The clergy family of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia welcomed a new member on Sunday, June 21. The new Deacon, Fr. Theophylaktos, was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. He embraced the monastic life at the age of 18 and subsequently studied under Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol in Cyprus before relocating to Sydney, Australia, where he is currently pursuing theological studies at St Andrew’s Theological College.
The ordination of the new Deacon was celebrated by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, concelebrating with Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod, and Bishop Christophoros of Kerasounta, Protosyncellus of the Holy Archdiocese, at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Sydney.
In his exhortation, the Archbishop offered spiritual guidance to Fr. Theophylaktos, emphasizing at the outset that the legacy of his monastic dedication would be a precious foundation for his continued journey in the sacred priesthood.
“Within the monastery,” the Archbishop observed, “we learn the life of obedience, self-offering, forgiveness, and coexistence with others.” He stressed that “the virtue of obedience is essential for everyone in the Church, and not only for monks,” adding that “for a clergyman in particular, obedience is a fundamental prerequisite for his journey within the Church, because otherwise unrest, problems, divisions, and schisms arise within the ecclesiastical body.”
Archbishop Makarios then explained why he chose to give the new Deacon the name of his late predecessor, Metropolitan Theophylaktos (Papathanassopoulos) of Australia and New Zealand.
As he noted, the late Hierarch “faced great opposition during his episcopal ministry from circles that opposed the canonical order of the Church and wished to operate with autonomy and independence, without any relationship or accountability to the canonical Shepherd.” “By giving you the name of the late Theophylaktos,” he continued, “I wanted to emphasize that the greatest and most important virtue for a clergyman, and especially for a monk, is not education, degrees, eloquence, or a beautiful voice. The greatest virtue is obedience to the Church.”
The Archbishop further encouraged Fr. Theophylaktos to preserve the virtues of humility and simplicity, to avoid attachment to worldly things, love of money, and a secular mindset, and to walk his path with love, forgiveness, compassion for the poor and vulnerable, and with a genuine ecclesiastical spirit and obedience to the Church.
Summing up, Archbishop Makarios underlined that “your spiritual foundations, your journey within our Holy Church until today, your gentle and noble character, your love for theological learning, and your zeal for the love of God give me confidence that you will become a good and worthy clergyman who will honor his ministry at the Holy Altar.”
In conclusion, the Archbishop observed that the new Deacon’s immigrant background would be an additional asset in his ministry within the Orthodox Church in Australia.
“It is significant for the Hellenism of Australia,” he remarked, “that you were born and raised in Montreal, Canada. This means that you understand the struggles of immigrants and ordinary hardworking people who left their homeland in search of a better future.”
