On Sunday, June 14, at the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew the Apostle in Birmingham, Bishop Maximos of Melitene presided over the Service of Orthros (Matins).
During the subsequent Divine Liturgy, he concelebrated with the parish priest, Archimandrite Christodoulos Kokliotis, and the other priests, Archimandrite Vissarion Kokliotis and Fr Aimilianos Epameinondas. The Bishop then ordained Subdeacon David Johnson to the Holy Diaconate. The newly ordained married clergyman, who was received into the Orthodox Church in 1983, has now ascended the ranks of the Holy Priesthood. He was previously tonsured and appointed Subdeacon in 2017 by the late Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, of blessed memory.
During the Eucharistic Assembly, the Bishop addressed the faithful at length about the inestimable value of the Holy Priesthood.
Reflecting on the spiritual dimensions of ordained ministry, the presiding hierarch emphasised the total dedication required at the holy altar. He noted that the work of spiritual guidance constitutes a most exalted calling, inseparably bound to sacrifice and selfless love for God and one’s fellow human beings. Turning with paternal affection to the newly ordained deacon, the Bishop reminded him that throughout his priestly journey, Christ the Saviour would be his sole source of hope and steadfast consolation.
Before dismissing the Divine Liturgy, the Bishop instituted the new deacon’s son, Christopher, as a reader. To commemorate the clergyman’s entry into the first rank of the Holy Priesthood, the Philoptochos Society of the Cathedral presented the new deacon with a symbolic gift. The joyful liturgical celebration came to a fitting conclusion with a festive meal offered by the parish to the community in the hall.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
