Through the mercy of God and the intercession of His Holiness Father Michael, Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, since 2009 the Romanian Orthodox community in Hamilton, New Zealand, is blessed with the Church and the minister priest, where the Holy mysteries are performed, according to the Christian-Orthodox ordinance, to The glory of God and our well-being in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The reference dates of our parish, "Saint George the Great Martyr, the Bearer of Victory" in Hamilton, as follows:

 

- on June 28, 2008 - The Diocesan Assembly of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Australia and New Zealand approves the founding of "St. George the Great" Parish in Hamilton, New Zealand, a decision blessed by His Eminence Bishop Michael. The future parish is to include all Romanian Orthodox Christians in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty areas, being the only Orthodox parish in this area of ​​New Zealand;

 

- on August 20, 2008 - The Diocesan Council of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Australia and New Zealand, appoints the priest of the newly founded parish of Hamilton, in the person of the theologian Ovidiu Anton Motofelea, established in this city for several years;

 

- on October 26, 2008 - on the occasion of the feast of "Holy Great Martyr Dimitrie, Spring of Myrrh", PC Fr Marian Dinca, Archpriest of the New Zealand, carries out these two decisions presented above, laying the foundations of the parish "Holy Great Martyr George" in Hamilton, convening at the first General Assembly, all the Romanian Orthodox believers in these places. The Holy Mass celebrated by PC Protopop Dinca and the subsequent meeting of the faithful, it took place in the Chapel of the Anglican Diocese of Waikato, a place that will remain the place of prayer of the future parish, by the goodwill of the Anglican Archbishop of Waikato - David Moxon;

 

- on January 30, 2009 - on the occasion of the feast of the "Holy Three Hierarchs", at the Episcopal Cathedral "The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul" in Melbourne, His Holiness Father Michael, Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Australia and New Zealand, together with the priests serving other Holy Churches, ordained the theologian Ovidiu Anton Motofelea as a deacon;

 

- on February 1, 2009 - it also takes place at the Episcopal Cathedral "Holy Apostles Peter and Paul" in Melbourne, the ordination to the priesthood of the theologian Ovidiu Anton Motofelea, performed by His Eminence Bishop Mihail;

 

- on February 2, 2009 - on the occasion of the feast "Welcome of the Lord", the ordination of the priest Ovidiu Anton Motofelea takes place in the spiritual priest, at the same Episcopal Cathedral, performed by His Eminence Bishop Mihail;

 

- on March 7, 2009 - His Eminence Bishop Mihail, on a pastoral visit to New Zealand, officially opens our parish and blesses the new beginning. On this occasion, His Holiness presented to the faithful the new parish priest Fr. Ovidiu Anton Motofelea. The place of service remains the Chapel rented by the Order of Franciscan Monks under the Anglican Church, in the eastern part of the city, in the "Te Ara Hou" social park in Hamilton;

 

- on April 12, 2009 - on the occasion of the Holy day "Saturday of Lazarus", the first Holy Mass is celebrated in the council in the new parish "Saint George the Great Martyr" by Fr. Ovidiu Anton Motofelea with Fr. Mircea Mihai Corpodean - the parish priest of the Church "St. Ignatius Theophorus" in Auckland - thus marking the beginning of permanent service in this parish;

 

- on May 4, 2009 - The “Holy Great Martyr George” Parish in Hamilton was legally incorporated in New Zealand under the Charitable Trust Act 1957 under the name “The Saint George Romanian Orthodox Parish Board” and number 2239492;

 

- on August 8, 2010 - His Eminence Bishop Mihail Filimon, on a pastoral visit to New Zealand, celebrates the first Holy Mass in our parish church, together with PC Archpriest Fr Mircea Corpodean and Father Ovidiu Anton Motofelea;

 

Other important events in our parish - together services with priests from the country and abroad - on the occasion of important holidays:

 

- on April 19, 2009, the service of the Holy Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated, for the first time in our parish;

 

- on November 7, 2009,  the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is celebrated for the first child in our parish in the council of priests: PC Father Archpriest Fr Mircea Corpodean, PC Father Diocesan Counselor Fr Ieromonah Iosif Costras and Parish Father Pr Ovidiu Anton Motofelea;

 

- on April 25, 2010, the first Feast of our parish is organized, on the 4th Sunday after Easter and the Holy Mass is celebrated in the synod: PC Father Archpriest Fr Mircea Corpodean, PC Father Fr Claudiu Coroaba, from the parish of "Santa Maria" from Wellington and the parish priest Fr Ovidiu Anton Motofelea;

 

- on February 6, 2011, the Parish General Assembly is organized for the first time in our parish and the Holy Mass is celebrated in the synod: PC Father Archpriest Fr Mircea Corpodean, PC Father Hieromonk Fr Nicodim Sangeorzan, from Romania at the Cormaia "Annunciation Monastery" and the parish priest Fr. Ovidiu Anton Motofelea;

 

- on December 19, 2015, His Eminence Bishop Mihail Filimon, on a pastoral visit to New Zealand, celebrated the Holy Mass and blessed the new place of service rented in an Anglican Episcopal building in central Hamilton at 33 Victoria Street.