Di Nicolios

{{Short description|Australian Anglican priest}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox clergy | child = | honorific_prefix = The Venerable | name =  | native_name = | native_name_lang = | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | alt =  | caption = | ethnicity = | citizenship = | pronunciation = | birth_name = Dianne Dialecti Nicolios | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1947}} | birth_place = | burial_place = | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause =  | other_names = | years_active = | occupation = | education = | alma_mater = | known_for = | spouse =  | partner =  | parents =  | children = | relatives = | website =  | footnotes = | signature = | signature_alt = | nocat_wdimage = | religion = Christian | church = Anglican Church of Australia | ordained = Deacon 1989, priest 2002 | laicised = | writings = | congregations = | offices_held = Archdeacon for Women's Ministries, Anglican Diocese of Sydney Priest-in-Charge, St John's Anglican Church, Diamond Creek parish, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne Archdeacon of The Yarra, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne | title = | module = }} '''Dianne Dialecti''' "'''Di'''" '''Nicolios''' (born 1947<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":12" />) is a retired Australian Anglican priest. She was the first woman appointed Archdeacon for Women's Ministries in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. She held that position from January 1994 to May 2002. She was also one of the first group of 14 women to be ordained a deacon in 1989 in the Sydney diocese.<ref name=":14" />

In 2002, Nicolios resigned as archdeacon to become an ordained priest in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and rector of St John's parish in Diamond Creek, Melbourne.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2002-05-27 |title=Anglican women's leader gives up on Sydney |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/anglican-womens-leader-gives-up-on-sydney-20020527-gdfbc1.html |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">First Ordinary Session of the 43rd Synod of the Diocese of Sydney: October 1993, [https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/synod/summary1993.pdf?doc_id=NTU0Mg== Summary of Proceedings], p14 </ref><ref>Report of Standing Committee & Other Reports & Papers, 2002 [https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/synod/Synod2002/s Report of the Standing Committee] </ref> She later became Archdeacon of The Yarra,<ref name=":2">Anglican Diocese of Melbourne [https://fdocuments.in/document/anglican-diocese-of-melbourne-prayer-diary-anglican-diocese-of-melbourne-prayer.html?page=3 Prayer Diary], January 2013, p3</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=2013-05-01 |title=The Yarra |url=http://www.melbourneanglican.org.au/Whoweare/Archdeacons/Pages/The-Yarra.aspx |access-date=2022-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501004756/http://www.melbourneanglican.org.au/Whoweare/Archdeacons/Pages/The-Yarra.aspx |archive-date=2013-05-01 }}</ref> then an assistant priest in the parish of Kew and returned to Sydney as an assistant at Christ Church Lavender Bay.<ref name=":12" />

== Life and ministry == At the October 1993 synod of the Sydney Anglican diocese, Archbishop Harry Goodhew announced Nicolios' appointment, "With a view to advancing the ministry of women in the Diocese, I have appointed the Reverend Dianne Nicolios as an Archdeacon with special responsibilities for women's ministry. She has an extensive job description which includes the support and encouragement of women both ordained and non-ordained." Her name was sometimes recorded as Archdeacon D.D. Nicolios.<ref name=":1" /> Her title within the Anglican church was Venerable Di Nicolios. During her time as archdeacon, Nicolios developed a strategy for ministry by women, both lay and ordained and organised conferences for women in ministry.<ref>{{cite journal |title=A new strategy will give equal focus to lay and ordained women... |journal=Southern Cross |date=April 2002 |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Sydney |jstor=community.32042633}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=In brief: Growing through loss |journal=Southern Cross |date=June 1997 |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Sydney |jstor=community.32042710}}</ref>

