Archbishop of Australia ordains new presbyter During pastoral visit to Brisbane

Archbishop Makarios of Australia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Church of St. Paraskevi in Brisbane on Saturday, July 18, as part of his three-day pastoral visit to the capital of Queensland.

During the Divine Liturgy, and concelebrating with Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane, the Archbishop ordained Deacon Theophylaktos Loizou to the holy priesthood. The newly ordained priest will serve as parish priest of the Parish of St. Paraskevi in Brisbane.

Addressing the ordinand with paternal advice, Archbishop Makarios observed that the greatest failure and spiritual decline of modern humanity is the loss of trust in God.

He explained that when a person loses trust in God, one of two things happens: either they place themselves in God’s position, believing they can accomplish everything on their own, or they fall into despair, where everything appears futile and meaningless, life loses its purpose, and every prospect seems destined to fail.

Continuing his address, Archbishop Makarios noted that Fr. Theophylaktos had thus far lived his life with trust in the will of God, and that it was God who had guided his steps to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.

“He has…