Family, love, connection and community is what makes a church! Games, food, dancing and laughter is what the ladies of Saint Paul incorporated into a Sharfouna night to welcome ladies to the parish and provide them with the opportunity to build this sense of faith, love, connection and community!

Following yesterday's Divine Liturgy, our Sunday School students and teachers received a blessing from Fr Jean to commemorate the beginning of the new year. We're very blessed to have over 80 children registered!

Striving to express the interconnectedness and multiculturalism of the parishioners of our church, Saint Paul’s Youth picked Australia Day to host a barbecue filled with faith, fun and festivity. Parishioners of all cultures gathered together at Cardinia Reservoir Park for food and fellowship, enjoying each other’s company and blessings of the outdoors!

Statement from the Antiochian Orthodox Church of Australia

On Saturday the 13th of December 2025, St Paul’s Youth hosted the Amazing Race: CBD Edition, bringing together around 30 young people for a fun-filled and adventurous day in Melbourne’s city centre. The event kicked off at 10:00am at Federation Square, where participants were briefed and divided into four teams, ready to take on the challenge ahead.

On Friday, 12 December, St Paul’s Dandenong hosted a warm and festive FKB event that brought our youth together in the spirit of Christmas. The evening began at 7:00 pm with a peaceful small Compline service inside the church.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” - Philippians 2:3-4

On Saturday 8th of November members of St Paul’s Youth and St Mary’s Youth came together for a joint event at the 1000 Steps in the Dandenong Ranges. Despite the rainy weather, spirits were high, and the walk went ahead as planned at 11am.

On Monday, 3rd November, the Levant Function Centre came alive with colour, music, and joy as our ladies gathered for our final event of the year — the Arabian Nights Ladies Party 2025.

On the 5th Sunday of Luke, the parish of St Paul’s held its AGM and elections for the new Parish Council. The gospel of the day as proclaimed by Fr Jean, was the teaching of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the poor man who lay at his gate.

The 2025 season was a significant one for St Paul’s Football Club, highlighted by the introduction of our inaugural women’s team.

The ladies of St Paul’s hosted a spiritual day retreat dedicated to a ‘Day in the life of the Theotokos.’ The day was attended by 55 participants who shared in a variety of experiences throughout the day dedicated to the life and themes of the Theotokos.

On Thursday, 5th September at 7:00pm, the youth of St Paul’s Antiochian Church gathered for a special evening of fellowship and reflection.

The Liturgical New Year marked the completion date of the latest group of catechumens for 2025 at the Parish of the Holy Apostle Paul in Dandenong, Victoria. Of the 16 catechumens in the class, 10 were awarded a certificate of completion for not only having attended the 20-week course, but also for assimilating themselves into the liturgical, social, and active life of the Church.

A joyful day at St Emilia’s Playgroup as we celebrated Grandparents Day and the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne — the grandparents of Jesus.

After weeks and weeks of careful planning and preparation, over 180 people gathered together at St Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church to participate in their annual family trivia night! This event is always a major highlight of the church's calendar, full of joy, laughter, friendly competition and time well spent in good company—and this year was no exception.

On Monday the of the Holy Spirit, 85 parishioners gathered together as one family for Saint Paul’s spiritual day retreat, themed ‘Through the Eyes of the Saints’.

Today we explored music and chanting at St. Emilia’s Playgroup! The children had fun experimenting with instruments and learning about loud and soft sounds.

On Monday, St Emilia’s Playgroup gathered for the month of May. After a long break due to school holidays and Easter, it was wonderful to see all the children again.

The Ladies Committee of St Paul’s hosted a beautiful monastery trip to Panagia Kamariani, on Saturday the 29th of March.