On Sunday 13 August, College alumnus Deacon Phillip Papagiannopoulos was ordained to the holy priesthood by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Axion Estin (Northcote, VIC). Also concelebrating were Their Graces Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis and Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta. In his guiding speech to the newly ordained priest, His Eminence instructed him not to keep the most precious treasure of the priesthood for himself, but to cultivate it and increase it and offer it with much love and sacrificial spirit to the people of the Church. “Because with the gifts that the Lord gives us, when we do not bury them in the earth, that is, in our self-satisfied disposition and selfishness, but rather share them with our brothers and sisters, then our reward is great in heaven”, he pointed out to him.

Then, filled with emotion, the Archbishop made a personal confession, sharing with the faithful the feelings he experiences every time he welcomes a new member into the priestly family of the Orthodox Church. “Every time I conduct an ordination, my heart beats with holy awe before the sacrament taking place,” he noted and added: “I am possessed by anguish that I may not be seen as a worthy Spiritual Father and Archbishop of the new clergyman. But at the same time, I also feel the enormous responsibility for the person entering the priesthood, if in the end he will serve the Church and God worthily”.

However, His Eminence hastened to point out that “regarding this last point, today I am particularly at peace and calm as I have good hopes that Deacon Phillip, who is dear to all of us, will prove himself worthy of this calling of Christ and will emerge as a good and virtuous steward of Christ’s sacraments. And I say this with frankness before Christ, because until this day he serves our Church with self-denial, with prudence, with devotion and above all with obedience, in a time of disobedience and disorder, where unfortunately the institutions of our Church are being questioned and attempts are being made to overthrow them”.

Concluding, His Eminence reiterated his trust in the person of the new Presbyter, who will henceforth minister at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Axion Estin, and the Archdiocesan Office of Northcote, assisting His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta. “This is an additional gift from God, to have your Spiritual Father close to you, who will surely protect you from many temptations”, he emphasised to Fr Phillip, while on this occasion he publicly thanked His Grace Bishop Evmenios for his valuable contribution to the local Church.