Sunday, 2nd / 15th February, 2009

Sunday of the Prodigal Son; Feast of the Meeting of the Lord

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, which this year was also the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Panayiotis Tekosis, a member of our parish since its first days and a regular server in the altar, was tonsured a Reader and ordained Subdeacon by His Grace, Bishop Elisey of Sourozh. His wife, Kathryn, together with their five children—Maximus, Stavros, Mellangeth, Emmanuel and the recently-baptised Johanneka—were present with him at the diocesan cathedral, together with Deacon Matthew and a number of our parishioners.

In the midst of a full church, Panayiotis stood in lay clothes at the head of the ranks of clergy at the end of the Sixth Hour, before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. There they greeted the bishop on his arrival, and Vladyka Elisey blessed Pan to wear the cassock. A short time later, after the bishop had been vested for the feast in the centre of the cathedral, Panayiotis was led out of the altar by Dcn Matthew and cathedral deacon Evgeny, to be presented to the people and the bishop. Having been brought to the cathedral at the centre of the church, Panayiotis was first tonsured Reader. His hair was shorn and he was vested in the short phelonion; and he was, as is traditional, immediately given his first task in this office: to read a passage from the epistles, selected by the bishop ‑ selected ‘at random’, but in fact by the Holy Spirit, to speak directly to Panayiotis at this first calling to the ordained offices of the Church. After the reading was completed, the phelonion was removed and the new Reader was vested in the white sticharion. Immediately there followed the ordination as Subdeacon, at which Pan was vested with the crossed orarion, and the prayer said by the bishop with the laying on of hands.

The tonsure and ordination thus concluded, the new Subdeacon Panayiotis served the remainder of the Liturgy amongst his fellow subdeacons—being given, as is also traditional at ordinations, the duty of washing the bishop’s hands. In the altar, he was warmly greeted and congratulated by all the clergy and servers, and with the bishop’s blessing received communion in the altar before being greeted by Vladyka Elisey with words of congratulation and guidance for his service. The bishop reminded Pan that, as the prayers at the tonsure of a reader make clear, these are the first stages of the holy priesthood, and he asked for God’s blessing on Pan’s new service, prayer, and growth in our parish and diocesan life.

It was a joy for members of our parish, and particularly Pan’s family, to be present with him on this important occasion. His family were able to gather around the cathedral so his children could watch as their father’s hair was shorn and he was vested by the clergy; and following the service a festal lunch was served at which family and friends could visit together. A group of nuns, visiting from Ekaterinburg, were present for the feast, and presented Pan and Kathryn with gifts from their monastery. A small icon of the Panaghia, Protectress of Athos, was presented to him on behalf of our parish.

On a personal level, it was a blessing to be present with Pan, to offer him to the bishop, and to be a part of what was an important event, not only for him, but for our parish.

Remember the newly-ordained Subdeacon Panayiotis, together with his family, in your prayers—and may God grant him many years!

Deacon Matthew