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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 convents 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).
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
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