All-Diaspora Youth Conference:

All-Diaspora Youth Conference, the Final Days, 19-21 July:
On the feast day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the 10th All-Diaspora Conference of Russian Orthodox Youth Drew to a Close

All-Diaspora Youth Conference, the Final Days, 19-21 July: The Conference ended with a divine liturgy with a service of supplication to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
On Friday, 19 July, after divine liturgy performed by Bishop Alexander, a discussion was held on the subject of life after death.

In the first half of the day, representatives of the Sydney Municipal Administration came to meet with His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus. Then the clergy and conferees headed to the port for a cruise in Sydney Bay. The conferees had another chance to socialize and have lunch. Afterwards, the President of the Organizational Committee announced that Vladyka Metropolitan is departing for Melbourne, and everyone sang "Many Years" to the First Hierarch and lined up to receive his blessing.

On Saturday, there were two lectures and a roundtable. The first lecture was read by Protopriest Peter Perekrestov on the topic of the Cross, and the second by Priest Roman Kravets from Voronezh, Russia. The latter spoke on church life in Voronezh.

That evening, all-night vigil was held at the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul in Stratfield. Divine liturgy was conducted on Sunday, officiated by His Grace Bishop Gabriel in Protection Church in Cabramatta. All the Conference youth arrived for the service on buses. Two choirs sang—the parish choir and a choir comprised of the youth. The church was filled; some worshipers could not even enter. After liturgy, a service of supplication was held before the Kazan and Kursk-Root Icons. Supplications were also read for the mercies that the Lord poured upon the participants of the Conference. After the trapeza feast, the Organizational Committee was thanked, all the clergy, the parishes and sisterhoods…

Bishop Gabriel officially closed the Conference and expressed the hope that the next All-Diaspora Conference would be held in San Francisco. Glory be to God! Then the young men and women sadly said their goodbyes.

All-Diaspora Youth Conference—Day One, 13 June:
The Xth All-Diaspora Youth Conference opened with a service of supplication before the Protectress of the Russian diaspora, the Kursk-Root Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, in Sydney, Australia. The service was performed by the dean of Brazil, Protopriest George Petrenko together with Priests George Lapardin and Seraphim Gan. Youth and clergy gathered from different cities in Australia, the USA, Canada, Brazil, Ukraine, Poland, Uruguay and Argentina.

In his welcoming speech, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Laurus, emphasized the importance of such youth conferences. Vladyka Metropolitan called young people not to care so much for their temporal lives but for their eternal lives: to be faithful in small things—in everyday prayer, participation in parish life and careful attention to their spiritual life. Vladyka Laurus said that we should not be ashamed of our faith and to practice it openly. Then the First Hierarch said a few words about the joy that he felt seeing the multitude of altar boys and young people in the choir on the feast day of SS Peter and Paul, that it gave him inspiration.
The ruling bishop of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese, Archbishop Hilarion, greeted Vladyka Metropolitan, Bishop Gabriel, the clergy and youth to Australia and wished them all happiness and unity of spirit, and also called for the youth to conduct themselves piously. The title of the main theme of the Conference was taken from the irmos of the third song of the canon of the Meeting of Our Lord: "Establish, O Lord, Thy Church." One of the main goals of the Conference is to understand the nature of the Church and to determine our relationship to Her, how to live within Her. It should be remembered that the Church is not a human organization, nor a building, but the Body of Christ, and She is led not by people but by the Holy Spirit. Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan, greeting the conferees, reminded them that one other goal of the Conference is making acquaintances and making social contact. Our Church is small and it is important to guarantee its future.

The first lecture was given by Protopriest Peter of San Francisco: "Where two or three are gathered in My name," and our future. That evening, the conferees participated in the all-night vigil at the bishops’ seat, the Church of All Russian Saints in Croydon. Two choirs sang: a youth choir and a male choir consisting of clergy and other youth.

The All-Diaspora Conference, Day Two, 14 July:
The All-Diaspora Conference in Australia marks the memory of All Russian Saints. The feast-day service was performed solemnly and joyfully and with a multitude of worshipers at the Church of All Russian Saints in Croydon. It was conducted by His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, Archbishop Hilarion and Bishop Gabriel along with 12 priests (including a representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church), and 6 deacons. The parish choir and youth choir sang in antiphony. At the Minor Entrance, in accordance with a decree of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Protopriest Michael Lee was awarded the palitsa and decorated cross for his nearly 50 years of service to the Church as a priest and for his witness. Fr. Michael was oppressed and persecuted by the atheist communist state in China. He spend over 20 years in forced labor.

After liturgy, there was a procession of the Cross with a minor blessing of water and a service of supplication. The service for the blessing of water was somewhat unusual: the Miracle-working Icon of Akhtyrka was bathed with the water. This ritual has been performed ever since the Mother of God appeared to the priest of the Kharkov’ guberniya (province) and told him to rinse Her icon. The daughter of the priest was healed from this water, and it caused a great many miracles. Now this Miracle-working Icon is kept in the Bishop’s cathedral in Croydon. The Akhtyrka Icon’s feast day is on Monday, 14 July (new style).

