LOL INTERNET{{orthodoxyinaustralasiasmall}}The Right Reverend '''Theodore (Rafalsky)''' was the first [[bishop]] of the [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]] within the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]]. He was accepted from the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church into the Russian Orthodox Church Ourside Russia on [[May 6]], 1946, and became the first bishop of Australia and New Zealand, posted in Brisbane. Even though he was accepted by ROCOR in 1946, the stringent entry requirements during the early part of the Cold War, for both acquiring an Australian visa and obtaining medical clearance, meant that Bp. Theodore was not able to take up his post until November 1948. He served the Church in Australia and New Zealand from 1948 until his repose on [[May 6]], 1955. He was buried at his [[cathedral]] in Sydney, Australia. {{AusEpisStub}} {{start box}}{{succession|before=''unknown''|title=Bishop of Rovno ([[Church of Ukraine|UOC-MP]])|years=1942-1946|after=[[Sava (Rayevsky) of Sydney|Sava (Rayevsky)]]}}{{succession|before=—|title=Bishop of Brisbane and Australia and New Zealand ([[ROCOR]])|years=1948-1949|after=—}}{{succession|before=—|title=Archbishop of Brisbane, Australia and New Zealand ([[ROCOR]])|years=1949-1950|after=—}}{{succession|before=—|title=Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand ([[ROCOR]])|years=1950-1955|after=[[Sava (Rayevsky) of Sydney|Sava (Rayevsky)]]}}{{end box}} ==Source==*[http://gnisios.narod.ru/bisrocor.html Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] [[Category:Bishops]][[Category:Bishops of Rovno]][[Category:Bishops of Brisbane]][[Category:Bishops of Sydney]][[Category:20th-century bishops]][[Category:Orthodoxy in Australia]][[Category:Orthodoxy in New Zealand]]
