St Michaeel the Arrchangeel Orthoodox Misssion inn Pakistaan
Under th he Protection of o the Australiian and New Z Zealand dioces se of the Russian Orthodox C Church outsid de Russia
Pakisttan a undivided d India gained independence e from the British in 1947. Hinduism had d been the Pakistan was formed after main religion since anc cient times an nd the Muslim s felt threaten ned and isolate ed due to disccrimination. Mohammed M ah who was a leader of the e Muslim Leaggue along with h Sir Alama Iqbal dreamt oof the state off Pakistan Ali Jinna which wo ould be a saffe haven for Muslims M and w where the Mu uslims could live with prid de and self respect and practise their religion with no fearr or discrimin nation. Qaid-e-Aazam (The leader) Mohaammed Ali Jin nnah who became tthe father of th he nation drea amt and form med a Pakistan n free of religio ous discriminaation where alll religions could dw well in harmon ny and brothe erly love. How wever in 1956 6 Pakistan ado opted a new cconstitution and a hence became tthe Islamic Re epublic of Pak kistan. Today ay Pakistan is the second largest l Muslim m country in the world second to o Indonesia. It I practises th he Islamic Sh haria law whic ch includes la aws of blasph hemy and law ws against proselytizzing. Chrristians in Pak kistan are the largest minorrity being abou ut 3.7% of the total populatiion. Since anc cient times in undivided Ind dia, people weree mainly Hind dus and later many of them m became Mus slims after the Islamic conq quests. The prresent Christiians are conv verts form Hind duism and Islam. They are e 50% Catholiics and 50% Protestant P Chri ristians. There e has been a considerab ble drop in Christians C atte nding churche es for various reasons.
St Mic chael the e Archang gel Ortho odox Mission M
T The Mission in Pakistan came c into exisstence after Cyril C Amer ut Orthodoxy and a began Shahzad, a former seminariian, read abou he Holy Spiritt moved his he heart and he started s his his search. Th communicatio on with variou us Orthodox boodies. In the meanwhile m he continued his home stud dy and establiished a study centre for parting Ortho odox informatiion and preacching Orthodo oxy in his hometown of Sargodha S in th he state of Pun njab.
His search h led him to th he Russian Orrthodox Churc ch and His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, Mettropolitan of New York and Easte ern America and ruling A Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, Z direccted the Ind dian born Australian n Russian Orthodox priestt the Reveren nd Adrian Augustus Rector of St Michael thee Archangel Church C in Blacktown n to serve Pak kistan under his spiritual direction. With montths of discuss sion and plann ning and after crossing many hurrdles Fr. Adrian arrived in n the city of Sargodha. There were e a few alterca ations with thee local police who w feared for Fr Adriian’s safety in the area. Fr. Adrian n was warmly welcomed in Sargodha and d admired the turnou ut of the peoplle as to how p patiently they waited for over 6 hou urs due to delays. Fr. Adriaan preached and a spoke for about two t and a halff hours under the watchful eyes e of the authorities s. People had travelled t from far off villages s and neighbouring cities. Ma any people had d arrived to lis sten to the Fr. Adrian’s sermon. Ins spired by the tr truth and beau uty in y and the Russ sian Church th hey asked to be b received Orthodoxy into the Orrthodox Churc ch. A total of 174 people rece eived were receeived into the Russian C and Stt Michael the A Archangel Orth hodox Orthodox Church Mission wa as born. His Eminen nce Vladyka Hilarion H was im mmensely ple eased with the results in Pakistan an nd maintained d constant con ntact with Fr. Adrian. He formally blessed b the foormation of th he Mission under the canonical pro otection of th he Australian and New Zealand Diiocese of ROC COR. Cyril Am Amer Shazad has been appointed Director D in a lay l capacity an and Fr Adrian Augustus as Spirituall Director.
The Future With the acce eptance and rreception of 17 74 souls into Orthodox, thiss beautiful event places upon Orthod dox Christianss a joyous opportunity, a prrayerful and m moral obligation n to assist the Pakistanii Russian Orth hodox Commu unity. With their acceptancee of the Ortho odox faith, many Orthod dox Christianss will now be e deprived of few benefits tthey enjoyed with their former churc ches. There is an urgent nee ed for clergy and we have m many worthy ca andidates. Out of the fe ew, we hope a and plan thatt three will arrrive in Austra ralia for theolo ogical and practical train ning. ge will later bee formed to carre for and hou use street child dren which are so many An Orphanag in Pakistan. The T Mission iss working closely with a non n government oorganisation in running a rehabilitation centre fo or drug addic cts. The Mission requests your assista ance. We urgently nee ed English prrayer books, study materia al, old churcch vestments including altar vestments, chalice a and paten covers, altar vessels, unn needed clergy vestments etc and most of all your pra ayers. For more iinformation please contact
The Reev. Adrian Au ugustus St Michae el the Archanngel Orthodo ox Mission in n Pakistan PO Box 38, Croyydon, NSW 2 2132 Australia Em mail: rev.adriian.augustuss@rocor.org.au ou can also find us on Facebook att http://www.faccebook.com/page es/Russian‐Orthodox‐Church‐of‐Paakistan/3522324 478134732 Yo