November - December 2006
year XXXI
CHRISTMAS
CONVERSATIONS
Presbytera Eisodia Menis
Everyone knows the
story of the birth of our
Saviour. We sing the
same carols every year.
Christmas cards proclaim
the well-known message.
Yet another movie about
it has been released this
year. The story is
perennial.
The services that
celebrate Christmas in
the Church are perennial,
too. We read exactly the
same readings every
year. The hymns are the
same as last year’s.
Nothing is changed.
Nevertheless, the
commemoration of the
event and the re-telling
of the story remain fresh
and vibrant.
Thumbing through the
Festal Menaion, by way
of a little anticipation, I
read the Matins for
Christmas day. Verses
written in the present
voice help to keep the
event current and alive.
The invitation is given
at the outset: Come, O
you faithful, and let us
behold where Christ is
born…
For Christ this day is
born of the Virgin and
Theotokos, in Bethlehem
of Judah.
Since we are present,
The Nativity of God, VIth century
we can have dialogue
with the Theotokos.
We ask: Why are you
filled with wonder, O
Mary? Why are you
amazed at that which has
happened in you?
The reply is not
unexpected: Because I
have given birth in time A Christmas theology of the womb
to the timeless Son, yet I http://revdcostache.livejournal.com/20133.html
do not understand how I by Revd Doru Costache
have conceived Him. I
have not known man:
how then shall I bear a God is “the complicate Mary's uterus is, of
child? Who has ever seen womb of all that is” (St course and properly, the
a birth without seed? Gregory the Theologian, womb.
The Theotokos is Poem 1.1.4, ‘Concerning One of the most inter-
familiar with the the world’). God is a esting aspects of this
scriptures. But as it is womb where we live, story is the fact that all
written, ‘Where God so move and exist (cf. Acts our hearts are also
wills, the order of nature of the apostles 17:28). wombs, expecting the
is overcome.’ And yet he becomes a inner birth of the divine-
Inspired, we to turn to fetus in the womb of his human child who we all
our Lord and say: We own child/creation, re- have to become. And this
magnify You, O Christ vealing the uterine di- because the Logos wants
the Giver of life, who was mension of everything. to repeat in each of us,
born in the flesh for us
The inverse perspec- everywhere and every
this day from her that
tive... time the mystery of his
knew not wedlock, the
All-Pure Virgin Mary. A little great God and a incarnation, according to
We can meditate a little glorious humble creation! that outstanding inter-
on the mystery which the God is a womb. The uni- preter of the mystery, St
Theotokos has in her verse is a womb. The Maximus the Confessor

