News
Updated 2 June 2025
- Parish Closed until October 2025.
Holy Ascension is on hiatus until the rector's return from long service leave in October and while we await completion of renovations of church building.
- Great Feast of Ascension – 2025
With great success, Holy Ascension Orthodox Church observed it’s Patronal Feast of Ascension on Sunday 25 May. A festive potluck fellowship meal followed the liturgy where we enjoyed lots of food and delicious desserts kindly offered by our faithful. We sincerely thank all altar servers and choir singers and readers, volunteers, organisers of our festive banquet and to everyone who attended, and to those who offered prayers in their absence.
- Great Doxology for the Feast of St George - 6 May, 2025
A Slava (Great Doxology Service) was served on Tuesday 6 May, the feast of the Great-Martyr and Trophy-Bearer St George, at and for the household of Milan and Evie, whose family patron is St George. We wish them Many Years (Sretna Slava) and to all named George and Georgia.
- Holy Week & Pascha 2025
With great success, Holy Ascension Orthodox Church served Palm Sunday Divine Liturgy as well as the Paschal Triduum, including the Vigil of Pascha at 29 College Crescent, Parkville. The Divine Services were commemorated and celebrated with beauty, reverence, solemnity and much joy especially at Pascha. This was made possible only by the grace of God and the prayers of the congregation - the spiritual family.
The Choir sang beautifully under the capable leadership of both Erica and Zoe.
Thank you to everybody who attended and those who were absent but were nevertheless present in spirit and remembered in our prayers. Massive thanks to everybody who helped to make Holy Week and Pascha so beautiful and prayerful for our spiritual community: choir singers and readers, altar servers, cleaners, ushers, candle and icon curators, caretakers, photographers, epitaphios carriers, those who held candles and other items in our processions, those who provided palms, our flower decorations team, our Paschal Gospel readers (this year we read the Paschal Gospel in New Testament Greek, Macedonian, Japanese and English) and to everybody who came and worshipped with us!
- Baptisms – 30 March, 2025
On Sunday, 30 March, we celebrated the Baptisms of Josh and Lachlan. Josh is named after the Prophet Joshua from the Old Testament. Lachlan has taken the name Leander named in honor of the Holy Hierarch Leander of Seville. We congratulate the newly-illumined and their sponsors, and wish them Many Years!
- Reader Tonsure for Holy Ascension Orthodox Church - 19 March, 2025
On Wednesday 19 March during the Annual Lenten Clergy Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese of ROCOR, our long-time altar server John was made a Reader with the blessing of Archbishop George. The tonsure took place at Holy Protection Cathedral in East Brunswick at the conclusion of the Lenten Typika and prior to the commencement of the Divine Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts. We sincerely congratulate Reader John and wish him Many Years! We also thank His Eminence Archbishop George of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand and the clergy and faithful of Holy Protection Cathedral. AXIOS!
Please click here to learn about the minor order rank of Reader.
- Sunday of Orthodoxy 2025
On Sunday 9 March, Holy Ascension Orthodox Church celebrated the Triumph of Orthodoxy where we all honored the restoration of icons and their veneration. After the Liturgy, we honored the commemoration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy with an icon procession. The faithful of our parish participated in the icon procession by reverently holding icons in their midst.
Click here for more information on the theme of the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
- Forgiveness Sunday 2025
On Sunday 2 March, the first service for Great Lent was served with the Vespers of Clean Monday followed by the Rite of Mutual Forgiveness. Wishing everybody a blessed and spiritually fruitful Great Lent.
- Wedding – 23 February, 2025
On Sunday 23 February, Josh and Dilly were married at Holy Protection Orthodox Cathedral, Brunswick East. Mark and Greta had the honour of being the crown-bearers. We congratulate the newly married couple and wish them Many Years!
- Prayer for the New School Year - 26 January, 2025
A Prayer for the New School Year for students and teachers was offered on Sunday, 26 January, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. We wish all our students and teachers a blessed beginning for the new academic year.
- Theophany - 19 January, 2025
Holy Ascension Orthodox Church celebrated the Great Feast of Theophany for another year in Williamstown. Following the Divine Liturgy, the Great Blessing of the Waters was held. The faithful piously queued at the end of the service filling their bottles with Holy Water to take home as a blessing.
- Blessing & Distribution of the St Basil Cake - 12 January, 2025
The tradition of the blessing and distribution of the St Basil Cake was held at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church on Sunday, 12 January, immediately after the Divine Liturgy. The tradition is in honor of St Basil who would give alms to the faithful in his diocese (he was Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, an inland province of Asia Minor, now modern Turkey). He would deliver gold coins to the local baker. The coins would be embedded in the dough which would then be baked. These loaves/cakes of bread would then be given to the poor in St Basil’s diocese. The faithful of St Basil's diocese were a proud people and wouldn't accept charity. So this was St Basil's way of helping them. This year our Altar Server Konstantine, found the Vasilopita Coin. Congratulations Konstantine, with the blessings of St Basil the Great!
