Christ is Risen, my brothers,
The Church of Christ was born on the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the heads of the Holy Apostles, which transformed them from simple fishermen into fishers of men. In their turn, the Holy Apostles transmitted the Divine Grace to their disciples and they in turn to their own disciples. Since then, the Grace of the Triune God in the world and in human affairs, has been present and comes down through the Priesthood.
The Priesthood is the bearer of the Holy Spirit heritage in our world and in human affairs.
Without the Priesthood, there is no Church.
Without the Priesthood, the Divine Grace cannot be transmitted through the Holy Sacraments of our Church.
Without the Priesthood, there can be no continuity of the Church Mission.
Without the Priesthood, Holiness becomes a distant dream for man.
The Church exists where the Priesthood is active.
The above thoughts come to our mind because this Easter was the last one for the bearers of the Priesthood in the Mission on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, that is, the four priests ordained by Elder Amfilochios.
From the Resurrection day of 2024 and on, no one from Frs. Barnabas, Panagiotis, George and Bartholomew will be in the churches of Fiji, Toga and Samoa to teach, catechize, officiate, bless and sanctify. Repose, illness, weakness are the main reasons for this change.
A new period begins for the Pacific Mission. Our five children who are preparing for the Priesthood are not yet of a suitable age, and two of them have not yet finished their studies. We would not like to stop the potential of their education due to the current liturgical needs and deprive the Church of the Pacific of worthy and qualified Priests in the future.
We are now faced with the challenge of a shortage of priests. Only Father Alexios, who was ordained two years ago and ministers in Labasa, Fiji, is a local Priest.
For the next 2-3 years at least we need experienced and qualified Priests, enlightened by the Holy Spirit and willing to minister to our newly baptized brothers.
We need priests from Greece capable and experienced to responsibly bring and teach the gospel. Without the Priesthood there is no Church. Without Priests there is no Mission. of Christ to the islands.
We are making a fervent appeal to your love to find the most valuable agent of the Mission, the Priest, in order to have continuity in the work that has been done for 15 years and hope in the lives of our young brothers in Christ of the Pacific Ocean.
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PS After Easter, skilled craftsmen came from Greece, and for a 6- month period they have been carrying out technical maintenance work in our Churches of the Holy Trinity, St. Paraskevi and the Dormition of the Virgin, such as roof replacement in the Mission Center in Sabeto and repair work in the building infrastructure of the St. Tabitha Orphanage and in the hosting spaces.
They are also preparing infrastructure for the construction of a nursery school and a primary school in Sabeto, while there are plans for their moving to Toga for the completion of the Church of Saint George, they themselves had erected.
This is the first large-scale maintenance carried out since the corona virus period. Your support and contribution will be a special blessing for the Church of Oceania.
May the Grace and joy of the Resurrection of our Lord be present in your life.
Christ is Risen, my brothers,
+ Myron of New Zealand