page 3 cave is a womb. And (cf. Ambigua 7).
page 2
Young Romanian Poets
Sorina Sandu: Mireasa cuvintelor de taină
(Craiova: Autograf MGM, 2006, 87 pages)
The brand new volume of poems
published (in Romanian) by Sorina
Sandu, The bride of mystery’s
words, exuberantly manifests the
complex inner universe of an
extremely sensible soul. Her training
in theology and literature, together
with her long-lasting interest for
Emil Cioran’s challenging
philosophy, opened for her wide
horizons of symbolic expression,
making her poetry astonishingly
vivid and profound, almost
mythological. In fact she has the
ability to perceive the deepness of
human conscience, seizing it in its
most striking internal and external
attitudes.
The book consists of two parts,
significantly titled as Cântec de
război (War chant) and respectively
Boabe de taină (Seeds of mystery).
In the following I will try to point to
a few recurrent themes, far from
intending any exhaustive analysis.
Although Arghezi’s taste for dark
imagery is well represented here
(e.g. ceară otrăvită / poisoned wax,
îngeri ologi / lame angels, haina de
mucegai / cloths of fungi etc.), this
poetry is very Cioran-like at least in
respect of its existential substance if
not in its poetic expression. Sorina
celebrates polyphonically the funeral
of human’s vanity and decay, in
notes of sad humour.
Everything is inconsistent and
about to die; flesh’s opulence is just
a chimera… For instance, the
women bring to Brother Michael
ofranda nopŃii, / nocturnal
sacrifice,
trupuri de cenuşă / bodies of ash
(‘Cântec de război’, War chant).
Death is tremendously
omnipresent, hiding everywhere
behind Sorina’s verses, when it is
by Revd Dr Doru Costache
not clearly indicated – although the death…
always depicted in familiar, peaceful (‘Astigmatism’, Astigmatism).
tones.
Sometimes death is a lover: This warning leaves however no
În fiecare seară / Every night room for our contemporary irrational
moartea mă sărută / death kisses hedonism; with Sorina’s poetry, the
me warning becomes an invitation to
pe gură / on the lips wisdom and decency. She seems to
(‘AmeninŃare’, Menace). address the issue of a corrupted
world in her ‘Răspuns’ (Answer):
Some other times it is just a tired
traveller, evaluating people’s term Domnule Dementor / Mr Dementor
on earth: poezia mea nu are sex; / my poetry
does not have gender;
S-a apropiat timidă / Timidly, she e o specie dementă, desuetă / it
came closer rather is a crazy species, outdated
mi-a pipăit coastele, / touching my pe cale de dispariŃie: / on its way to
ribs, extinction:
a încercat să-mi cânte / she tried to animal asexuat. / a genderless
sing for me animal.
un Recviem / a Requiem
pe clapele de piatră ale sufletului; / Nu se împerechează / It does not
on the stone-keys of my soul; seek to mate
apoi m-a adulmecat prelung / then la subsol / in hidden places
she smelled me for a long time şi nu o poŃi cuprinde / and one
cannot catch it
“Încă nu miroşi a pământ,” / “You în dinŃii privirilor / with the eye’s
do not smell of clay yet,” teeth
mi-a şoptit somnoroasă. / sleepy, să o sfâşii cu poftă. / to lustfully
she uttered. tear it apart.
Era obosită moartea. / Death was
tired. Poezia nu e amantă răstignită /
S-a culcat lângă mine / She laid Poetry is not a crucified lover
next to me în patul murdar al cetăŃii, / on a
zâmbind. / smiling. city’s dirty bed,
(‘Pârgă’, Firstlings) e însăşi mireasa cuvintelor / it
rather is the bride of words
Reading these verses one could
hear Cioran proclaiming the An escape from the world of
tremendous truth: we started to die indecency and decay can be found
the very day of our birth, and it’s only through regeneration. By means
just a matter of freeing our mind of a wonderful paraphrase of St
from prejudices in order to Paul’s teaching on redeeming the
acknowledge this truth. All is subject flesh (cf. e.g. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20),
to dissolution, nothing lasts for ever: Sorina invites the sickened modern
mind to change, to regain purity:
Toate îmi par învăluite /
Everything seem to be veiled Hai să ne facem mai bine copii /
în ceaŃa morŃi… / by the shadow of
page 3
Parochial Life | november - december 2006 |
 page 3

Young... page 2
Let us become again children
să ne jucăm îndrăgostiŃi / to play
in love
oferindu-ne trupul luminii! /
offering our bodies to the light!
Să fim cântăreŃi la nunta / Let us
be singers at the crowning
Cuvântului cu trupul. / of the
Word with the body.
Să ne naştem în fiecare zi / Let us
be born again every day
mai suflet / more soul
mai zbor / more flight
iubire lină / gentle love
lumină! / light!
(‘Îngerul a urlat’, The angel
shouted).
The Morning’s Divinity
by Simona Strungaru
The bright golden sun shines in through my room,
Reflecting amongst my things and making them loom.
I lay in my bed; my eyes still closed shut,
As I hear gentle songs of birds sitting on huts.
The cherished, sweet sounds brings peace to my ear,
As if a serenade of angels are there next to me.
As I open my eyes I feel the sun rays,
Touching my pupils and showing me a brand new day.
As I look out my window, I feel I am bestowed,
As the nature is enlightened by God’s outgiving glow.
The butterflies flaunt their wonderful wings,
Whilst flowers outstretch their petals, as if they are Kings.

