Clergy Conference of the Melbourne Eparchy held in Perth
From October 28 to November 1, 2024, the clergy of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania gathered for the annual Clergy Conference at St. Joseph’s House in Safety Bay, Western Australia.
The conference began with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. John the Baptist Parish Church, Perth. The Liturgy was led by the Most Rev. Bishop Mykola Bychok in concelebration with the clergy of the Melbourne Eparchy. Fr. Vincent Glynn, Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth; Fr. Elias Kilzi of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church; Fr. Patrick Toohey (RCC); Fr. Vasyl Olevych (UAOC), and numerous parishioners also joined the liturgical prayer.
During his homily, Bishop Mykola emphasised the signs of the times that we must see and recognise in our lives. The most important sign should be the person of Jesus Christ, who took on a body, became one of us, suffered, was crucified, and rose again on the third day, which we recognise every day when we pray the Creed. Another important sign is the ministry of the clergy of our Eparchy, who are called to preach the crucified and risen Christ, our Saviour. It is a great favour of God that we have workers in Christ’s vineyard. No less important is the fact that this Clergy Conference was held for the first time in Western Australia, in Perth, which is the most distant parish of our Eparchy from the cathedral church in Melbourne (3454 km).
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, everyone sang a prayer for Ukraine: “God, the Great One.” Afterwards, everyone moved to the parish hall where dinner was held, and all those present had the opportunity not only to taste delicious dishes but also to get acquainted with the clergy of the Eparchy and converse in a friendly atmosphere.
During the sessions of the Conference, the clergy worked on adapting the Eparchial statutes, based on the Parish Rulebook of the UGCC, the Charter of the Parish Pastoral Council of the UGCC, and the Charter of the Parish Economic Council of the UGCC, issued by the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2015. A session on the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable people was also held.
On Wednesday, the assembled clergy visited the Monastery of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, where they heard about the more than a century of Redemptorist history in Western Australia from 97-year-old Fr. Thomas McFall, the oldest Redemptorist in Australia. In his talk, Fr. Thomas mentioned Redemptorists Fr. Mykola Kopiakivskyi, Fr. Volodymyr Krajewski, and Fr. John Bowden, who learned the Ukrainian language and rite to serve our faithful in Australia.
The clergy then arrived at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Perth, where they were greeted by Fr. Sean Fernandez, Cathedral Administrator, and clergy of the Archdiocese of Perth. The Archdiocesan architect gave a tour of the cathedral and the surrounding area, discussing the “longest building project”—the construction of the cathedral, which lasted more than 100 years. A pleasant surprise was the blue and yellow flag flying near the cathedral, raised on the day Bishop Mykola was proclaimed a cardinal of the Catholic Church. In addition, Ukrainian flags as a sign of support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people were raised in several places belonging to the Catholic Education Centre of Western Australia.
At the end of the day, the clergy of our Eparchy visited the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, where they joined the common evening prayer and meal.
During these visits, Bishop Mykola repeatedly expressed his gratitude to the Catholic Church of Western Australia for their prayers and support for the Ukrainian people, emphasising the solidarity and unity of our Churches. In each of the places visited, a common prayer for Ukraine was offered.
In addition to working during the sessions of the Conference, every day the bishop, priests, and deacons of our Eparchy prayed the Divine Liturgy and the prayers of the daily cycle of prayer for the intentions of our entire Eparchy in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania, as well as for victory and peace in Ukraine.
Press office of the Melbourne Eparchy
