Australian Gum Nut with ICXCNIKA Painted by Aboriginal Orthodox Christian.
 
The Legacy of Fr Seraphim Slade
 
Rev. Fr Seraphim Raymond Slade was a priest in the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. He was noted sas the first Indigenous Australian ordained to the priesthood in the Orthodox Church, and as the founder of the Australian Indigenous Orthodox Mission.
 
Biographical Sketch
 
Worked for many years as a radio broadcaster in regional communities.
Converted to Orthodoxy through reading the life and works of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco.
Served as a Subdeacon within the ROCOR Diocese. He served in Hobart, leading reader services and supporting the parish, and in Melbourne at the Protection Cathedral.
2004: Began working in Aboriginal prison ministry.
2008 March: Began missionary work among the Aboriginal people.
2008 July 7: Ordained to the diaconate in Canberra.
2009 Jan 22: Ordained to the priesthood in Melbourne.
2009: Established a chapel dedicated to St John of Shanghai and San Francisco, which was blessed by Metropolitan Hilarion on 4 July. Served there and in Canberra.
2013: Colaborated with Orthodox Christian volunteer and support worker, Stavros Markou, in the establishment of a chapel and spiritual centre in Sydney for the assistance of prisoners, asylum seekers, those undergoing prosecution, and victims of domestic violence. Centre was closed down in 2017 due to poor health conditions of both Stavros Markou and Fr Seraphim Slade. 
Particularly in his final years, Fr Seraphim had a long-standing illness. He underwent surgery in December 2018, but as a result of complications, he reposed on 25 December 2018. He was survived by his matushka, Helen.
 
Gum Nut Pendants
 
In order to incorporate the Indigenous Australian Aboriginal culture into the Orthodox Christian faith, and establish a sense of Aboriginal Orthodoxy, Fr Seraphim Rose took interest in the idea of Orthodox icons being painted with traditional Aboriginal dot painting, and also with making use of Australian native plants for the production of Orthodox Christian pendants, beads and prayer ropes. One such example is the Gum Nut pendants which an Orthodox Christian Aboriginal woman painted ICXCNIKA onto. Several copies of this product are included in the stock of Old World Charm. We provide these for sale here as an exclusive item with very few units available.