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V Very Rev . Protopresbyter '''Mitko Machevski''' is the [[parish]] [[priest]] of Saint St. Nicholas Church , Bankstown, NSWNew South Wales, Australia, which is a parish of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and New Zealand, and All Oceania]] that . The parish follows the [[Old Calendar]] and uses [[Church Slavonic]].

Mitko was born in July 1954 in Ratevo, Yugoslavia, in what is now locally known as the Republic of Macedonia. His parents, Gjorgji and Jana (nee Postolovska) Macevski were also born in Ratevo. Mitko was the second of four boys. His primary schooling, from years 1 to 8, was at Rusinovo, . He then received ecclesiastical training at Sveti Kliment Ohridski [[Seminary ]] for 5 five years, and went on to tertiary studies in Philosophy and History at University in Skopje. He was drafted for one year for compulsory military service, which he served in Belgrade, Serbia. After discharge from military service he returned to Ratevo and married Zorka Milcovska (b. Sept 1956), a trained teacher.

Mitko was [[ordination|ordained ]] in the [[Macedonian Orthodox Church]] and was sent with his [[presvytera|popadia]] to a parish in the town of Valandovo, southern central Macedonia. While serving in Valandovo their daughter Alexandra was born.

In 1982, Fr . Mitko was sent to Australia to serve in Rockdale, and then Queanbeyan, during the [[episcopate ]] of [[Metropolitan ]] Timotej of Australia and New Zealand (Macedonian). In 1987, after serving 5 five years in Australia, he was granted a canonical release from Met Metr. Timotej and went back to Valandovo in Macedonia.

After twelve months, Fr . Mitko and family returned to Australia and , where both he and his popadia obtained secular employment. In 1995 , Fr . Mitko suffered an industrial accident which crushed his lower spine; . as a result, his spine is now held together by 22 screws. In 1997, he was invited by [[Bishop]] [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibran]] to join the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese and serve the small congregation at Saint St. Nicholas Church ([[Australian jurisdictions without a local bishop|OCA]]), Bankstown, in an honorary capacity.

His initial period as priest at Saint St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Bankstown, was succesful, in part because Bishop Gibran encouraged the parish to continue to follow the Old Calendar and use Slavonic in services. With the appointment of Bishop Gibran's successor, [[Metropolitan Archbishop]] [[Paul (Saliba) of Australia and New Zealand|Paul]], he was confirmed as permanent parish priest, still serving in an honorary capacity.

In 2001, he was elevated to [[protopresbyter]] by MetMetr. Abp . Paul and the Bankstown parish was accepted into the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and New Zealand, and All Oceania]]. In 2004, following encouragement from Met Metr. Abp . Paul, the parish purchased the land on which the church was built from the NSW government.

Following purchase of the church property, Fr . Mitko obtained part time secular employment again, while continuing as parish priest of Saint St. Nicholas, Church in Bankstown.

When asked why he changed to Antioch he said,

==External linklinks==*[http://www.antiochianantiochianarch.org.au Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and New Zealand, and All Oceania]

[[Category:Priests|Machevski]]