On Sunday, July 5, 2026, at the Holy Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Archangel Michael in Golders Green, London, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Maximos of Melitene.
Concelebrating with the presiding Hierarch at the holy altar were the parish priest of the church, Archimandrite Vissarion Kokliotis, Archimandrite Theophanes Petrou, Presbyter Dimitrios Mislis, as well as Deacons Daniel Johnson and David Johnson. During the Eucharistic gathering, the Bishop performed the ordination to the priesthood of the most devout deacon David Johnson, admitting the new clergyman to the second degree of holy orders.
Addressing the newly ordained clergyman, Bishop Maximos offered fatherly counsel, urging him to serve his flock while constantly carrying in his heart simplicity, a smile of kindness, and unfeigned love for all people. Reflecting on the course of human life through time, the Hierarch underscored the vanity of worldly attachments, reminding those present that earthly life inevitably ends at the hour when a person is stripped bare before Jesus Christ. He identified the mistaken belief in the eternal possession of material goods as a sign of spiritual immaturity. “It is an illusion,” he noted, “to cling to earthly glories, because after the passing of a century human memory fades away entirely, leaving as the sole, true, and eternal hope the memory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Continuing, the Bishop called on the new priest to live each day in a spirit of gratitude and sincere love, following the sacred evangelical charge of complete devotion to God and selfless giving. As he specifically explained, approaching a suffering brother or sister requires a clergyman who is approachable, full of gentleness and kindness, one who, casting aside every kind of distance, offers comfort suited to each person’s particular spiritual needs, descending to the level of the person undergoing trial to offer them tenderly the embrace of the Church—a disposition that finds its ultimate foundation in the Lord’s saying on humility: “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). Delving further into the spiritual dangers involved, Bishop Maximos observed that pride, springing from the source of evil, poisons the human heart and mind, leading the believer to a catastrophic fall. The illusion of greatness, he said, traps a person in the mire of sin—a bleak reality that is dramatically revealed at the moment of departure from this present life, when the eyes of the body close for good and the eyes of the soul are opened. For this reason, in closing his address, he fatherly urged Father David to maintain complete trust in Christ and to be clothed in simplicity throughout the course of his priestly journey. Finally, he conveyed to him the love and blessings of Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain.
Before the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, the parish priest of the church, Archimandrite Vissarion, took the floor, extending a warm welcome to Bishop Maximos of Melitene. Archimandrite Vissarion also expressed heartfelt thanks to all the clergy present for their liturgical participation in the parish’s joyous occasion. Afterward, representatives of the church community presented flowers to both the presiding Hierarch and the newly ordained Priest.
The service of worship was followed by a festive luncheon in honor of the new priest, hosted by the Community for all the faithful in attendance.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