Sorina goes beyond Cioran’s
legacy, and not just because she
comes up with a new powerful
mythology of human existential
adventure. She is a Christian and
she knows how everything can be
healed, renewed, transfigured…
A vigorous optimistic message
emerges and the poet becomes the
prophet of our times. A warrior, one
could say, although Sorina plays
here the song of our world’s
redemption.
My heart fills with joy as I see the morning’s treasure,
While my eyes enjoy the view with a great amount of
pleasure.
The horses strut through the field’s wide vicinity,
Whilst their neighbouring felines lay on the porch with
femininity.
The smile on my face doesn’t cease to disappear,
As I then hear the rooster’s call, nice and clear.
And I pray to the Lord to guide me safe throughout my ways,
And bring me back home so I can wake up
To the morning’s divinity, and to another new day!!

Christmas...  page 1 the earth offers a cave to Him Menaion, Translators Mother Mary and
whom no man can approach. Archimandrite Kallistos Ware, Faber &
heart. How is He contained in a Angels with shepherds give glory, Faber, 1977.
womb, whom nothing can contain. and Magi journey with a star. For
And how can He who is in the unto us is born a young Child, the
bosom of the Father be held in the pre-eternal God. There are
arms of His mother? witnesses: angels, persons and
It is revealed clerly to us: This is nature relate to their Creator.
according to His good pleasure, as Why did our Lord have to be born
He knows and wishes, For being in the flesh? Why did He abase
without flesh, of His own will has Himself, leaving heaven to come to
He been made flesh; and He who earth? Matins is explicit and I
is, for our sakes has become that encourage you to discover your
which He was not. Without own conversations whilst I return
departing from His own nature He to the Festal Menaion
had shared in our substance. to re-engage in the
Desiring to fill the world on high forthcoming
with citizens, Christ has undergone auspicious morning
a twofold birth. service of our
There is tangible verification for Church.
the seemingly fantastic event.
Today the Virgin gives birth to *Words in italics
Him who is above all being, and based on The Festal

Parochial Life | november - december 2006 |

page 4

MEETING CHRIST
Revd Doru Costache

Wandering into the desert of the
real, within the irrationally hectic
world, contemporary people ignore
how to meet Christ looking for
‘more efficient’ ways than the tra-
ditional. The evangelic Christmas
texts, speaking of the first wit-
nesses of Christ’s advent amongst
us (the shepherds urged by the an-
gels, the magi guided by the star),
suggest two ways making the
meeting possible. Although they do
not meet the hasty criteria of con-
temporary people, the two ways
proclaim the possibility of experi-
encing, and the compatibility one
should acquire with, the mystery of
Christ’s arrival. In short, it is either
by means of contemplating the uni-
verse and life or by receiving the
illumination from above (in fact
the two are not opposite at all).
The angels are symbols of the
mystical contemplation, bringing
the shepherds (Israelites) to Christ,
the inner truth who was already
there (cf. John 1:10-11), as unseen
as ever... The shepherds were able
to hear the angels and to acknowl-
edge the newly-born as the Lord of
history, understanding how God is
faithful to his own promises.
The star shining those days
represents a symbol of the physical
contemplation, bringing the magi
(pagans) to Christ, the inner truth
who was already there (cf. John
1:10-11). They were able to dis-
cern, behind the curtain of the ce-
lestial phenomenon, the sign of a
crucial event, the arrival of the
Creator and Lord of the universe.
To the magi, the universe was not
without a story and they compre-
hended it was the story of the Crea-
tor’s love for his creation.
If the two ways end by meeting
Christ, the inner truth who was al-
ready there, there is hope every-
where in the world to find Christ,
the joy and the life who already
was and is and will be there, as un-
seen as ever... The problem with
contemporary people is: they do
not indulge themselves the luxury
of contemplating Christ’s presence
everywhere in space and time…

