Ordination Address of V. Rev. Archimandrite Bartholomew Mercado Given Before
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
Your Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America,
Though I find myself replete with joy and anticipation as I stand before God and before you in these moments prior to my ordination to the Holy Presbyterate, I am also overcome with fear and trembling as I ponder the immense responsibilities which are to be required of me in this new capacity. To serve God, who gave me life and who sustains my being, and to serve His people is the greatest blessing and the most distinct honor that can be entrusted to anyone. At the same time, it is a most fearful prospect, due to my unworthiness, to minister his Divine and Sacred Sacraments. Even with all of my learning and with my experience thus far as a clergyman, I nevertheless feel a great sense of deficiency. No level of education, no quantity of books, no number of hours of preparation made, could ever adequately prepare one for embarking on this noble task. It is only through the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit which heals that which is infirm and fulfills that which is lacking, that I will be able to adequately serve this Sacred Archdiocese and, through it, the holy people of God.
Since the early days of my youth, I had desired to serve the Church with every fiber of my being. This calling to serve was nurtured throughout my childhood and young adulthood by a number of spiritual mentors, family members, and dear friends who had encouraged and supported my desire to study theology and to pursue Holy Ordination. I have been exceedingly blessed to have had these people in my life who aided me on this path. The number of people who have positively influenced me in these pursuits is nearly endless, yet I would be remiss if I were to not mention and to thank at least some of them since mentioning all of them would be impossible.
I would like to thank His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of Sardes who ordained me to the Holy Diaconate a little more than four years ago, giving me a name difficult to live up to, but a tremendous honor to bear. I am truly thankful to have received his blessing to further my theological studies both here in the United States and in Italy as these studies have helped me to grow both spiritually and intellectually.
A great deal of thanks must also be accorded to His Eminence Kyrillos of Krinis who, from the first day we met, showed a great interest in my academic formation. Were it not for his guidance, his support, his instruction, and his tireless advocacy of my academic career, I would not have been able to study in Rome and I would not have had the academic opportunities that I have enjoyed.
I would like to thank His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia who was not able to be here today. Although I have only gotten to know His Grace well during the past year or so, I am sincerely thankful for the pastoral care and guidance he has shown towards me and for his positive spiritual example and kind heartedness. I would also like to thank His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos who has always sought to help me in whatever way he can and who has provided a good spiritual example as well as an uplifting presence.
Although he is not here today, I thank my spiritual father, Fr. Constantine Moralis, who naturally demonstrates that the fruits of his deep prayer and patience is his constant calm and composed nature – personal characteristics which I hope to follow in my life. Moreover, I would like to thank other clergy who have played a significant role in my life including Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, who spiritually guided me during my time at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology; Fr. Steven Vlahos, who has known me almost all of my life; Fr. Nicholas Rafael, the current parish priest at my home parish of St. Demetrios, North Wildwood; and Fr. Patrick Viscuso a dear friend and mentor.
I thank all of the clergy who are here present today, but I would like to mention a few by name whose friendship I value immensely. Fr. Dionysios, Fr. Philotheos, and Fr. Michael, whether they realize it or not, I have a great amount of respect for each of them and I am eternally grateful for their friendship and their camaraderie. I do not merely count them among friends, but number them as brothers.
Moreover, I would like to thank all of my beloved classmates and schoolmates from Hellenic College Holy Cross. The friendships I made there became some of the most important of my life and although there are too many people to single out one by one, they know who they are and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their friendship. In addition to my friends in classmates I cannot help but express deep gratitude for all the professors and staff of our beloved Scholi, but especially Dr. Elias Patsavos, the professor of Canon Law whose guidance has been critical to my academic success.
Your Eminence, it would be impossible for me to even fathom being here today without mentioning and thanking my family who have unceasingly offered their love, support, and encouragement for my vocation throughout my life.
I cannot sufficiently express my thanksgiving to God for my grandmother, Evanthia, who instilled in me a deep love for Christ and for His Church. Her love, patience, and diplomatic nature are hallmarks of her character; and although I sometimes fail, I try to constantly emulate her Christian example. One of the first memories I ever had was my grandmother teaching me how to make the sign of the cross while she was driving me to church. From the time I was four years old she would bring me to church every Sunday at St. Demetrios in North Wildwood, so that I could serve in the Holy Altar. It was there and then at that young age that I first felt the calling to be a priest and it is largely due to her that I am standing here today.
Likewise, I thank my parents, Luis and Demetria, who always showed love for the Church and who supported and encouraged my path. I have never known there to be a harder worker than my father and I have never known there to be a more graceful woman than my mother. Their love and sacrifice for our family and for me personally was without bounds and their personal examples to me have helped form who I am today. In addition to all that my parents have done for me, they gave me an exceptionally special gift when, at my baptism, they chose Joanne Trivelis to be by Godmother. My Godmother’s perpetually peaceful nature combined with her love for the Church helped to give me an even firmer foundation throughout my youth. Though there are numerous other family members whose presence in my life has been a particular blessing, I must mention my Aunt Alexandra, my cousin, Kristen, and my niece, Stefania, as they have all played a critical role in my life and have provided me with fortitude in my service to the Church.
In addition to the aforementioned family members who are all present today, there are two persons who are not present and have passed from this life into eternity. The first is my grandfather, Michael Boulageris, whose work ethic and love of learning inspired me from a young age. The second is my sister, Ekaterini (or as we called her, Rina) Mercado. My sister was perhaps one of the kindest persons I ever knew. Although she did not know theology, she lived theology insofar as she would do anything to help her fellow human being in need. Among the countless things for which I am thankful to God for, I thank God for every blessed moment I had with them. May their memory be eternal.
Your Eminence, above all I thank our merciful Lord for His bountiful blessings and I thank you from the depths of my soul. In truth, I owe you a great debt of gratitude. No words could express how thankful I am to you or the depth of my respect for you. In the short, but transformative time that I have been blessed to serve as one of your deacons, you have been a spiritual father and teacher to me. You effortlessly exemplify virtues like leadership, work ethic, patience, understanding, faith, and love in all that you do – virtues that I pray to emulate. Learning from you and serving you has been the greatest singular honor of my life. From the very beginning you have shown me paternal love, kindness, and support. Almost a year ago you gave me the opportunity to be a part of something monumental, to be a part of a family – you gave me the opportunity to serve at the Archdiocesan Headquarters. This was not something I ever expected, it was not something I even thought was within the realm of possibility. Nevertheless, you gave me this opportunity to serve our Sacred Archdiocese and by assigning me to be responsible for the Archives you entrusted me to safeguard the history of our Archdiocese and, by extension, the history of our people. It is indeed a great honor to be entrusted with such a significant responsibility! For as the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes penned, “History is, in a manner, a sacred thing, so far as it contains truth; for where truth is, the supreme Father of it may also be said to be.”
I am cognizant, Your Eminence, of the trust you are placing in me not only for the present responsibilities I have, but for the pastoral responsibilities that you will be entrusting me with. I am truly honored to have your trust, but I am also determined to always labor diligently in the Lord’s Vineyard so that, through my endeavors, the fruits of these labors may glorify God and bring honor to the Holy Mother Church and to our Sacred Archdiocese.
Finally, as I prepare to embark on this new ministry, I entreat the Lord our God through the descent of the Holy Spirit, to heal all my infirmities and to fulfill that which is lacking so that I may worthily serve Him and His people. Be it unto me according to your word.
Dec. 11, 2021
St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church
Toms River, NJ