At the same synod, Nicolios was elected to the board of management of the Department of Evangelism and as a diocesan representative on General Synod. During the Sydney period she was a member of the Olympic Games Taskforce and helped establish Anglican Sports Ministries, was a member of the Minute Reading Committee, the Synod Committee on Clergy Tenure, the Stipends and Allowances Committee, the Synod Standing Committee,<ref name=":3">Anglican Church of Australia Diocese of Sydney [https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/synod/bp4_01.pdf?doc_id=NTUyNg== 3rd Session of the 45th Synod Business Paper]: Saturday 3 November 2001,</ref><ref name=":4">[https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/1997%20Synod%20Proceedings%20%282nd%20Session%20of%20the%2044th%20Synod%29.pdf?doc_id=NDUxNTg= Proceedings of the 1997 Ordinary Session of the 44th Synod], </ref><ref name=":5">"[https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/2002%20StipendsAllowancesAndBenefitsFor2003.Report.pdf?doc_id=NDU2MjY= 6/01 Stipends, Allowances and Benefits (A report from the Standing Committee)"], Synod Proceedings for 2002 </ref> and the Board of Management of the Department of Evangelism.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> She was an Associate Evangelist, Department of Evangelism.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Steele |first1=Dominic |title=Gospel growth on two fronts |journal=Southern Cross |date=May 1998 |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Sydney |jstor=community.32042738}}</ref> As chair of Anglican Deaconess Institution, she established scholarships for women to open up new areas of ministry.<ref name=":8" />

In his presidential address to the October 1994 synod, Archbishop Goodhew stated, "I have a special concern for the ministries exercised by women in our diocese. Last October I announced the appointment of the Reverend Dianne Nicolios as an Archdeacon with special responsibilities for women’s ministry. Dianne took up her appointment in January this year. She has become a valued member my staff. Her wisdom, good humour and courage have come to be appreciated by all of us who work with her ... The gifts and talents of women and men must be harnessed fully if we are to achieve that measure of fullness which God wills for us. The work of Archdeacon Nicolios is important in giving recognition to the role of women in ministry in the diocese, and in advancing their opportunities for service."<ref>Second Ordinary Session of the 43rd Synod of the Diocese of Sydney: October 1994 [https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/synod/summary.pdf?doc_id=NTEwOQ== Summary of Proceedings.]</ref>

The archbishop asked Nicolios to report to him on the ministry of women and the report was released to the standing committee in 1996. The report included results of a survey on women's ministry of clergy and church members. Nicolios found two results significant: majority support amongst clergy for women to be assistant ministers including as teachers, preachers and service leaders; and from women in ministry, the desire for acknowledgement and valuing of their ministries.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Clergy support women preaching |journal=Southern Cross |date=September 1996 |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Sydney |jstor=community.32042779}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|363323541}} |last1=Pitt |first1=Helen |title=Clergy join push for ordination of women |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 September 1996 }}</ref> Some recommendations were “That a review of diocesan policies be made by Archdeacon Nicolios in consultation with the Archbishop ......” “That a Women’s Advisory Council be established by the Archbishop .....” “That the issues raised in this report ..... be promoted for discussion within the Diocese ...”<ref>Year Book of the Diocese of Sydney, [https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/synod/stancom1996.pdf?doc_id=NTUyNw== Annual Report of the Standing Committee.] </ref> Nicolios organised the 1998 Conference on Women's Ministry, proposed by the Archbishop to "encourage and strengthen the ministries of women in our churches". Two papers for and against the ordination of women as priests were discussed at that conference. Nicolios gave an overview of part time and voluntary work conducted by women in the diocese and other women ministers presented on their work with women.<ref>16/97 Conference on Women’s Ministry (1998), [https://www.sds.asn.au/sites/default/files/reports/W/WomensMinistry.ConferenceOn%20%2816.97%29%20%281998%29.pdf?doc_id=NDQ0MQ== 16/97 Conference on Women's Ministry (A report from the Standing Committee).]</ref><ref name=":8">{{cite journal |title=Empathy wins day at women’s conference |journal=Southern Cross |date=June 1998 |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Sydney |jstor=community.32042711}}</ref>