NCCA’s Media Release 20 November 2006 to improve services, including

community care models, for
COMPASSION, NOT INCARCERATION, asylum seekers?”
IS A BETTER WAY FOR REFUGEES “We would welcome genuine
reassurances from the government
Plans for a new government psychological effects are insidious that it does not intend to clamp
refugee holding facility on and ongoing; not only for those down even harder on those who
Christmas Island were leaked last who are imprisoned, but also for have already suffered severe harm.
week, prompting comparisons with the society that imprisons them.” In recent times there has been a lot
the highest security prisons, and “Our society will be judged by of talk of so-called ‘Christian
even the US facility in the way we treat those in need. values’ including by many in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Compassion and fairness are marks government. We would like to see
“If what we are hearing about the of a truly civilised society, such values reaffirmed in the cause
new centre on Christmas Island is upholding values of human dignity of human rights and treating our
true this sounds more like a prison and individual worth. To hold neighbour as we would ourselves
than anything else,” said the Revd people fleeing persecution in such want to be treated,” Mr Henderson
John Henderson, General Secretary intrusive, high-security conditions concluded.
of the National Council of is inappropriate and unacceptable,”
Churches in Australia. “Why said Mr Henderson. For more information:
would we treat the innocent in this “These prison-like Christmas Mr Alistair Gee, Director,
way? How can we add to their Island plans, together with Christian World Service, NCCA
woes, not only locking them up but Temporary Protection Visas, which 0417 672 650
adding the moral censure of are designed to promote insecurity
treating them like criminals? and a sense of impermanence,
Sensible precautions for our contradict the promised reform
security should not include spirit of greater individual care.
demonising people who need our What have become of the 2005
help. This only adds to our sense of Palmer Inquiry and recent nation-
insecurity and leads to hostility and wide Immigration Department
aggression. The social and community consultations on how

