Exploring Orthodoxy 2019
A day to explore Orthodox Christian spirituality
Sunday 25th August 2019
9:30 am to 3:00 pm
Venue
Religious Centre
38 Exhibition Walk
Monash University
Wellington Road
Clayton, Victoria
Presented by
The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church
Under the patronage and blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Basilios (Kodseie) of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines
Exploring Orthodoxy is an open day and conference wrapped into one.
The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church warmly invites you to this event, which is open to the public, parishioners and students.
Join us for the day and experience Orthodox Christian worship in the form of the Divine Liturgy in the English language, hear internationally-recognised speakers on Orthodox spirituality, meet other explorers, browse the books and icons available for purchase and watch an icon writing demonstration. Children of primary school age will be catered for with an afternoon program. Lunch and afternoon refreshments will be provided.
In our second year of Exploring Orthodoxy, we are delighted to announce that His Eminence, Metropolitan Basilios, will be serving at Matins and the Divine Liturgy, and will present the keynote speech.
Also travelling from Sydney, Protopresbyter Dr Doru Costache will be sharing insights from his research into spiritual experiences of yesterday and today.
With God’s blessing and presence, we desire to make the treasures of the Orthodox Christian faith accessible to the people of Australia in the English language so that they too can experience union with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Whatever your background and experience of Orthodoxy, it is our prayer that this ‘day to explore Orthodox Christian spirituality’ within the environment of our English-speaking parish in Melbourne will:
- Open your mind to the ancient treasures which are to the discovered in the Orthodox Church
- Provide an opportunity for you to experience the Divine Liturgy (if you have not already) and learn more about it, in a welcoming atmosphere
- Introduce you to the writings of ‘The Philokalia’ and its influence on Orthodox Christian spirituality
- Inspire you to become part of or continue supporting the vision for sharing Orthodoxy in English
- Encourage you to continue your exploration of the Orthodox Christian faith
Cost: Free. There will be an opportunity to make a donation on the day to help cover the costs of the event, including lunch and afternoon refreshments.
Note: If you’d like to purchase books, icons, prayer ropes, etc. from the bookstall, please bring cash (as we cannot accept any electronic payments).
Please register by Friday 23 August 2019, as this will assist us to prepare your welcome pack and arrange catering.
Accommodation is available for travellers at Mannix College’s Gryphon House.
Program
Sunday 25 August 2019
8:45-10:00 am
Registration desk open
9:00–10:00 am Matins (in English) 9:30–9:50 am Welcome to the Divine Liturgy
Venue: Small Chapel
Mrs. Joanne Ball 10:00 am Divine Liturgy (in English)
Sermon: His Eminence, Metropolitan Basilios 11:45 pm Lunch & Fellowship / Registration desk open /
Icon demonstration / Book sales 12:50 pm Making the Commission Great Again:
Orthodoxy for Australians!
Rev. Fr. Geoff Harvey 1:10 pm Charismatic Experiences:
The Philokalia's Burning Hearts
Very Rev. Dr. Doru Costache 2:00 pm
Keynote address:
Introduction to The Philokalia:
How it helps spiritual renewal and how it has influenced modern Orthodox spirituality
His Eminence, Metropolitan Basilios
3:00 pm Refreshments and close 12:50-3:00 pm Primary school-aged children’s program
Presenters
His Eminence,
Metropolitan Basilios (Kodseie)
Metropolitan Archbishop of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines
His Eminence was enthroned as Metropolitan in 2017, having been sent to Australia from Syria at the request of the late Metropolitan Paul in 2010, to be his assistant. He studied in Syria, Lebanon and Thessalonica, Greece, where he was awarded a PhD for his doctoral thesis on the spiritual father in ‘The Philokalia.’ His Eminence served in parishes in Sydney before taking on responsibilities across the Archdiocese. His Eminence was warmly received during his first visit to The Good Shepherd in November 2018.
Rev Fr Geoff Harvey
Parish Priest, The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church
Fr. Geoff has been the Parish Priest of The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church since its inception in 2004. Following a career in the British Army, being an Anglican chaplain to the Australian Army and Anglican parish priest in Melbourne, he was ordained as an Antiochian Orthodox priest 19 years ago. Together with his wife, Kh. Janet, Fr. Geoff specialises in championing Orthodoxy in English, showing people how to give thanks to God for everything and acquire the Holy Spirit.
Very Rev Dr Doru Costache
Senior Lecturer in Patristic Studies, St Cyril's Coptic Orthodox Theological College (Sydney College of Divinity)
Protopresbyter Dr Doru Costache studied Orthodox theology at the University of Bucharest, Romania. His doctoral thesis was on the anthropic cosmological principle interpreted from the viewpoint of a patristic theologian (St. Maximus the Confessor) and a neo-patristic theologian (Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae). He is the co-founder of the Australian Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies, an academic and author. Fr. Doru was ordained to the priesthood in 2001 and serves an English-language mission, St. Gregory the Theologian in Sydney, in the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Australia and New Zealand.
Mrs Joanne Ball
Secretary, Parish Council, The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church
Joanne was invited by the Parish Council to establish the Welcoming Team at The Good Shepherd in 2016. A past undergraduate and post-graduate student at Monash University, her career includes leadership positions in not-for-profit and educational institutions. Joanne comes from an Anglican and Uniting Church background. Initially aware of Orthodoxy through classmates in country Victoria, reading ‘The Way of a Pilgrim’ and ‘The Philokalia’ during university preceded finding Orthodoxy in English at The Good Shepherd.
About us
The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church, located in Clayton, Melbourne, is a living witness to the power of the Gospel and the fullness of the Christian Faith in modern, secular Australia.
We are a vibrant Australian Christian community under the direction of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand & the Philippines, which belongs to the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.
The Church of Antioch is the continuation of the Christian community founded in Antioch by the Apostle Peter (who served as its first bishop). The Patriarchate of Antioch is the oldest of the ancient Patriarchates constituting the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
All services are in the English language and the Divine Liturgy is held in the Main Chapel of the Religious Centre at Monash University, Clayton Campus, conveniently located in the centre of Melbourne’s residential population.
Parking in the University car parks is free on weekends—but please take note of all signs regarding Loading Zones, Permit Zones, No Standing and Disabled Parking—these restrictions apply and are enforced on weekends.
