Our History
Saint Dimitrija Solunski
Our church — Saint Dimitrija Solunski
Our Church
The Macedonian Orthodox Church Saint Dimitrija Solunski is located at 8–14 Stewart Street, Wollongong.
Services are held every Sunday morning and on religious days.
For all enquiries, or to book a wedding, christening or funeral service, please contact our Priest, the Very Reverend Fr. Borislav Lazov.
Contact the Priest: 0417 275 988
History
The first stone was laid on 4 April 1971. The first Macedonian Orthodox Church, Saint Dimitrija Solunski, was completed, blessed and opened in 1972 in the city of Wollongong on the South Coast.
This was achieved through generous donations from the Macedonian community, bank loans, and fundraising functions and activities organised by hard-working, unpaid community volunteers.
Due to the needs and growth of the Macedonian community in the Illawarra region, the Management Committee decided in 1996 to reconstruct and extend the church at an approximate cost of $1,000,000.
On 22 February 1997, the newly reconstructed and enlarged church was blessed and officially opened for church services.
Inside Our Church
One of the main features of our church is its magnificent gold-plated chandelier. Constructed with genuine Swarovski crystals, it hangs in the centre of the church beneath the large dome, which features a hand-painted fresco of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The Iconostasis
In November 2011, the church's magnificent iconostasis was completed at an approximate cost of $200,000. It took more than two years to create and was hand-carved from dry walnut wood by certified woodcarving craftsmen from the company Perdika, in Bitola, Republic of Macedonia.
The intricately carved iconostasis depicts biblical stories and the life of Jesus Christ. It contains exactly 13,050 hand-carved figures, including a variety of plants inspired by nature, as well as icons of saints and apostles from the Bible.
The iconostasis is an important asset to the Macedonian community. We warmly invite everyone to visit our church and experience its beauty.
Saint Dimitrija Solunski
Our church is named after Saint Dimitrija, one of the oldest Macedonian saints.
Saint Dimitrija of Solun was a Christian martyr who lived in the city of Solun in the early fourth century in Macedonia. Over the centuries, his reputation grew, and he became known as a warrior saint of Christianity.
His name day is celebrated on 8 November each year. This celebration is known as Mitrovden.
Parish Priest
The Very Reverend Fr. Borislav Lazov
For enquiries and information about weddings, christenings, funerals and church services, please contact our parish priest.
0417 275 988