Bungarby:
a monastery in the mountains of Australia
The feast of the temple, the Presentation of the Mother
of God, which takes place in the middle of December, was
marked already for the third time in the recently-founded
monastic community in Bungarby (about two hours’ drive
from Canberra). Abbess Anna (Karipoff) was the head of our
convent in Gethsemane in Jerusalem for many years but had
to return to Australia for medical care in 1998.
In 1999 Mother Anna with her near ones purchased 600 acres
of fertile land, on which stood a farmhouse and other agricultural
structures. At present this house is the residence for five
monastics and there is hope that in future the number of
nuns will continue to increase.
Plans call for the existing building to become a guest-house
once monastic cells have been built, and constuction of
a small chapel is already in progress. The future monastery
is situated at the foot of a hill on the shore of a small
river, and even during this difficult time of severe drought
the water continues to flow along its centuries-old path.
The monastic community has its own farm and garden. The
sisters also occupy themselves with handiwork. The community
is often visited by pilgrims, among whom are many Serbian
Orthodox who have also come to love this holy place. Possibly
the visiting Serbs are reminded of the Presentation monastery
in Milkovo in their native Serbia, where St. John and the
ever-memorable Archbishops Tikhon and Anthony of Western
America and San Francisco were tonsured.
For the feast, the verandah of the house, sheltered from
the sun, becomes a temporary temple of God, and after the
service it is turned into a refectory. There is much work
here to be done, but kind people are always to be found,
and they help in the convent’s affairs, and the monastic
services are always especially prayer-filled: Mother Abbess
is an experienced church choir director and spiritual teacher.
The ever-memorable Archbishop Averky wrote: “Orthodoxy
is not something abstract, Orthodoxy is not only faith,
but also life in faith – life which is in agreement
with faith, usually called piety.”
Here is monastic life in faith – the most complete
labor of Orthodox piety. A student of Archbishop Averky,
now our ruling Archbishop Hilarion, accompanied by Protodeacon
Vassily Hadarin, arrived on the eve of the feast, and before
the start of the All-night Vigil Hieromonk Makary arrived
from the Transfiguration monastery. A large number of pilgrims
came from Sydney and places surrounding the future holy
monastery. Fr. Makary served the Vigil with Protodeacon
Vassily. Vladyka Hilarion came out for the Lity with the
serving clergy and also read the Gospel.
On the day of the feast itself Archbishop Hilarion together
with Fr. Vassily served the blessing of the waters, and
they were joined by the beginning of Liturgy by Protodeacon
Vassily Yakimov from Canberra.
The regular nuns’ choir of the community was augmented
for the feast by the voices of pilgrims. The service in
two languages went by prayerfully. Archbishop Hilarion gave
a moving festal sermon, and after the Liturgy served a moleben,
and in place of the ‘many years’ the serving clergy
sang, for Mother Abbess and her sisters in Christ –
Save, O Christ God!
At the meal Vladyka Hilarion spoke with the visitors as
well as the sisters of the community, and later, accompanied
by the clergy, went to see the progress in construction
of the chapel, and soon after left the convent.
The community of the Presentation of the Mother of God needs
donations to complete its planned construction and His Grace
Vladyka Hilarion asks all who can respond to this appeal
to help as they are able – “for God loveth a cheerful
giver.” (II Cor. 9:7).
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In closing I will cite the words of archbishop Averky:
“Brothers and sisters! Let us aspire towards ascetic
labor, in which is expressed precisely the essence of our
Orthodox Christian faith, which is the labor of imitating
Christ in bearing the cross and self-crucifixion –
a faith of labor and, laboring lawfully as the Word of God
teaches, let us suffer all things for the Truth, not moving
away from it, as do many because of their poverty of spirit
or self-interest. And let us remember well: where there
is no labor, where there is no steadfastness in the faith
– there is neither
Orthodoxy nor true faith in God and in His Christ. Amen.”
Protodeacon
Vassily Yakimov
