Ordination

On Sunday 13 November, College student Mark Donnelly was ordained to the holy diaconate by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles (Newcastle, NSW). In his guiding speech to the newly ordained deacon, His Eminence pointed out to him that his ministry is not to win the good opinions of people as a person, but to sooth their souls and to lead them to Christ. “For this to be done,” His Eminence noted, “you must always bear in mind that the person who is before you has, in all probability, experienced a great course and adventure. [..] Show them respect and understanding, always taking as a fact the existence of the other person’s inner difficulty. With these facts, in your relationship with your neighbour, please be patient and listen. In other words, create the conditions so that the other person can talk to you and feel safe around you.” The new deacon, clearly moved, emphasised the seriousness with which he regards the priesthood, while he promised that he will try to make every effort to appear worthy of the expectations of the Church and the Archbishop. He thanked His Eminence for his paternal love in accepting him to become a clergyman and then thanked his spiritual father, Father Nicholas Skordilis, who helped him find his way and enter the life of the Church. Deacon Mark and his wife Helen are blessed with three young boys. He will continue to work in the NSW Police Force whilst serving as a deacon within his local parish.