A conference of parish councils of the Melbourne Eparchy was held in Melbourne
From May 16 to 18, 2025, the Conference of Parish Councils of the Melbourne Eparchy was held at the Cathedral Church of the Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne, which was dedicated to the topic of finance and governance. It was attended by delegations from parishes in Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, and Perth, as well as representatives of neighbouring communities from Melbourne, Geelong, and Ardeer.
The event began on Friday evening with a common prayer, a prayer service to the Holy Virgin, led by Father Andriy Mykytyuk, administrator of the cathedral church. The prayer was followed by the official opening of the conference in the hall of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj.
On Saturday, the participants had an eventful programme that covered various aspects of parish ministry—from spiritual reflections on the “culture of the Church” presented by Fr. Simon Ckuj, Protosynkellos of the Eparchy, and Ms. Tatiana Zachariak, member of the Eparchial Finance Council, to practical issues of finance, property management, risk assessment, and safeguarding in the Eparchy.
An important event of the day was the Divine Liturgy, led by Fr. Simon Ckuj in concelebration with the priests present. Participants also had the opportunity to listen to a report by Fr. Andriy Mykytyuk, Synkellos for the Laity, on the activities of the Eparchial Pastoral Council, ask questions important to parish ministry, and share their own experiences.
On Sunday, at the conclusion of the conference, the participants attended the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral church, after which they continued informal communication over a joint lunch.
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