In 2002, Nicolios resigned and became rector of St John's in Diamond Creek, Melbourne. The Sydney diocese does not ordain women as priests and the resignation of Nicolios and her subsequent ordination in Melbourne was reportedly a surprise to the Sydney Anglicans including the new archbishop, the Most Revd Peter Jensen, as she had not been an activist for women's ordination.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGillion |first=Chris |title=The Chosen Ones: The Politics of Salvation in the Anglican Church - PDF Free Download |url=https://epdf.pub/the-chosen-ones-the-politics-of-salvation-in-the-anglican-church.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=epdf.pub |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Cameron |first=Marcia Helen |title=Phenomenal Sydney : Anglicans in a time of change, 1945-2013 |isbn=978-1-4982-8932-0 |pages=202 |oclc=965135962 }}</ref> However Nicolios and the archbishop have said that she left the Sydney Anglican diocese on good terms.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{cite journal |title=Unexpected move for Archdeacon Nicolios |journal=Southern Cross |date=May 2002 |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Sydney |jstor=community.32042742}}</ref>

In 2009 after the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, Nicolios managed local bushfire relief, counselling and support through St John's.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Burnt out, but battling on |url=https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/burnt_out_b/ |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Sydney Anglicans |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Flood of prayer to drench fires |url=https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/flood_of_prayer_to_drench_fires/28456 |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=Sydney Anglicans |language=en}}</ref>

In April 2019, the 30th anniversary celebration of women's ordination into the diaconate was held at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney. Most of the women ordained as deacons in 1989 attended, including Nicolios who gave the main address, preaching on 2 Timothy 4:1-8.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Praise God for the ministry of women |url=https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/praise-god-for-the-ministry-of-women/48748 |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Sydney Anglicans |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=Celebrating History in the Making |url=https://www.deaconessministries.org.au/news/history-in-the-making |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Anglican deaconess ministries |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=May 2019 |title=30 up for female deacons |url= |journal=Southern Cross |volume=25| issue = 4}}</ref>

