AXIOS! A Historic Moment for the Parish of the Holy Resurrection of Christ

The words of the Psalmist—“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 117:24)—aptly express the joy experienced by the Parish of the Holy Resurrection of Christ as we gathered under the holy omophorion of His Grace, our Bishop and Father Irinej, to witness a truly historic moment in the life of our parish: the ordination of our beloved brother in Christ, Christopher Giovanis, to the holy diaconate.

On December 20, 2025, the feast day of Saint Ambrose of Milan, His Grace first tonsured Mr. Christopher into the ranks of Reader and Subdeacon. Later that same day, during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, the sacred mystery of ordination was accomplished through the laying on of hands. At that moment, our temple—filled to its very limits—was illumined with Pentecostal joy, as we beheld the grace of the Holy Spirit poured forth through the hands of our Hierarch upon the newly ordained Deacon, and abundantly shared with all the faithful present.

This sacred ordination gathered together the fullness of the Orthodox Church. Clergy from neighboring parishes throughout South-Central Pennsylvania—priests and deacons alike—came together in prayer and thanksgiving, joining our parish community in celebrating this milestone. Their presence bore witness to the unity of the Church and to the living continuity of apostolic ministry in our midst.

The ordination of Fr. Deacon Christopher is not only a blessing for our parish in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, but also a moment of gratitude and hope—a reminder that the Lord continues to raise up faithful servants for His Holy Church. With joy and thanksgiving, we glorify God for all things and entrust our newly ordained deacon to His mercy and grace, praying that his ministry may be fruitful, humble, and filled with the light of Christ.

During his pre-ordination confession of faith, Fr. Deacon Christopher addressed our Bishop and the gathered Church with heartfelt words, publicly offering his pledge to serve Christ and His Holy Church in love, humility, spiritual fervor, and obedience to his Hierarch, remaining faithful to the Holy Orthodox faith with all that God has bestowed upon him.

With deep gratitude, he gave thanks to his wife, Diakonissa Aikatherini, and to their pious children—as well as to his parents and parents-in-law, his godfather, and the many friends and family members who have helped shape and form his humble and devout phronema. With tears of joy, all present witnessed the fruit of prayers sown and nurtured over many years with love, patience, and sacrifice.

In his edifying homily, His Grace Irinej addressed his spiritual son with fatherly encouragement and instruction. Drawing upon the example of Saint Stephen, the Protomartyr and Archdeacon, as well as the witness of many others who served faithfully in the Church, the Bishop expounded on the meaning of diaconal ministry in the Body of Christ. He emphasized that true service in the Church is a self-sacrificial offering—an act of thanksgiving in which all that we are and all that we possess is returned to God the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God and the salvation of His people.

With one voice, clergy and faithful alike lifted their hearts and voices, proclaiming with joy the ancient cry of the Church: “Axios! Dostojan! He is worthy!”—a single hymn of affirmation rising from many lips as the Divine Liturgy drew to its close.

It was truly a day to be remembered. The festal joy did not end at the doors of the church, but overflowed into the parish hall, where a lovingly prepared trapeza awaited us in honor of our Bishop and the newly ordained deacon. Through the hands and hearts of the parish faithful, the celebration became a living icon of communion, as though the joy of Christ’s Nativity had already reached us from the days to come—a foretaste of the feast, a quiet promise of the joy that is always born where Christ is in our midst.

May the Lord, in these blessed days of the Nativity Fast, continue to pour out His divine grace upon us, and may our hearts ever rejoice in the glory of His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. As members of His living Body, may we serve Him boldly—both at the holy altar of His Church and upon the hidden altars of our hearts.

We cannot adequately express our gratitude to God for His abundant grace, nor for the love of our Bishop, Irinej, and his truly paternal care—especially during these sacred days in which our parish marked such a significant milestone in its 109-year history. His presence among us was a living testimony of unity, continuity, and pastoral love within the life of the Church.

With joy and thanksgiving, we proclaim once more:

AXIOS! DOSTOJAN! HE IS WORTHY!

May the Lord, through the prayerful intercessions of all the saints and through the prayers and blessing of our Bishop and Father Irinej, grant to our newly ordained Fr. Deacon Christopher strength, humility, and many blessed years of faithful and worthy ministry in His Holy Church.