Your Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, 

I stand before you today, unable to describe the immense gratitude I have for your arch-pastoral blessing that I, the unworthy servant of God, enter into the ranks of the Holy Priesthood. As

shepherd of the Holy Metropolis of Boston, and our spiritual Father, I, your spiritual son, venerate your right hand, and express my deepest appreciation to you for your unerring pastoral guidance, throughout my life as a child of this Metropolis, and especially now, as I prepare for the Sacrament of Holy Ordination. 

Today, I call to mind the prophet Isaiah, who, while seeing the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, surrounded by the seraphim shouting “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts- the whole earth is full of his glory,” cried, “Woe is me, I am pierced to the heart, for being a man and having unclean lips, I see the King, the Lord of hosts with my eyes!” Today, your Eminence, I am truly pierced to the heart. I feel, within me, tremendous solemnity, as I stand before you and before the entire church, before the gates of the Holy Altar, and before God’s holy Kingdom, surely being a man of unclean lips, and yet seeing the King and Lord of hosts with my eyes, visibly and tangibly present with me as I unworthily take this next step in service to Christ’s Holy Church. 

I am greatly humbled when I reflect on the blessed journey that Christ has guided me through to this moment. As a child, I first experienced the joy of God’s presence through the liturgical, communal, and spiritual life at Saint Demetrios in Fall River- the parish in which I was raised. I often felt captivated and awestruck when I beheld the beauty of the liturgy in that sacred temple- the chanting, the iconography, the blessed prayers and stillness, and the community of pious people, many now reposed in the Lord, that helped raise me and watched me grow into adulthood. It was also through the pastoral presence of my two parish priests, Father Evangelos Georgiadis and Father Soterios Kalaviritinos- of blessed memory-  two steadfast role models of the priesthood, that I began to cultivate within me a deep love for our Lord, and first began to experience a calling in my heart to the Holy Priesthood. 

My years attending the Metropolis of Boston camp as a teenager changed the trajectory of my life, and opened up within my heart the ability to discern a vocation of service in the Church. It was here that I was able to understand that a life of faith is not only lived by going to church on Sunday, but also through the reading of scriptures, the relationships we have with others, the understanding we have about ourselves as the image and likeness of Christ, the love that we show to our neighbor, and the keeping of God’s precious commandments. It was here that I first learned about Hellenic College Holy Cross, through staff members who, to this day, are examples to me as imitators of Christ. It was at this camp that I would later serve as a staff member myself and begin to develop a deep love for youth ministry, and the need to share the Good News of the Gospel to young people, so often burdened with many struggles and challenges. It was at this camp that I met my spiritual Father, Father Theodore Barbas, a man who, in endless ways, and throughout my life, has walked with me and guided me through both difficult and joyous times- who listens to the hidden and secret things of my heart in confession before God, and gives me blessed words of healing which allow me to continue my spiritual journey and fortify my relationship with Christ. It was at this camp that met my beautiful wife, Demetra- served alongside her in ministry, and grew closer to Christ and each other through mutual love and respect. It was at this camp that I eventually proposed to her three years to this day at our beautiful waterfront, and celebrated our marriage with the community that this camp has fostered throughout the years, that has so graciously supported us and guided us through our journey as a couple. It is therefore no mistake that you chose this camp, Your Eminence, to be the place of my ordination to the diaconate- in the company of the youth and young adults of the Metropolis of Boston, who surround Demetra and I today with their love, beautiful chanting, prayers, and deep devotion to Christ and His Church. All of these blessings, and many more, are due to Your Eminence’s pastoral leadership and vision upon the foundation of both the Metropolis of Boston Camp, and the cultivation of the Saint Methodios Faith and Heritage Retreat Center. 

