Fr Adrian is Awarded a Kamilavka by The Most Reverend Metropolitan Hilarion

At the Yearly Clergy Conference (2019) of The Australian and New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia held in Great Lent, (27 March 2019), Father Adrian, the Rector of The Archangel Michael, Blacktown was awarded a kamilavka by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Hilarion.

The award of the kamilavka is an Ecclesiastical award that is an official award, honour or privilege presented by ecclesiastical authority. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, certain official awards and honours may be bestowed upon members of the clergy and laity. Such awards are bestowed either by the ruling bishop under whose jurisdiction the recipient resides.

A kamilavka (Russian: камилавка), is an item of clerical clothing worn by Orthodox Christian monks (in which case it is black) or awarded to clergy (in which case it may be red or purple).*

The clergyman who is to receive the award will be presented to the bishop, the protodeacon will remove the bishop’s mitre, the bishop will lay his hand upon the head of the clergyman and say the prayer for the particular award. He will then confer the award (a pectoral cross, kamilavka, mitre, etc.) and the people will exclaim, “Axios! Axios! Axios!” This exclamation is an expression of their acknowledgement of the clergyman’s worthiness for the award, similar to applause at a secular awards ceremony.*

“Axios!” means “worthy of”, “deserving of”, “suitable”. (* Source: Wikipedia)

 

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