During the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy officiated in the Cathedral of Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade by Serbian Patriarch Irinej and concelebrating Hierarchs, the new Serbian Bishop of Australia-New Zealand Siluan (Mrakic) was consecrated Bishop.

The Primate of the Church concelebrated with 21 Hierarchs, a large number of priests and deacons. The responses were sung by the First Belgrade Singing Society. This ecclesial event was attended, amongst other prominent personalities, by the director of the Office for Relations with Churches and Religious Communities of the Serbian Government, Dr. Mileta Radojevic, as well as by Their Excellencies Mrs Julia Feeney, Australian Ambassador to Serbia and Mr. Miroljub Petrovic, Serbian Ambassador to Australia.

In his encouraging address to the newly consecrated Bishop, Patriarch Irinej called upon the faithful to offer prayers to the Lord so that He may show the young Bishop the path of his archpastoral ministry and support him in his obedience in serving the faithful entrusted to his care.

In his sermon Bishop Siluan especially wo of his predecessors on the Throne of the Bishops of Australia and New Zealand, Milutin of Valjevo, who was his mentor in guiding him to this moment in his ministry and Irinej Bishop-elect of Eastern America, with whom he was pleased to serve as hierodeacon during his own stay in Australia, as well as to all the assembled Hierarchs of the Serbian Church, priests and monks, and to his teachers and professors who guided him during his theological education.

At the end of the Liturgy, Bishop Siluan distributed icons of the Ven. Siluan the Athonite, his heavenly protector, to all those congregated in the Belgrade Cathedral.

At the Agape Feast, the Serbian Ambassador to Australia, Mr. Miroljub Petrovic, emphasized that our Embassy was going to offer full support to the new Bishop and that they would gladly continue to cooperate with the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand. Her Excellency Mrs Julia Feeney, Ambassador of Australia in Belgrade, expressed her joy that the Serbian Orthodox Church had elected "such an excellent man for Bishop in Australia". The Serbian Diaspora actively contributes to the Australian society, she pointed out. "I am proud to represent my country in Serbia and I am looking forward to our future meetings".

Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church

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