St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church is a nonprofit religious organization located in Melbourne, Australia. It serves the Antiochian Orthodox Christian community, preserving and promoting the faith, traditions, and liturgical life of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

History

The origins of St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church date back to the early 1930s when the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in Victoria sought to establish a dedicated place of worship. The community initially held services at Saint George Anglican Mission, marking the cooperative relations between the Anglican and Orthodox churches in the area. In March 1932, the congregation purchased a church building, which became the permanent home of St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church. The purchase was funded by four £125 donations from prominent community members John Batrouney, Joseph and Walter Davis, and Alex Malouly.

The church's iconostasis, inspired by the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo, was completed by Palm Sunday of 1932, coinciding with the first service held in the new church. At the first council meeting in May 1932, the church was officially named after St Nicholas. The church was consecrated on October 1, 1933, by Metropolitan Timotheos, head of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand, in a ceremony that included an Anglican minister, signifying ecumenical goodwill.

Since then, St Nicholas has played an important role as a spiritual center for Antiochian Orthodox Christians in Melbourne, fostering religious education, liturgical worship, and community fellowship.

Mission and Activities

The mission of St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church is to proclaim, witness to, and spread the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ according to the faith and traditions of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. The church encourages its members to live a full liturgical and spiritual life, guided by teaching and example. It emphasizes love, fellowship, mutual respect, discipleship, stewardship, and education among its congregation.

The church regularly conducts liturgical services in both Arabic and English to serve its diverse community. These include Sunday Matins and Divine Liturgy, weekday services such as the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts on Wednesday evenings, and Vespers on Saturdays. English Divine Liturgies are held periodically on Sunday mornings to cater to English-speaking parishioners.

St Nicholas also fosters ongoing evangelism and outreach to welcome and support newcomers to the Orthodox Christian faith and to strengthen the spiritual life of its members.

Governance and Status

St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church is registered as a nonprofit organization in Australia. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, which oversees the spiritual and administrative affairs of Antiochian Orthodox communities in the region.

The church is led by its parish priest and council, who manage the day-to-day activities, pastoral care, and community programs to ensure the church meets its mission and continues to serve as a vibrant center of Orthodox Christian faith in Melbourne.

This article provides an overview of St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, its history, mission, and role in the Australian Orthodox community.

[1] https://www.stnicholas.org.au [2] https://stnicholaspunchbowl.org.au [3] https://www.antiochian.org.au [4] https://www.stnicholas.org.au/parish-history/ [5] https://orthodoxwiki.org/History_of_Antiochian_Orthodoxy_in_Australasia