Topic: Investigating Orthodoxy in Oz

[IRHolder]

Hi all,

I've read these boards and the articles on the main site on and off for a while and thought it was time to say something!  

Basic history:

• Grew up Anglican
• Went to a fundamentalist church in early teens; ditched this, and Christianity, at 13
• At 20 returned to an evangelical Anglican church
• At 24 moved to a High Anglican church { very rare in Sydney } as evangelicalism seemed too narrow for me and I never really took to Sola Scriptura anyhow
  

Around that time I started reading posts from Orthodox posters [many converts] on another discussion board.  My interest was piqued, as I truly thought you needed to be Greek to be Orthodox!  ::)  ;D  And Orthodoxy is fairly much under the radar here - as far as I know.  What interested me was "the fullness of truth" and the fact it was a solid faith that did not rock and waver and change like Anglicanism does.

In March 2003 I typed in "english speaking orthodox church sydney"  into Google and up came an Antiochian parish not too far from home [40 minute drive max].    I went to the Young Adult Bible study for two months, and then realised Orthodoxy needed full on investigation.  However, as I was tied to my current Anglican parish through committees and such, I went back and stayed there until late January this year.

In the meantime the Orthodox [one guy especially] from the parish stayed in touch, and through their and others' counsel I devoured "The Orthodox Church" & "Becoming Orthodox", bought the NT & Psalms Study Bible and read, read, read...

I am now attending the Antiochian parish full time, and -- as long as they'll accept me!  ;) -- I look forward to starting a catechumen class in the near future.

Thanks to all who post here, and to those who make it run smoothly.  I have learnt a great deal here too.

God bless,
Ian.

[Mor Ephrem]

Welcome, Ian!

[Linus7]

Welcome, Ian.

Thanks for sharing your testimony.

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction.

[prodromos]

Dear Ian,

don't forget to check out the Archangel Michael Monastery in Marrickville ( 02 9558 2207, you will have to call to get their address as I can only find a P.O box number on the Net). There is also a convent out Campbelltown way, Our Lady of Kazan Convent, 32 Smith Street, Kentlyn NSW 2560 (  02 4625 7054 ), plus Saint John the Baptist Skete, 3rd Avenue, Old Kent Road, Kentlyn NSW 2560 (   02 4626 3945 ) and a men's monastery out near Cooma, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Richardson Road, Bombala ( 02 6458 3009 ). There is also Presentation of the Mother of God Convent, Rennies Road, Bungarby NSW 2630 ( 02 6453 6272 )

Found the details here on ROCOR's website

I'm a former Anglican too, though I didn't discover Orthodoxy until I was literally plonked into the middle of it when my wife and I moved to Greece. So I can't actually tell you much about the monasteries as I knew nothing about them while I was living in Sydney. I know of the convent at Campelltown through a nun here in Greece. She used to be a doctor working at the children's hospital in Sydney and visited the convent frequently before becoming a nun herself.

Which suburb of Sydney do you live in? I was in the eastern suburbs myself (Coogee, Maroubra, Randwick), got married at Saint Matthias near Centennial Park, plus I used to go along to Saint Barnabas on Broadway when I was a border at Moore Theological College (studied at UTS).

God bless,

John.

[Byzantino]

Hi Ian,

Welcome and God bless you as you embark on your journey. If you need anything, i'm only an hour's flight away

[Karamazov]

Nice to have you with us, Ian!

May the Holy Spirit continue to guide you along your path to one-ness with God!

-David

[TomS]

Dude! Good to see you here.

[IRHolder]

Thanks all for the wonderfully warm welcome!

Byzantino: hope Melbourne isn't at 40 degrees C and 100% humidity like Sydney at the moment!  

John: thanks for all the information: I'm not ready to become a monk yet, though!    [although, I have considered it in the past...and my ex-manager encouraged me to become one when I ditched IT!  ]   I'm way out in the wild west, Bossley Park [think Cabramatta/Fairfield].  I've driven past the ROC in Cabramatta many times.  I hope you and your wife are enjoying your time in Greece.

Again, thanks to all for the warm welcome!  God bless,
Ian.

[prodromos]

John: thanks for all the information: I'm not ready to become a monk yet, though!

I wasn't suggesting you should , they're just great places to recharge your spiritual batteries. We have literally hundreds of monasteries to visit here in Greece, but there are a few in particular that we visit regularly. It always leaves us feeling blessed for being there

I'm way out in the wild west, Bossley Park [think Cabramatta/Fairfield].  I've driven past the ROC in Cabramatta many times.

I left out my earlier history where I lived as a Westie out at Glenfield (my dad was principal at Hurlstone Ag. High). I've still got a pair of ugh boots somewhere. All I need is to find a black and white striped beanie, put on my  flannelette shirt over a black t-shirt and start playing my AC-DC and Cold Chisel albums  .
I remember Cabramatta well. No stray dogs there (large Vietnamese population in case people are wondering)

John.

[Suzannah]

Hello Ian!
I just wanted to say I am a fellow catechumen too....  
I was referred to this board, from another Orthodox board and the people there were very helpful to me in my search for the "Truth" also... (hey there podromos! *wave*!)

I wish you well on your journey!

[Maria]

Hi Ian and Suzannah!

May God and St. Nicholas guide you on your voyage to the Orthodox Church.

Maria

Now where is the preview button? I just hit reset and had to retype the darn thing all over again.

[IRHolder]

Thanks for the welcome, Maria and Suzannah.

John: far too hot for Ugh boots and flannel at the moment [35-40 C!] ;-)


I am going to the NSW Antiochian Young Adult Retreat this weekend...very much looking forward to it - both as a chance to meet people and to learn and ask questions.

Ian.

[prodromos]

John: far too hot for Ugh boots and flannel at the moment [35-40 C!] ;-)

Heh, in Thessaloniki it was [-8 C] yesterday. Of course a lot of the Americans on the forum would scoff at such Summery conditions. Some of them have been hitting [-40 C] I believe

John.

[arimethea]

John: far too hot for Ugh boots and flannel at the moment [35-40 C!] ;-)
 
 

Heh, in Thessaloniki it was [-8 C] yesterday. Of course a lot of the Americans on the forum would scoff at such Summery conditions. Some of them have been hitting [-40 C] I believe

Hey what's up with this C stuff! 35-40 is not hot, that is what it going to be here in Indiana tomorrow and that isn't hot enought to melt the snow. Also I havn't heard it being -40 anyplace here in the US this winter. I know it's has gotten to the single digits, maybe -40 with the wind chill.... Okay I am taking the stupid American thing too far! I couldn't resist to make fun of the celcius scale.

[ania]

Ian, welcome!  
I was in Sydney in August, & went to the ROC in Cabramatta, though the people we were staying with said (heavy Russian accent) "Dis not Cabramatta, dis Vietnamata."  Scarry neighborhood to walk home from the train station at night, but really nice church.  Know some of the people there, all very nice, though some are a bit strange in the Russian sorta way.  :-)  
Arimethea, it was -40 (-100 windchill) F at Mount Washington about a month ago.  When I went home over Christmas, it kept hitting -25 to -30, with windchills far colder (never rose above freezing the entire week, & more than 1/2 the time was in the - ).  It got to the point when I would be talking outside on my cellphone, then wonder why I'm not hearing anything, look at my hand (with gloves on), realize I can't feel my hand and the cellphone is lying in the snow about 20 feet back.  
Anyway, welcome Ian.  
Ania