Upon receiving your episcopal blessing to attend Hellenic College Holy Cross and begin my journey to the priesthood, I tried to bear in mind that though I was eager to study and to learn all that there is to know about the beauty of our faith intellectually, I was in greater need of cultivating a loving heart and a desire to know Christ through prayer and stillness. Your many words of encouragement and guidance throughout my years of study strengthened and encouraged me. I spent a blessed and beautiful 7 years at Hellenic College Holy Cross- years that would yield many life-long friendships, relationships with professors, spiritual guides and role models, and provide me with formation, wisdom, and spiritual direction as I continued to progress in my understanding of the tradition and ethos of our Orthodox Faith. I am endlessly grateful to the many teachers, guides, professors, and administrators of our beloved school that, throughout my time as a student and beyond, prepared me for service in Christ’s vineyard.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve our Annunciation Cathedral in Boston, Massachusetts for 5 wonderful years. The community provided for me a spiritual home, where I could learn and foster a deeper understanding of my vocation in the church-  the Cathedral will always hold a special place in my heart. I have also been blessed to learn from two tremendous Cathedral Deans- Father Demetrios Tonias and Father Tom Chininis- who, through wisdom and love, allowed me to sit at their feet and learn the life of a parish priest, as well as the life of a husband and father. I am eternally thankful to them both, for their love, patience, and model for the priesthood that will forever be engraved in my heart. I am also thankful to Dr. Ann Bezzerides, and the entire CrossRoad Institute team, who throughout this past year have helped me cultivate a continued desire to work with the youth of our church, as their Summer Program Director.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my family and friends here with me today, both in presence and in prayer. Firstly, I am grateful for my grandparents, Joseph and Maureen present in prayer today, as well as my Papou Stephen and Yiayia Vina, departed this life and mystically present with me as I stand before the Holy Altar- for their love, prayers and faith in Christ, which serves as an example for me continuously. I am thankful for the many aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as my God-father John, for treating Demetra and I as if we were their own son and daughter- their own brother and sister. I am grateful to the many friends who have helped me along in my journey- schoolmates, classmates, mentors, our MBC family, the members of the Kosmos Project and our brothers and sisters in Neapolis and Stavroupolis, and our Koumbaro, Panos- life-long companions in my journey towards Christ and His Church.

I am deeply grateful for my siblings, Christos, Isaiah, Eustathios, Theophanes, and Mikayla, as well as my niece Nektaria and my nephew Fanourios- I cannot express how grateful I am to be surrounded today by their presence, and to feel within me the inseparable and unconditional bond of love that they have always shown to Demetra and I throughout our lives. 

I am thankful for my Father and Mother-in-Law, Haralambos and Anastasia- they have brought me into their family as a son, they have showed me the unconditional and unwavering love that parents have for their children, and we together share in the God-given joy of oneness and unity between two families. I thank them for raising Demetra in the faith, for fortifying within her the blessed values and virtues of the Gospel, and for placing before her the image of a Christ-centered family.

I am thankful for my parents, Joseph and Maria. Words cannot express the immense gratitude I have within my heart today, for their maternal and paternal support, patience in my times of difficulties, guidance in times of uncertainty and their unconditional love. I thank them for constantly supporting me in my vocation, from the earliest years of my childhood, to this day, for raising me in the Orthodox faith, and for placing themselves as last among all, to show us what true service to Christ is through raising and cultivating a family. 

Lastly, I would like to thank my wife, Demetra. From the moment she entered my life, she has filled me with an indescribable sense of joy, and has shown me the power of unconditional love. She has continued to support me and my vocation to the priesthood, as difficult as it may be, with selflessness and humility. She has shown me ways in which I could love that I never knew existed, and has given me the strength to remain prayerful in times of difficulty, peaceful in times of anxiety, and purposeful in ministry to Christ’s Holy Church. I promise that I will always make our home my first Church, and that I will remain loyal and faithful to our marriage regardless of the struggles placed before us. My prayer is that up until the moment we depart from this life and stand before the Kingdom of Heaven hand in hand, that we never lose sight of the presence of Christ in our lives, and the many rich blessings he has bestowed upon us. 

Your Eminence, I stand before you today, a man with many wounds, yet a man who hopes in the Resurrected Christ. I feel deeply within me, as if, to quote the Prayer of Manasses, that “I am not worthy to look up and see the height of the sky from the multitude of my iniquities.” And yet, I also remember the words of Saint Issac the Syrian, who said that “as a handful of sand is thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of human beings compared to the love of God,” and, that, as it is said in the Liturgy, “no one bound by carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach, draw near, or minister to you, the King of Glory.” What a beautiful paradox the church offers- that though I, a simple man, who is but dust in the presence of the Holy Spirit, lacking everything good within himself, will receive the grace of the Holy Spirit that will “heal that which is lacking,” and make me, mortal human, a vehicle of Christ’s blessings. Today, I feel God’s self-emptying love that he pours out to all who seek His tender mercy. I promise to dedicate myself fully to the ministry placed before me, and strive to the best of my ability to always serve the Church with dignity and utmost respect, with diakonia to God and His people. I pray that our Lord, through the intercessions of his all-holy Mother, the Theotokos, and all the saints, will be with me and guide my steps to His glory. 

Lastly, for those of whom I may have hurt, or unjustly transgressed against, I bow before you and ask you for forgiveness and mercy. May Christ be in our midst. 

It is time for the Lord to act, Master Bless.