On the third day of the Conference, three lectures are scheduled, along with a roundtable and an akathist before the Miracle-working Icons of the Kursk-Root and Akhtyrka.

Day Three, 15 July:
The youth marked the memory of the Miracle-working Akhtyrka Icon of the Mother of God.
The day began with the divine liturgy in the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul in Sydney. Priest Alexander Iwasjewicz of Argentina officiated. The first lecture was given by the famous cultural figure Alexander Shakhmatov, on the subject of the awakening of faith and self-awareness in Russia. The second speaker was Professor Dimitrii Rybakov of Kiev, who expounded upon the horrible Soviet experiment of the 20th century, which almost led to the utter destruction of the Russian people. At the roundtable, in which Their Graces Bishop Alexander of Buenos Aires and Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan took part along with other clergymen, questions regarding parish life were discussed, as well as marriage and the role of successors. At 4:30 p.m., an akathist was performed before the two holy objects of the Russian Church: the Kursk-Root Icon and the Akhtyrka Icon of the Most-Holy Mother of God. The youth choir divided in two to sing in antiphony. That evening, after dinner, Bishop Alexander, who, besides a theological education earned a higher lay degree, led a discussion on the compatibility of religious views and a scientific outlook. Bishop Alexander explained his view on several topics concerning the theory of evolution. Vladyka’s discussion evoked a lively exchange of viewpoints among the conferees.
The day ended with the reading of evening prayers.

Day Four, 16 July:
The Protection Parish in Cabramatta hosts the Conferees.
Early morning, the participants of the Youth Conference arrived in the suburb of Sydney on a fleet of buses in time for divine liturgy. As usual, all the services were sung by the youth choir. The first lecture of the fourth day of the All-Diaspora Youth Conference was read by Protopriest Gabriel Makarov of Brisbane on the topic "Orthodox Marriage." The second was titled "The Conscience," and presented by the rector of the Protection Cathedral in Melbourne, Protopriest Nikolai Karipoff. After lunch, the conferees had the opportunity to socialize and many took advantage of this time for sporting activities. Trips to the nursing homes of Protection parish in Cabramatta were organized. After evening service in memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs in Protection Cathedral (the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia himself, Metropolitan Laurus, emerged for the polyeleos), a trapeza feast was offered by the Committee of the Russian-Chinese Orthodox Mission. The President of the Mission, Protopriest Michael Li, spoke at the dinner about the sufferings endured by the Orthodox in China. By ten o’clock, the youth departed on the buses to spend the night in Sydney.

Day Five, 17 July:
The feast day of the Holy Royal Martyrs was celebrated at the Novo Shamordino Convent in Kentlyn.
Divine liturgy at the Convent of the Mother of God of Kazan "Novo Shamordino" was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus along with Archbishop Hilarion of Sydney and the Australian-New Zealand Diocese, Bishop Alexander of the South American Diocese and a group of clergymen. All the participants of the Youth Conference took part in this holiday of the Russian Church. A special prayer of repentance was read on the day of the martyrdom of the Royal Family composed by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Miracle-worker. In his sermon, Bishop Alexander recounted the many miracles that resulted from prayers to the Anointed of God. Tsar Nicholas has become the second St. Nicholas of Russia. After the trapeza feast, not far from the Convent at the hall of the Brotherhood of the Holy Cross, the conferees were offered two lectures. Bishop Alexander spoke of the "New Age" movement, and Protopriest Peter Semovskikh from Brisbane shared his recollection of Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky), to whom he was very close. After lunch there was a private hierarchal meeting presided by Metropolitan Laurus. Dinner that evening was held at the parish hall of the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul in Sydney. The topic of the lecture was: "What is the Episcopacy?" It was read by the dean of Victoria, Protopriest Michael Protopopov. Despite their weariness, the young conferees listed attentively to the speeches, posing questions and discussed the topics presented. They took advantage of the recesses between lectures to round out their acquaintances, participate in sports and prepare for the talent show. A trip to the city is scheduled for the Day 6, to the Blue Hills, where a service of supplication to St. Sergius of Radonezh is scheduled at the Vityaz Camp, where there will be a roundtable and an open-air luncheon.

Day Six, 18 July:
Conferees mark the feast day of St. Sergius in the mountains. Glorious are Thy works, O Lord!
The conferees mark the feast day of St. Sergius in the mountains.
Early morning on Thursday, the participants of the All-Diaspora Youth Conference departed in buses out of the city to the famous Blue Mountains of Australia. There, at the camp of the National Organization of Vityazi, under the open sky, a prayer of supplication was made to the Mother of God before Her Kursk-Root Miracle-working Icon, to St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Elizabeth the New Martyr. The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Laurus, told the youth about the gatherer of Russian lands, St. Sergius. After the service, the Director of the Australian Section of the National Organization of Vityazi welcomed the First Hierarch of the Russian Church, the bishops and conferees.
A roundtable followed with the participation of the bishops and clergy. They answered numerous questions by the youth. After lunch, the conferees headed further into the glorious sights of the Blue Mountains. Everyone was awestruck by the beauty of God’s creation.
That evening, a talent show was held.