St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church East Melbourne
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible…
Major feasts of the Orthodox Church
A selection of major feasts is here illustrated with icons.
Orthodox Catechisms on the web
Several catechisms exist on the web.
Some of the classics are..
عظَةُ عِيدِ الفِصحِ للقدِّيسِ يُوحنَّا الذَهَبيِّ الفَم
مَنْ كَانَ حَسَنَ العِبادةِ وُمُحِبًّا لله، فَلْيَتَمَتَّعْ بِحُسْنِ هَذَا المَحْفِلِ البَهِج؛ مَنْ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا، فَلْيَدْخُلْ فَرَحَ رَبِّهِ مَسْرُورًا؛ مَنْ تَعِبَ صَائِمًا، فَلْيَأْخُذِ الآنَ الدِّينار؛ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنَ السَّاعَةِ الأُولَى، فَلْيَنَلْ حَقَّهُ العادِل؛ مَنْ قَدِمَ بَعْدَ السَّاعَةِ الثَّالِثَة، فَلْيُعَيِّدْ شَاكِرًا؛ مَنْ وَافَى بَعْدَ السَّاعَةِ السَّادِسَة، فَلا يَشُكَّ مُرْتَابًا، فَإِنَّهُ لا يَخْسَرُ شَيْئًا؛ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ إِلى السَّاعَةِ التَاسِعَة، لِيَتَقَدَّمْ غَيْرَ مُرْتاب؛ مَنْ وَصَلَ السَّاعَةَ الحَادِيَةَ عَشَرَة، فَلا يَخْشَيَنَّ الإِبْطَاء، لأَنَّ السَّيِّدَ كَرِيمٌ جَوَّاد؛ فَهْوَ يَقْبَلُ الأَخِيرَ كَما يَقْبَلُ الأَوَّل؛ يُرِيحُ العامِلَ مِنَ السَّاعَةِ الحادِيَةَ عَشَرَةَ كَما يُرْيحُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنَ السَّاعَةِ الأُولَى؛ يَرْحَمُ مَنْ جَاءَ أَخِيرًا، وَيُرْضِي مَنْ جَاءَ أَوَّلًا؛ يُعْطِي هَذَا وَيَهِبُ ذَاك؛ يَقْبَلُ الأَعْمَالَ وَيُسَرُّ بِالنِيَّة؛ يُكَرِّمُ الفِعْلَ وَيَمْدَحُ العَزْم؛أَيُّها الأَوَّلُونَ وَيا أَيُّها الآخِرُونَ خُذُوا أُجْرَتَكُم.
أَيُّها الأَغْنِيَاءُ وَيا أَيُّها الفُقَرَاءُ افْرَحُوا مَعًا. سَلَكْتُمْ بِإِمْسَاكٍ أَوْ تَوَانَيْتُمْ، أَكْرِمُوا هَذَا النَّهَار. صُمْتُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَصُومُوا، افْرَحُوا اليَوْم. المَائِدَةُ مَمْلُوَءَةٌ، فَتَنَعَّمُوا كُلُّكُم! العِجْلُ سَمِينٌ، فَلا يَنْصَرِفْ أَحَدٌ جَائِعًا؛ تَنَاوَلُوا كُلُّكُمْ مَشْرُوبَ الإِيمان؛ تَنَعَّمُوا كُلُّكُمْ بِغِنَى الصَّلاح. لا يَتَحَسَّرْ أَحَدٌ شَاكِيًا الفَقَرَ، لأَنَّ المَلَكُوتَ العَامَ قَدْ ظَهَرَ. وَلا يَنْدِبْ مُعَدِّدًا آثَامًا لأَنَّ الفِصْحَ قَدْ بَزَغَ مِنَ القَبْرِ مُشْرِقًا.
لا يَخْشَ امْرُؤٌ المَوْتَ، لأَنَّ مَوْتَ المُخَلِّصَ قَدْ حَرَّرَنا. هُوَ أَخْمَدَ المَوْتَ لَمَّا مَات. وَسَبَى الجَّحِيمَ لَمَّا انْحَدَرَ إِلَيْها. فَتَمَرْمَرَتْ حِينَما ذَاقَتْ جَسَدَهُ، وَهَذَا عَيْنُهُ قَدْ سَبَقَ إِشِعْيَاءُ فَعَايَنَهُ فَنَادَى قَائِلًا:
تَمَرْمَرَتِ الجَحِيمُ لَمَّا صَادَفَتْكَ دَاخِلَها! تَمَرْمَرَتْ لأَنَّها قَدْ أُلْغِيَت! تَمَرْمَرَتْ إِذْ هُزِىءَ بِها! تَمَرْمَرَتْ لأَنَّها قَدْ أُبِيدَتْ! تَمَرْمَرَتْ لأَنَّها رُبِطَتْ!
