His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, officiated during Orthros and served the Divine Liturgy, today Sunday 26th September 2021, a day on which the Church commemorates the Falling Asleep of the Apostle and Evangelist St John the Theologian, at the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St Savvas the Sanctified in Alexandria.
During the Divine Liturgy, with feelings of joy, emotion and spiritual devoutness, His Beatitude the Patriarch, ordained Fr. Deacon Panos Gazis, whose ordination to the Diaconate was held on September 17, 2021, by order and permission of His Beatitude the Patriarch, Patriarch, by the Patriarchal Vicar, His Eminence Narcissus Metropolitan of Naucratis.
The Primate of Alexandria, in his speech, did not hide his emotion, while noting that today is a day of spiritual joy for Alexandria, as another good priest was added to the priestly Family of the ancient Patriarchate. The new Priest is a teacher, married to Eleni Panaretou Gazi who is also a teacher, comes from Cyprus and is the father of 5 children. Since October 2020, he has been a seconded teacher at the Tositsaio – Pratsikeio Primary School of the Hellenic Community of Alexandria, Egypt as well as at the "Athanasios the Great" Patriarchal Academy.
Addressing the new Priest, the Patriarch noted: "Today the sacrament is the Last Supper, Resurrection, Pentecost. You will receive the Holy Bread from my hands and I will urge you, "Take this legacy, and keep it", which the Lord will ask of you on the Day of Judgment. I that you will have the boldness to say, Lord, the gift that you gave me, I have multiplied".
His Beatitude thanked the Ministry of Education for its contribution to the operation of the "Athanasios the Great" Patriarchal Academy through the provision of teachers, as well as the Board of the Hellenic Community of Alexandria, for their support and for making Fr. Panos Gazis available to support the educational programme of the African students of the Patriarchate.
The Patriarch first thanked the new Priest who embraced all the youth of the Academy and urged him to continue teaching with fervent zeal, so that they could keep this flame of faith, the flame of the Apostle Mark, deep in their hearts forever.
Afterwards, the Patriarch spoke warmly about Fr. Panos' contribution to education, to the Greek and Cypriot Army and to the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, where he served for three full years as a Special Guard of the Greek Police, beside the Late Blessed Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens.
His Beatitude congratulated the newly ordained Priest on his decision to become a priest and prayed that he will keep his priesthood "clean and undefiled" forever and wherever the Church sends him to bless and help people, while also blessing his large family.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Primate of the Alexandrian Church consecrated the new priest and awarded him the office of Cross Bearer Economos.
