Wollongong — The Serbian Orthodox Parish of Saint John the Baptist in Wollongong celebrated a great jubilee — 50 years since the consecration of its church — on Sunday, September 27, 2026, when our Holy Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Siluan, Archbishop of Sydney and Wellington and Metropolitan of Australia and New Zealand, with the concelebration of the clergy of the Sydney Deanery. The celebration of this great jubilee was enhanced by the „Saint Prince Lazar“ Church Choir from Alexandria, under the direction of Mrs. Dragana Milanović. At the beginning of the Holy Liturgy, Metropolitan Siluan tonsured three young parishioners as Readers. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, high decorations awarded by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the occasion of this great jubilee were presented to deserving members of the community.
The Serbian Orthodox Parish of Saint John the Baptist in Wollongong was established with the blessing and approval of His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch German on May 24, 1960, following the founding assembly held earlier that year on March 27. The church was consecrated on October 10, 1976. From the very beginning, the church was conceived as a memorial church, serving as a war memorial in memory of all those who, due to war and historical circumstances, had to leave their homeland and start a new life in Australia. After more than six decades, this remains a very vibrant parish featuring the Circle of Serbian Sisters, a Serbian language school, a folklore group, a pensioners' association, and a youth group.
Today, the Serbian Orthodox Parish of Saint John the Baptist, located at 82 Kenny Street, represents one of the most significant spiritual, cultural, and social centres of the Serbian community in the Illawarra region. Divine Liturgies are regularly served, alongside religious education classes, Serbian language lessons, folklore rehearsals, choir practices, humanitarian actions, and numerous cultural events. Generations of children have learned their first letters of the Serbian language, their first steps in folklore, and their first lessons in the Orthodox faith precisely within this parish. In recent years, the parish has also become known for a large number of new believers coming from various nationalities who find their spiritual home through Orthodoxy.