Parochial Life | november - december 2006 |


NCCA’s Media Releases 15 November 2006
CHURCH LEADERS PROMOTE
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
IN TIME OF DROUGHT
Heads of Christian Churches meet-
ing in Sydney last week acknowl-
edged and supported the various calls
from church groups and other Austra-
lians for prayer in this time of severe
drought, including a National Day of
Prayer on 26 November.
The heads of Churches called for all
Australians to pray for: desperately
needed rain; those who are severely
drought affected; and commitment to
responsibly care for all our natural
resources.
“We invite all Australians to ex-
press their solidarity with those who
are suffering by taking a few mo-
ments to pray or to join a local wor-
ship service where prayers will be
offered,” said Archbishop Phillip
Aspinall, Primate of the Anglican
Church.
Archbishop Philip Wilson, Presi-
dent of the Australian Catholic Bish-
ops Conference, said, “At a time
when our political leaders and climate
experts are giving close attention to
the economic consequences of this
drought, we should remember the
many people on farms and in small
businesses who are suffering often in
a deeply personal way. Local
Churches are already providing prac-
tical and personal support, and will
NSW Ecumenical Council – Media Release – Monday, 18 December 2006
Appointment of New General Secretary
After a specially convened
meeting of the NSW Ecumenical
Council on Thursday 14th December
2006, the President of the Council,
Archbishop Aghan Baliozian,
announced the appointment of the
Reverend Dr Jonathan Inkpin to the
position of General Secretary.
Dr Inkpin is currently the part-time
Assistant Priest in the Anglican
Parish of Woy Woy and the part-
time Education/Advocacy Officer
for the National Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Commission of
Parochial Life | november - december 2006 |
continue to do their utmost. Our
prayer shows that Australians stand
together in the face of adversity.”
“We need to seek God’s guidance
as to how we can better manage Aus-
tralia’s water resources at a time
when climate change is upon us. This
too will be part of the prayers on 26
November,” added the Revd Gregor
Henderson, President of the Uniting
Church in Australia.
The Church leaders acknowledged
the recent statement of Queensland
Church leaders: “We are very con-
scious of the life and death needs that
beset so many people around this
world every day and we in no way
intend that much needed prayer be
deflected from these situations. At the
same time we recognise that water is
an urgent and immediate need affect-
ing so many of us here and now in the
most basic ways. So it is with the
confidence that Jesus urged upon us
that we simply go to God with this
need.”
Many resources for prayer are al-
ready available from local church
groups, and links and resources will
also be gathered and posted on the
web pages of the National Council of
Churches in Australia, at
www.ncca.org.au
the National Council of Churches in
Australia. He first came to be
employed by the NCCA in 2001 as
the Programme Manager for the
Decade to Overcome Violence.
Ordained in the Diocese of
London, Dr Inkpin has an MA in
both Modern History and Theology
from Oxford and a PhD from
Durham. He has been engaged in
theological teaching in Cuddesdon
(UK) and Morpeth (NSW) and in
parish ministry in London, Oxford,
Durham and the NSW Central Coast.
page 5
This statement is made on behalf of
the following leaders of Australian
Churches:
The Most Revd Dr Phillip Aspinall,
Anglican Church; His Eminence
Archbishop Paul Saliba, Antiochian
Orthodox Church; His Eminence
Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Arme-
nian Apostolic Church; Pastor Brian
Houston, Assemblies of God; His
Grace Bishop Mar Meelis Zaia, As-
syrian Church of the East; The Revd
Dr Ross Clifford, Baptist Union;
Bishop James Chang Hua Ha, Chi-
nese Methodist Church; Mr Richard
Menteith, Churches of Christ; Dr
Harry Melkonian, Congregational
Federation; His Grace Bishop Daniel,
Coptic Orthodox Church; His Grace
Bishop Suriel, Coptic Orthodox
Church; His Eminence Archbishop
Stylianos, Greek Orthodox Church;
The Revd Mike Semmler, Lutheran
Church; The Rt Revd Bob Thomas,
Presbyterian Church; Lyndsay Far-
rell, Religious Society of Friends;
The Most Revd Philip Wilson, Ro-
man Catholic Church; His Beatitude
Patriarch Teoctist, Romanian Ortho-
dox Church; Commissioner James
Knaggs, The Salvation Army, South-
ern Territory; Commissioner Les
Strong, The Salvation Army, Eastern
Territory; Pastor Chester Stanley,
Seventh Day Adventist Church; His
Eminence Archbishop Mor Malatius
Malki Malki, Syrian Orthodox
Church; The Revd Gregor Hender-
son, Uniting Church; Mar Thoma
Church
Archbishop Baliozian, in making
the announcement, said that the
Council welcomed the appointment
of Dr Inkpin and strongly
commended his commitment to and
involvement in the ecumenical
movement, especially to churches’
work for reconciliation in Australia.
Dr Inkpin will take up his new
position on 1st March 2007 after the
Reverend Dr Ray Williamson
concludes his current term as
General Secretary at the end of
February.
page 6

