The Ordination of Dn George Moldoveanu to the Holy Priesthood and the Celebration of Sayedna's Name Day

Full photo album here: ORDINATION

On Sunday, 21st of September, His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan presided at the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral parish of St George to celebrate the Feast of St Silouan the Athonite, his holy patron, and to ordain Dcn George Moldoveanu to the Holy Priesthood. It was a beautiful service, with the church filled with the faithful. Many joined in the celebration, with friends coming from near and far, including parishioners from our sister parish of St Botolph in London, Reader Gildas from St Dunstan Parish in Poole, and Mr John Shinkwin, a friend of Fr George and Secretary for External Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.

In his homily, His Eminence spoke about the feast and the ordination, recalling the words of St Silouan: “Keep thy mind in hell and despair not,” a reminder never to rely on ourselves but always on God’s mercy. Sayedna put two questions before Fr George and faithful in relation to the ordination:

1. What is the priest called to do in our time? A priest must:

To be a man of prayer , praying for his people and for the whole world.

To be a shepherd of souls , guiding the faithful with the truth of the Gospel and leading them towards holiness.

To be a servant of the mysteries , offering the Divine Liturgy and the sacraments through which God’s grace is given. But above all, to be a father in love , carrying the joys and sorrows of his people with the love of Christ.

2. What are the faithful waiting for from their priest today?

The faithful do not need an administrator or a man of worldly power, but a father in Christ – someone who listens, forgives, encourages, leads to repentance, and gives hope, an image of the Good Shepherd who “lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

His Eminence reminded us that at ordination the priest is entrusted with the Body of Christ – both at the altar and in the life of the Church – and will one day be asked: “What have you done with it?” The tassels on the epitrachelion, in which the new priest is vested, symbolise the souls entrusted to him, which he must care for with full effort and love. At the same time, the life of the Church is not the priest’s task alone but the shared witness of clergy and laity together.

His Eminence concluded by entrusting Fr George’s ministry to the prayers of St Silouan and to the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The service was followed by a festal parish lunch to celebrate Sayedna’s name day and Fr George’s ordination, with many delicious dishes prepared and shared by parishioners. The celebration culminated in the cutting and sharing of a beautiful cake.

We wish our beloved father and chief shepherd, Sayedna Silouan, many years, asking the intercessions of his patron Saint Silouan the Athonite.

We also congratulate Father George on his ordination, together with his wife Khourieh Nadia and their daughter Katherine. May God grant them many years, and may He strengthen Fr George for the ministry entrusted to him.

Many thanks to all the parishioners who prepared food and supported the organisation of the parish lunch, and a special thank you to the staff of the Millennium Hotel in Kensington – Diana, Joel, Rashid, and Dhanush – for catering to us.

Thank you to everyone who came, prayed, and celebrated with us on this joyful day!