Categories: orthodox-life, the-world
Date: 19 November 2006 23:38:35
Last night I, and several other people from my parish, went to the ROCOR parish at Cabramatta (the third church on that page) for a dinner and talk by His Eminence Archbishop Hilarion on the Orthodox Church in China. The night was also a fundraiser in aid of the building of Saint John the Baptist Skete.
The talk was very interesting, and very informative -- I only had a very sketchy knowledge of Orthodoxy in China. I knew some Russians had settled there and there was a thriving Orthodox community in certain areas, but there was a great deal I did not know: and the Archbishop's talk helped to fill in many details and give me a better understanding of Orthodoxy's history in China. As well as triumphs, there were many troubles and martyrdoms: the 222 martyred in the Boxer Rebellion and the many who lost their lives in the Cultural Revolution. Memory eternal!
And the dinner was a wonderful itself: as myself and those from my parish are already in the Nativity Fast, some fasting food had been prepared for us by some former parishioners of our parish who now worship at a ROCOR parish: how generous and loving of them to look after us like that. And it was great to have dinner with friends and catch up and talk about all manner of things, as well as meeting a few new people.
Before we left, the priest opened up the church so we could have a look inside. My goodness. My eyes were assaulted from all directions: icons were hung everywhere and many were painted on the walls and ceilings. The iconostasis was so beautiful. Father also told us a bit about the history of the church, and how the land was purchased, the church constructed and information on the painting of the icons that adorn the walls and ceiling.