Letter from Gheorghe DRAGAN, PhD Physics

www.gdfdatabanks.ro
18th December 2006

Dear citizens,
Below you will find some
summary estimations regarding
alarming aspects of climate change = our mentality for which the most
occurred in the last century at global powerful and adequate weapon is the
level with severe consequences in
Australia.
Let us think seriously at least to
the following phenomena as stop
news:
- warm weather particularly
strange for this season in the
northern hemisphere;
- detachment of huge ice blocks
from the South Pole icy calotte
once with the beginning of Austral
summer;
- Australia: ample drought, fires,
the highest rate of cancer.
Although these changes and their
direct connection with the human
life style and health state are obvious
for all planetary citizens, practical
applications of immediate and
radical measures is indefinitely
postponed firstly due to the fact that
citizens are not correctly informed.
Politicians and the leaders of the
biggest economical groups are
mastering in the partnership the
humanity’s destiny for personal and
immediate benefit unconcerned with
the planetary future.
I consider that by mobilizing of all
civil society in the continuous fight
in making aware to all of them of all
aspects of climate change on
scientific and correct bases will lead
to the right and immediate measures
to improve the severe actual
situation, both at global and local
levels.
In the case these measures are
indefinitely postponed, the world
geography will change dramatically
in the next several years, for instance
Australia will disappear under the
ocean.
Let the next symbolic event of
Nativity of Our Lord Jesus joins all
of us in that fight without borders
against our NO 1 PUBLIC ENEMY
TRUTH.
Climate change = change of
mentality
Summary estimations x)
1. Carbon (C) combustion (CC)
and methane emission (ME) are
considered the main factors driven
by human activities for earth climate
change.
2. ME is estimated to be 21 times
more powerful a greenhouse gas
than carbon dioxide (CD) and it has
no chance to be removed from
atmosphere. Not processed CD by
photosynthesis and ME go up in
stratosphere removing the ozone
shield that protects biosphere of
ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
3. The main CD sources are power
plants and vehicle engines.
4. The increase of CD content in
the atmosphere: 1900-1940 by 18%;
19402000 by 82%.
5. 1kgC consumes by combustion
2.7 kg oxygen (O) and produces 3.7
kgCD which means that a volume of
1.9*10^3 LSTP of O is replaced by
CD (LSTP=litre of gas at standard
temperature (0 0C) and pressure (1
atm=10^2 kPa));
6. 1 kWh of electrical energy
based on CC is produced by burning
at least of 0.3 kgC (considering the
overall efficiency of 30%).
7. In the year of 2001-2002
Australia produced 216,316 GWh =
2.2*10^11 kWh (over 92% based on
CC), i.e. consumed 1.8*10^11 kgO
and produced 2.4*10^11 kgCD
(1.3*10^14 LSTP each).
8. 1l of petrol (fuel oil, P)
consumes by burning 1.6 kgO and
produces 2.2 kgCD (a volume of
1,120 LSTP of O replaced by CD).
9. In the last decade Australia
consumed an average of 4*10^10 lP/
year which means a consumption of
6.4*10^10 kgO/year and emission of
8.8*10^10 kgO or 4.4*10^13 LSTP/
year of O replaced by CD.
10. In the year of 2001-2002
Australia produced 8.63*10^17 J
(54*10^6 J/kg) from an amount of
1.6*10^10 kg natural gas which
means a consumption of 3.2*10^10
kgO and emission of 4.4*10^10
kgCD i.e. 2.2*10^13 LSTP of
oxygen was replaced by CD.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
reported an estimation of 3*10^11
kgCD generated by fuel combustion
in 1997.
11.The annual CD emission in
Australia is at least 2*10^14 LSTP
(summation of contributions from 7,
9 and 10) neglecting other important
CD sources as respiration,
fermentation, fires, volcanoes, etc.
12.ME mainly result by digestive
processes in all biosphere entities
based on aerobic metabolism (85%)
and by bacterial decay of organic
matters (15%).
13. One mature cow produces 400
kgME/year (5.6*10^5 ME LSTP/
year) including the bacterial decay
of its organic waste; animal
agriculture produces more than
10^11 kgME/year (1.4*10^14 ME
LSTP/year), from which 10% the
contribution of Australia is a rough
approximation, but must be
rigorously controlled.
14. A rough estimation of
Australian annual contribution to
ozone destruction in Earth
stratosphere is 2*10^14 LSTP O /
year and generation of 2.2*10^14
STPL (CD,ME)/year.
15. Stratosphere (S), where the
ozone shield is located, represents a
spherical mantle with the inner
diameter of 6400 km and outer
diameter of 6425 km (25 and 50 km

