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bishop=[[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Metropolitan Jonah]]n/a|

territory=formerly Sydneyand Brisbane, NSW (Australia)|

Saint St. Nicholas Parish in Bankstown, NSW, was formed in 1959 and worshipped in premises the parishioners built on land leased from NSW Government Railways. In 1971 , it was under the rectorship of [[Archimandrite ]] [[Veniamin (Garshin)]] who had resigned as dean of the ROCOR Cathedral in Sydney and departed from that [[jurisdiction]]. At that time they petitioned OCA for their acceptance under the [[omophorion ]] of the OCA Metropolitan. Their petition was quickly granted.  A second [[parish]] in Brisbane, Holy Annunciation Church, was formed under the rectorship of Fr [[Gregory Malisheff]] and following the example of the Bankstown parish petitioned OCA and was also quickly accepted.

In 1977 a third groupA second [[parish]] in Brisbane, later named the Australian Orthodox Fraternity of St MichaelHoly Annunciation Church, was formed in metropolitan Sydney for the purpose of purchasing and organising another parish, under the rectorship of Fr . [[Michael MersherGregory Malisheff]]. In November and, following the example of that yearthe Bankstown parish, Mr Verjbitsky contacted petitioned the Uniting Church OCA and was offered a surplus Presbyterian church in Homebush. The building was made suitable for Orthodox worship, including an iconostas, on [[January 26]], 1978. Fr Michael was the [[rector]] from 1978-80, Fr [[Theodore Michaluk]] from 1980-86, Fr Leopold in 1986, and Fr [[Igor Chlabicz]] from 1987also quickly accepted.

Following In 1977, a third group, later named the repose Australian Orthodox Fraternity of Archimandrite Veniamin St. Michael, was formed in 1994metropolitan Sydney for the purpose of purchasing and organising another parish, under the Orthodox Church in America was unable to supply a replacement rectorship of Fr. [[priestMichael Mersher]] for . In November of that year, Mr Verjbitsky contacted the Bankstown parishUniting Church and was offered a surplus Presbyterian church in Homebush. The parish council of Saint Nicholas approached Bishop building was made suitable for Orthodox worship, including an [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibraniconostasis]], then Antiochian Orthodox Bishop for Australia and New Zealandon [[January 26]], and asked if he 1978. Fr. Michael was able to supply a priest who could celebrate in Slavonic. Hieromonk the [[Andrija (Vujisic)|Andrija (Zoran Vujisić)rector]] and later from 1978-80, Fr . [[Nicholas GanTheodore Michaluk]] assisted on a temporary basis until from 1980-86, Fr. Leopold in 1986, and Fr . [[Mitko MachevskiIgor Chlabicz]] was appointed and commenced services at St Nicholas on 10 August 1996from 1987.

Following the repose of Archimandrite Veniamin in 1994, the Orthodox Church in America was unable to supply a replacement [[priest]] for the Bankstown parish. The parish council of St. Nicholas approached Bishop [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibran]], then Antiochian Orthodox Bishop for Australia and New Zealand, and asked if he was able to supply a [[priest]] who could celebrate in Slavonic. Hieromonk [[Andrija (Vujisic)|Andrija (Zoran Vujisić)]] and, later, Fr. [[Nicholas Gan]] assisted on a temporary basis until Fr. [[Mitko Machevski]] was appointed and commenced services at St. Nicholas on [[August 10]], 1996. The parish later formally changed jurisdictions to the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. Fr . Mitko was appointed rector of the parish, which continues to use Church Slavonic and follow the [[Julian Calendar]].

In 2009, after five years without servicesBrisbane, Holy Annunciation Orthodox Churchfound itself without a rector after Fr [[Ian Bojko]] retired in 2005. In 2009, Brisbane, the parish requested permission to transfer to enter the ROCOR's [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Diocese of Australia and, New Zealand]] as an English-language parish; this was accomplished by the mutual consensus of Metropolitans [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah ]] and [[Hilarion, (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion]] and the transfer was received finalised in May 2009.

After the rectorate of Fr . Igor Chlabicz, the Australian Orthodox Fraternity of St . Michael was served by Rev. Fr . [[John Vesic]], a priest of the [[Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand|Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. In March 2011 , the parish received the blessing of Metropolitan Jonah of the OCA to join the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, with Bishop [[Irinej (Dobrijevic) of Australia and New Zealand|Irinej of Sydney]] placing a new antimens in the church on Forgiveness Sunday, 2011. This parish is also designated an English-language parish - at the time of its transfer, the only one in the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand.

The OCA Parishes in Australia is an now a defunct administrative grouping of one church.*St. Michael Orthodox Church, Homebush, New South Wales, served by Fr John Vesic (a Serbian Orthodox priest)having existed from 1971 to 2011.

*St . Nicholas Orthodox Church, Bankstown, New South Wales; now in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.

*St. Michael Orthodox Church, Homebush, New South Wales; now in the Serbian Orthodox Church - Diocese Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand. Currently, the only OCA presence in Australia is in the person of Fr Ian Bojko, a retired priest in Brisbane.

* His Beatitude Eminence [[Jonah Sylvester (PaffhausenHaruns) of WashingtonMontreal|Jonah of WashingtonSylvester (Haruns)]], Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America Montreal and Canada; administrator of the parishes in Australia, 20081972-20111981.* His Beatitude [[Herman Theodosius (SwaikoLazor) of Washington and New York|Herman Theodosius (SwaikoLazor)]], Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, ; administrator of the parishes in Australia, 1981-2002-2008.* His Beatitude [[Theodosius Herman (LazorSwaiko) of Washingtonand New York|Theodosius Herman (LazorSwaiko)]], Archbishop of Washingtonand New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, ; administrator of the parishes in Australia, 19812002-20022008.* His Eminence Beatitude [[Sylvester Jonah (HarunsPaffhausen) of MontrealWashington|Sylvester Jonah (HarunsPaffhausen)]], Archbishop of Montreal Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, 1963-1981, ; administrator of the parishes in AustraliaAustraila, 19722008-19812011.

== External Links links ==

*[http://www.spc.rs/sr/nova_parohija_spc_u_sidneju "New Parish of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Sydney"]