A SYRIAN CHRISTMAS

Evening Star, Issue 23146, 21 December 1938, Page 7

A SYRIAN CHRISTMAS

RELIGIOUS CELEBRATION IN OUNEDIN VISIT OF ORTHODOX CHURCH DIGHITARY OBSERVANCE OF ELABORATE WEDDING RITES Not since the establishment 37 years ago of the only Syrian orthodox church in ■ the Dominion, located at Musselburgh, has there been a visit to this city at Christmas by an ordained Syrian minister to conduct services that have a special significance to those of this nationality during; this period. The Very Rev. Archimandrite Antonious Mobayed arrived in the city yesterday from Melbourne, where his charge is the St. Nicholas Syrian Orthodox Church and his congregation about 25 families. The 11 families in Dunedin who made overtures for the visit of this dignitary of their church will have the unique distinction for them of celebrating the religious aspect of Christmas according to their particular ecclesiastic custom. The church where the services during this time and New Year are to be held is St. Michael’s. There is another very important reason why the Rev. Antonious Mobayed has been invited to Dunedin; a Syrian wedding will take place late next month, and he is to officiate. The Syrian community was favoured with a ' visit from this ecclesiastical visitor two years ago at Easter, and then, too, he. took the services. Those next week are to be translated into Syrian, Greek, Russian, and English, each paragraph being changed into a foreign tongue. The reason for the inclusion of all these languages is that many of the congregation can grasp the religious moaning better in one of them, all these dialects being freely spoken in Syria, whence, incidentally, the Rev. Antonious Mobayed came seven yearn ago to participate in foreign work. Each of the services—at 7 o’clock on Christmas Eve, at 10 o’clock on Christmas morning, on St. Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day), aiid„on New Year’s Day, is elaborate" in its religious symbolism when taken by a minister of the church. The Syrian Orthodox Church is very similar in attitude to the English Church to which it claims close allegiance. The ordinary services have in the past been conducted at St. Michael s by the late Canon Nevill and also the Rev. Bryan King. The affinity between the high Church of England and the Syrian Church was illustrated when the Diuke and Duchess of Kent were married. Princess Marina belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church, and after their marriage by the Archbishop of Canterburv they went through the form prescribed bv the Greek Orthodox Church. The last time there was a Syrian marriage celebrated in Dunedin according to the customs of the race was 21 years ag After his departure from Dunedin Very Rev. Antonious Mobayed will visit the other main centres, meeting members of the church and enlisting their co-operation, in securing buildings for worship. He told a reporter this morning that the hospitalitv lavished on persons from other countries in the Dominion was one of the best advertisements this country could possess, and was a very pointed indicator of the democratic freedom it enjoyed. Together with Australia he found that this was