Parochial Life | november - december 2006 |

 page 7

from Earth surface, respectively)
with an approximate volume of
VS=1.29*10^22 LS (liters of
stratosphere) with an average
temperature of –(19 ± 28) 0C and
pressure of (2.8 ± 0.4) kPa, so that 1 atmosphere (CD, ME, O, etc.) at
LSTP = 33.2 LS. In these conditions
the above estimation of Australian
contribution to ozone destruction
and greenhouse gas emissions
becomes 6.6*10^15 LS and
7.3*10^15 LS, respectively. We
should compare VS value with the
accumulated volumes of green house
gases and oxygen destruction, i.e.
summation of all annual emissions
and oxygen consumptions, but
comparing periodically them with
values of gas content in the overall
atmosphere.
Conclusion: immediate removal of
CD and ME sources and increase of
natural O sources based on
photosynthesis.
Practical procedures:
1. Efficient promotions for reliable no matter the ownership;
and portable measuring instruments
for environment testing, suitable to
be handle by anyone: temperature,
pressure, humidity, level of
precipitations, gas composition of
different heights, level of nuclear,
UV, radio (RF) radiations, other
noxious factors;
2. Daily reports issued by at least 3
independent sources and frequent
informative presentations in mass
media concerning environment
status at regional and national scale
presenting the values and their
significances of the main quantities
above mentioned;
3. Rapid reducing up to complete
removal of meat, fermentation
products and animal agriculture by
adopting severe laws imposing and
controlling maximal values for
oxygen consumption and emission
of greenhouse gases and minimal
values for oxygen generation all
these values reported to soil surface
4. Food based on natural
(genetically non-modified)
vegetables and fruits only,
intensively and extensively grown in
modular greenhouses with controlled
units for gas consumptions/
emissions imposed to all real estate
owners;
5. Adopting and imposing highly
efficient biotechnologies for decay
of all organic wastes by using highly
controlled means without ME and/or
oxygen consumption (bugs, worms,
etc).
x) Syntax used for expression of
big numbers: 33,480,000,000,000 =
3.4*10^13

Romanian Orthodox Church

“St. Dimitrie” of Brisbane
37 BRISBANE RD, RIVERVIEW, QLD 4303
Postal Address: PO Box 5015, WEST END, QLD 4101

Dear Friends
Our church at Riverview has re-
cently been assessed as having sig-
nificant amounts of asbestos in its
construction. This is only hazard-
ous when maintenance activities
need to be performed. Being an old
church, there is a lot of mainte-
nance required, including replacing
the roof. As you can imagine, the
costs involved when dealing with
asbestos are quite high, so we in-
vestigated for other options.
The church committee, members
and Father Ion Constantinescu de-
cided that the construction of a
new church is warranted, and the
church has started to raise funds
for the construction. We are cur-
rently at the stage of submitting
plans to the council and getting the
approval for the development. Our Account Name: Romanian Or-
community consists of approxi- thodox Church “St Dimitrie” of
mately 50 families that are regular Brisbane Incorporated
church goers. Obviously the capac- BSB: 084-447
ity to raise funds for the new Account Number: 04-753-5352
church is limited to the financial
capabilities of our community. Thank you for your indulgence.
We are appealing to our fellow Yours truly,
Christians to help us raise more Michael Pantelimon
funds for our future church. We Secretary
envision that it will be the first Ro-
manian church architecture in
Queensland. Any donation will be editor:
Rev. Doru Costache, PhD
greatly appreciated.
Donations can be made by layout design:
cheque, money order, or to the Ion Nedelcu
following account:
address:
64 Linthorn Ave,
BANK: National Australia Bank Croydon Park,
Branch: West End Branch NSW 2133.
115 Boundary St, Queensland, phone: (02) 9642 02 60
Australia www.sfmariasydney.com

Parochial Life | november - december 2006 |