تَنَاوَلَتْ جَسَدًا، فَأَلْفَتْهُ إَلَهًا، تَنَاوَلَتْ أَرْضًاً فَأَلْفَتْها سَمَاءً، تَنَاوَلَتْ ما كَانَتْ تَنْظُرُ فَسَقَطَتْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ تَنْظُرْ. فَأَيْنَ شَوْكَتُكَ يَا مَوْت؟ أَيْنَ انتصارُكِ يا جَحِيم؟
قَامَ المَسِيحُ وَأَنْتِ صُرِعْتِ! قَامَ المَسِيحُ وَالجِنُّ سَقَطَتْ! قَامَ المَسِيحُ وَالمَلائِكَةُ فَرِحَتْ! قَامَ المَسِيحُ فَانْبَثَّتِ الحَيَاةُ في الجَمِيع! قَامَ المَسِيحُ وَلا مَيْتٌ في القَبْر! قَامَ المَسِيحُ مِنْ بَيْنِ الأَمْوَاتِ فَكَانَ بَاكُورَةً لِلرَّاقِدِين. فَلَهُ المَجْدُ وَالعِزَّةُ إِلى دَهْرِ الدَّاهِرِين، آمين.
The Easter Homily of St. John Chrysostom
If any be a devout lover of God, let him partake with gladness from this fair and radiant feast. If any be a faithful servant, let him enter rejoicing into the joy of his Lord. If any have wearied himself with fasting, let him now enjoy his reward. If any have laboured from the first hour, let him receive today his rightful due. If any have come after the third, let him celebrate the feast with thankfulness. If any have come after the sixth, let him not be in doubt, for he will suffer no loss. If any have delayed until the ninth, let him not hesitate to draw near. If any have arrived only at the eleventh, let him not be afraid because he comes so late. For the Master is generous and accepts the last even as the first. He gives rest to him who comes at the eleventh hour in the same way as to him who laboured from the first.
He accepts the deed and commends the intention. Enter then, all of you, into the joy of our Lord. First and last, receive alike your reward. Rich and poor, dance together. You who have fasted and you who have not fasted, rejoice today. The table is fully laden: let all enjoy it. The calf is fatted: let none go away hungry.
Let none lament his poverty; for the universal kingdom is revealed. Let none bewail his transgressions; for the light of forgiveness has risen from the tomb.Let none fear; for the death of the Saviour has set us free. He has destroyed death by undergoing death. He has despoiled hell by descending into hell. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hell was filled with bitterness when it met you face to face below. Filled with bitterness, for it was brought to nothing; Filled with bitterness, for it was mocked; Filled with bitterness, for it was overthrown;Filled with bitterness, for it was put in chains. It received a body, and encountered God. It received earth, and confronted heaven.
O death, where is thy sting? O hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of the dead; Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of the dead; For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the first fruits of them that have slept. To Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Our History
St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church
Beginnings of the Antiochian Orthodox Community in Melbourne
St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church has served the Antiochian and other Orthodox in Melbourne for eighty-five years. From its beginnings in 1932 until the mid-1950s, St Nicholas was the sole religious and community centre for many immigrants from Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East
Over the years, St. Nicholas extended a welcoming arm to other newly arrived Orthodox such as the Russian, Ukrainian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Coptic communities. They would worship at St. Nicholas until they were able to establish their own churches.
St Nicholas continues to represent Orthodoxy to the wider Christian and Australian communities. It provides
a pathway for people to learn about Orthodoxy and to enter the Orthodox Church. In doing so it projects a pan-Orthodox vision of the Church, enabling it to extend and broaden the mission of Orthodoxy in Australia.
This role has made St Nicholas possibly the most well known of all Orthodox churches in Melbourne.
Our contact details
176 Simpson Street, East Melbourne, VIC 3002 Australia
Fr. Georges El-Khoury
0411 811 468
The Parish Council election will be held on 18 of May 2025.
Nominations are open from now until Sunday 11th of May 2025, nomination forms are available at the entrance of the church and here on the church website, or alternatively you can ask members of the nomination committee for a copy of the form.
For further information or to return completed forms reach out to a member of the nomination committee; Fr. George El Khouri, Fr Ignatius Hanna and Mr Samir Harb. The nomination committee will review all nominations, between 11 and 18 of May, to confirm valid nominations.
To be on the parish council is a call for service for individual members of the parish (you must be a member of the parish), to consider serving the parish and its ministries in this way.
Download the Parish Council nomination form using the button below.
Lots of Ways to get Involved
Sunday School
Family Camp
Youth
Pray
Senior Groups
Missions
Holy Week
Give
Gallery
We Gather Every Wednesday & Sunday
Sundays
10:00am - 1:00 pm
176 Simpson Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002
Tel / Fax (03) 9417 2266
Divine Liturgy (ARABIC, English)
Wednesdays
7:00 pm
176 Simpson Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002
Divine Liturgy (English)
Feast day services are held in English and Arabic. Service books are made available in both languages
Senior Group
Tuesdays
Senior Citizen Group was established by late Gabriel Kabbas in the year 1992, at the request of Fr Dimitri Baroudi. It was recognised by the City of Melbourne as a Non-English speaking background group.