Bishop Kallinikos of Medeia was ordained on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the Church of the Annunciation in Karpathos, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Holy Metropolis of Karpathos and Kasos.
Metropolitan Ambrosios of Karpathos and the Heroic Island of Kasos presided over the Divine Liturgy and the episcopal ordination. Among the hierarchs concelebrating was Metropolitan Apostolos of Miletus, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Trinity of Halki.
Bishop Kallinikos was unanimously elected by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on July 23, 2026, as Auxiliary Bishop to the Metropolitan of Karpathos and Kasos, with the historic title of the Diocese of Medeia.
The ordination was a significant event for the local Church and the communities of Karpathos and Kasos, where the new Bishop has served for decades.
Dodecanese MP Ioannis Pappas described it as “an important moment for Karpathos, Kasos and the entire Dodecanese,” noting that Bishop Kallinikos had lived among the local community, stood by its people and “became part of the life of our islands.”
Dodecanese MP Manos Konsolas similarly described the occasion as “a special and historic day,” saying that the Bishop’s election recognized his long-standing service to both the Church and the local community.
Mayor of Karpathos: Today, Karpathos is proud of you
Mayor of Karpathos Michail Fellouzis highlighted Bishop Kallinikos’ decades of service to the island as a teacher, clergyman, spiritual father and abbot.
“Today, we are not simply honoring a new Bishop. Today, we are proud of one of our own,” Fellouzis said.
He also recalled the new Bishop’s contribution to education in Pyles and his subsequent ministry in the Church, including his service since 2010 as Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Saint George of Vasses.
“Today, Karpathos is not saying goodbye to you. It is proud of you,” the Mayor said, expressing the hope that Bishop Kallinikos would remain “the simple, approachable, creative and hardworking person” known to the local community.
Who is Bishop Kallinikos of Medeia?
Bishop Kallinikos, born Nikolaos Mavroleon in Piraeus in 1959, is of Karpathian and Kasian descent.
He graduated from the Marasleios Pedagogical Academy and the Department of Social Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and worked as a teacher for 33 years.
Since 1991, he has served the Holy Metropolis of Karpathos and Kasos as a parish priest, preacher and spiritual father. That same year, he was tonsured a monk at the Holy Monastery of Xeropotamou on Mount Athos and was subsequently ordained deacon and priest.
Since 2010, he has served as Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Saint George of Vasses in Karpathos, developing extensive pastoral, spiritual and educational work.
