property is held for the parish by the Antiochian Orthodox Church Property Trust.
In December 2001August 2005, Archpriest [[Nicolas Mansour]] retired from full-time pastoral work, Fr John Vesic was appointed parish priest ending 42 years of Ss Michael and Gabriel parishservice at the Cathedral. Archim. [[Nabil (Kachab)]], formerly of St Nicholas, Punchbowl, replaced him as Dean of the first fully English-speaking Antiochian Orthodox parish in New South Wales. The new parish worshipped in rented premises in Homebush until 2005Cathedral.
Since his conversion from the Church of Christ and his ordination in 2006, Fr John D'Alton has made several inroads in a number of very important areas. In 2004the first 18 months after his ordination, at he was made the instigation university chaplain of Met Abp PaulLa Trobe University, the parish of St Nicholas Bankstownfirst Orthodox military chaplain in Australia, bought is the land that rector of the church Holy Transfiguration Mission, Belgrave Heights, and is on from the NSW government. The property is held in trust president of the [[Melbourne Institute for the parish by the Antiochian Orthodox Church Property TrustChristian Studies]].
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in Australia]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in New Zealand]]