On the 13th of March, 2026, Saint Paul’s Youth Committee presented a Friday Night Kickback (FKB) Prosphoro Making Workshop. Youth aged 11-15 came together at under the guidance of Vanessa Tomah, to learn the sacred process of making Prosphoro.
We first started off by learning about the importance of Prosphoro to our Orthodox faith and tradition. Prosphoro, translated from Greek to English, means offering; a gift we make and offer to God. Therefore, when making Prosphoro, we should seek to do it with sacredness and great reverence.
After we learnt about what Prosphoro is and the significance it holds to our Orthodox faith and the practices of the church, we said the prayers related to it before starting the Prosphoro making process. Next, we headed to the kitchen to begin. To make our Prosphoro we used yeast, flour, salt and water. We kneaded the ingredients together and eventually had transformed our ingredients into dough that we let settle. We learnt that any changes to the environment around us, for example a change in humidity or the temperature in the room could change the way the dough takes shape and how it rises.
Next came one of the most important parts of the night. Sealing our Prosphoro. The seal is an important part of the process because it contains a centre square which is inscribed with IC XC NIKA - Jesus Christ Conquers. This central square is referred to as the Lamb and is cut out when the priest is preparing the Holy Communion for each Divine Liturgy. The seal also contains impressions to commemorate the Most Holy Theotokos, the Saints, and those who are living and who have fallen asleep from the Church congregation. Furthermore, the seal creates two layers on the dough, the layer with the inscription and the layer of dough underneath, highlighting the two natures of Our Saviour Jesus Christ.
After sealing our Prosphoro we put it into the oven for about twenty minutes and finished just in time to join our Church congregation for the Akathist Service where we were blessed to have His Eminence Metropolitan Basilios present for. A couple days later on Sunday, each of the FKB’s participants Prosphoro was blessed and returned to them at the end of the Divine Liturgy to share with friends and family.
Overall, we learnt that making Prosphoro is far more than just following the steps to a recipe. It connects our working hands, watchful mind and prayers in a way that creates a gift. Prosphoro is a gift we can offer back to God, and to uphold the traditions of the Church, allowing us to commune with God.
On Saturday, October 17th, St Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church hosted its annual Trivia Night, organised by the St Paul’s Youth Committee. The evening brought our church community together for a night filled with fun, laughter and friendly competition.
“Come Out From Among Them”. From 18–21 September, St Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church came together for a wonderful Family Camp at Allambee Camp, sharing four memorable days of fellowship, faith, family and fun.
On the 8th of August, over fifty women, mothers, chanters, teachers, doctors, carers, and daughters of God gathered to learn more about Women Discipleship in the Gospel. Together, we discovered our roles in the eyes of God with the role models who came before us: the women of the bible.
A memorable evening of celebration and fundraising was held on Saturday, 25th July 2026, St Paul's Antiochian Orthodox Church, hosting their first Fundraising Gala.
On Friday, 17 July, the St Paul's Ladies Committee hosted a fantastic Bowling and Karaoke Night, welcoming around 50 ladies aged 18 and over for an evening of fun, fellowship and community.
Our latest Friday Kick Back brought out everyone's inner chef with a My Kitchen Rules challenge! Teams went head-to-head creating their best Mexican-inspired dishes, serving up everything from great food to creative presentations.
On Saturday, 20 June 2026, the youth from St Nicholas and St Paul’s came together for a special day retreat at Panagia Gorgoepikoos Monastery in Geelong. The day was centred around the theme of Discipleship, helping us learn what it means to follow Christ and live as His disciples in our daily lives.
On Friday, 1 May 2026, St Paul’s Youth and FKB hosted the Orthodox Icon Workshop, presented by Rev. Fr. Leonidas Ioannou from the Presentation of Our Lord in Coburg. The evening brought together around 70 young people for a spiritually edifying and educational demonstration of Orthodox iconography.
On the 13th of March, 2026, Saint Paul’s Youth Committee presented a Friday Night Kickback (FKB) Prosphoro Making Workshop. Youth aged 11-15 came together at under the guidance of Vanessa Tomah, to learn the sacred process of making Prosphoro.
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!
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.