- Nativity - 7 January, 2025
Holy Ascension Orthodox Church celebrated the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ for another year in Williamstown to a full attendance and with great solemnity. A festive fellowship meal was held and enjoyed immediately after the Divine Liturgy. Thank you to everyone who made and brought various dishes, savories, sweets, cakes and desserts. We were also treated to a surprise visit from St Basil (aka Father Christmas) who was ably assisted by Altar Server John distributing striped candy canes to the faithful and wishing everybody a Merry Christmas. Christ is born! Glorify Him!
- New Year’s Resolution 2025
RESOLVE – to decide firmly on a course of missionary action in Australia by supporting Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, your English-speaking, Missionary-Oriented church.
Holy Ascension is one of the very few (too few) missions in all of Australia.
Australia has the dubious distinction of being the last inhabited continent to receive the Light of Orthodoxy. It took almost 20 centuries to reach us!
It took almost 21 centuries to start having church services in English - and we are an English-speaking country!
Dedicated parishes serving all church services only in English took even longer to get started.
Unfortunately church services in the vernacular (a normal practice in the Early Church and throughout the first millennium) is still considered an abnormality at worst and a novelty at best.
Let’s work to overcome these difficulties by supporting Holy Ascension Orthodox Church.
For 2025, consider contributing to Holy Ascension Orthodox Church’s ongoing needs.
Go to our How-to-Help page to find out how.
Wishing everyone a blessed Nativity & Theophany season and a spiritually uplifting 2025.
- Surprise visit from St Nicholas - 29 December, 2024
On Sunday 29 December, after the Divine Liturgy, we were all treated to a surprise visit from St Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) who was ably assisted by Altar Server Konstantine distributing striped candy canes to the faithful and wishing everybody a Merry Christmas. Word is that there may be another visit by St Basil (aka Father Christmas) on 7 January! :-)
- Worship Space Meeting - 15 December, 2024
A meeting was held on Sunday 15 December, after the Divine Liturgy, to discuss ideas and methods on how to optimise our current worship to better accommodate growing attendances and a growing congregation. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated and offered their views, ideas and material assistance.
- 2024 Nativity Almsgiving Drive
An overflowing food pantry, filled with various non-perishable food items, toiletries, cleaning agents and hygiene products, were delivered to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia – District of Northcote Welfare Centre. The Welfare Centre is a philanthropic body for the immediate relief of poverty and homelessness. Thank you to all who contributed and donated items during our Lenten Drive.
- Orthodox Study Group - 10 December, 2024
A presentation was given on the Letter to Diognetus.
- Christmas Tree Decoration - 1 December, 2024
On Sunday 1 December after the Divine Liturgy, the children of Holy Ascension, with the support of their parents, decorated the parish's Christmas Tree. Thank you kids big and small!
- Baptisms – 30 November, 2024
On Saturday, 30 November, we celebrated the Baptisms of Alex, Jesse, John, Lauren and Tim. The Baptisms took place at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Williamstown. Alex is named Alexander in honor of St Alexander of Svir as his baptismal name. Jesse is named in honor of Righteous Jesse from the Old Testament. John is named in honor St John the Theologian. Lauren is named in honor of the Holy Martyr Lawrence and Tim is named in honor of the Apostle Timothy of the Seventy. After the baptisms, we were treated to a festive lunch of fish and chips and other goodies to celebrate the occasion. The following day, our neophytes received Holy Communion for the first time at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Williamstown in the presence of their sponsors and spiritual family. We congratulate the newly-illumined and their sponsors, and wish them Many Years! We thank the organisers, contributors and donors of our Festive Fish and Chips Luncheon.
- Orthodox Study Group - 26 November, 2024
A presentation was given on Christmas from an Orthodox Christian Perspective.
- 2024 AGM - 24 November, 2024
On Sunday 24 November 2024, after the Divine Liturgy, the 2024 Annual General Meeting was held. Thank you to all registered members who attended and congratulations to our new office-bearers!
- Orthodox Study Group - 19 November, 2024
For our inaugural Tuesday Evening Orthodox Group, we held a Q&A session, with questions mainly focused on the topic of fasting in the Orthodox Christian Tradition.
- Entreaty to St Varus - 3 November, 2024
An Entreaty to St Varus (patron saint of those who died unbaptised) was served on Sunday, 3 November, immediately after the Divine Liturgy. As a predominantly "convert congregation," it was a welcome opportunity to commemorate those whom we knew who passed away who were not Orthodox Christians.
- Wedding – 27 October, 2024
On Sunday 27 October, Andrew and Jun were married at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Williamstown. John and Christine had the honour of being the crown-bearers. A festive banquet was held afterwards. We congratulate the newly married couple and wish them Many Years!
- Orthodox Study Group - 29 September, 2024
A brief presentation on the recent trip to Darwin, visiting Fr Mark, and about Orthodox Christianity in Darwin.
- Great Feast of Pentecost 2024
On Sunday 23 June 2024, the Great Feast of Pentecost was celebrated at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church with a Festal Divine Liturgy. Immediately after the Liturgy, the Vespers for the Day of the Holy Spirit was served including the special prostration prayers of intercession for the living and the departed.