=== Positions held ===

* Late 1970s: Secondary school teacher of English and Greek and member, Board of Senior School Studies<ref name=":6">{{cite journal |title=New horizons for women's ministry |journal=Societas |year=1994 |publisher=Moore Theological College |jstor=community.32060019}}</ref><ref>N.S.W. Teachers' Federation and New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. ''Education: Journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation'' Sydney: The Federation, 1919. Web. 9 March 2022 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-721367614 </ref><ref name=":9">{{cite journal |title=New horizons for women's ministry |journal=Societas |year=1981 |publisher=Moore Theological College |jstor=community.32060055}}</ref> * 1980s: Student, Moore Theological College obtaining a Bachelor of Theology<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":11">{{Cite book |title=The Australian Anglican Directory 2009 |publisher=Angela Grutzner}}</ref> * 1983-1989: Parish sister, Annandale<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Record |first1=Australian Church |date=1984-03-19 |title=Mainly about people |journal=The Australian Church Record |year=1984 |jstor=community.32084710}}</ref><ref name=":11" /> * 1989: Ordained as deacon in Sydney Anglican diocese<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":14" /> * 1989-1991: Assistant minister, St Aidan's Annandale<ref name=":11" /> * 1992-1993: Chaplain, Deaconess House<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":11" /> * 1998-2002: President, Australian Anglican Diaconal Association<ref name=":11" /> * 1994–2002: Archdeacon for Women's Ministries, Anglican Diocese of Sydney * 24 July 2002: Ordained priest at Holy Trinity, Doncaster, by Archbishop Peter Watson.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rule |first=Beryl |date=July 2002 |title=Sydney deacon priested |journal=The Melbourne Anglican |pages=3}}</ref> * 2002–2003: Priest-in-charge of St John's Anglican church, Diamond Creek parish, Victoria, appointed effective 26 July 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian Christian Church Histories - Diamond Creek, VIC - St John's Anglican |url=https://www.churchhistories.net.au/church-catalog/diamond-creek-vic-st-johns-anglican |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=www.churchhistories.net.au |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=May 2002 |title=Clergy Moves |journal=The Melbourne Anglican |pages=2}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |title=Clergy – Anglican Church of Australia Directory |url=https://www.anglicandirectoryaustralia.com.au/clergy/ |access-date=2022-03-17 |language=en-US}}</ref> * 2003-2013: Incumbent, Parish of St John's Diamond Creek with St Katherine's St Helena and St Michael's Yarrambat<ref name=":12" /> * 2004-2010: Examining Chaplain, Archbishop of Melbourne<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":12" /> * 2013-2015: Permission to Officiate, Diocese of Melbourne<ref name=":12" /> * 2003 (and 2007?): National chaplain, GFS Australia (formerly Girls Friendly Society).<ref>[https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/42776069/h-ig-h-l-ig-h-t-s-f-r-o-m-t-h-e-p-r-o-g-r-a-m-gfs-australia-limited "Dream, Create, Ignite" conference program], GFS Australia 2007 [https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/42776069/h-ig-h-l-ig-h-t-s-f-r-o-m-t-h-e-p-r-o-g-r-a-m-gfs-australia-limited .] </ref><ref name=":11" /> * 2006-2010: Area Dean, Yarra/Plenty<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13">{{Cite book |title=The Australian Anglican Directory |publisher=Publishing Solutions |year=2015}}</ref> * 2007: Member of the E-team, a group of current and former Sydney Anglican ministers formed to assist church leaders in mission and outreach.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introducing the E-Team |url=https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/introducing_the_e_team/ |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=Sydney Anglicans |language=en}}</ref> * 2010-2013: Archdeacon of The Yarra.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" /> * 2013–2015: Assistant Priest/Seniors' Minister, Parish of Kew, North Balwyn/St Hilary's and St Silas Anglican churches in Kew, Victoria.<ref>''[https://sthils.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2014-AnnualReport.pdf Annual report 2014]'' St Hilary's</ref><ref>[https://sthils.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/AnnualReport2013.pdf St Hilary's Annual Report], 2013</ref><ref name=":12" />

* 2015: Retired and returned to Sydney.<ref>GFS Australia Inc 23rd [https://gfsaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/National-Council-Minutes-January-2015.pdf National Council Minutes] </ref> * 2018–2019: A member of the Professional Standards Review Board for Kooyoora Ltd and Diocese of Melbourne.<ref>[https://kooyoora.org.au/app/uploads/2020/05/Kooyoora-2019-Annual-Report_Final.pdf Annual Report 2019], Kooyoora</ref> * 2017-: Assistant Minister, Christ Church Lavender Bay, Sydney.<ref>''[https://docplayer.net/132487171-The-parish-magazine-epping-anglicans.html The Parish Magazine],'' Epping Anglicans</ref><ref name=":12" />

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/dianne-nicolios-who-will-become-the-first-anglican-female-news-photo/1081556552 Photo of Di Nicolios] at the time of her appointment as Archdeacon for Women's Ministries * [https://www.deaconessministries.org.au/news/history-in-the-making Photos of the 30th year celebration] of the first ordination of women deacons in 1989 * [https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/praise-god-for-the-ministry-of-women/48748 Photo of the 1989 ordination] of women deacons * [https://www.cclb.org.au/uploads/1/2/1/1/121163214/1_peter_51-14_1.mp3 Sermon] 1 Peter 5:1-14, Christ Church Lavender Bay

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolios, Dianne}} Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Archdeacons of Sydney Category:Women Anglican clergy Category:20th-century Anglican deaconesses Category:21st-century Australian Anglican priests Category:20th-century Australian women Category:21st-century Australian women Category:Anglican Diocese of Melbourne Category:Archdeacons of Melbourne

Di Nicolios

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