Deacon Michael Giavris Ordained to Holy Priesthood

Clergy and friends from near and far gathered at Kimisis tis Theotokou Church in Brooklyn on Tuesday, the Feast Day of the Archangel Michael, to witness the ordination of Deacon Michael Giavris to the priesthood. Fr. Michael has served the Church for many years, both in the United States and at the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The ordination was officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. In attendance were Former Archbishop of America Demetrios, whom Fr. Giavris had served for six years as a layman at the Archdiocese, and Their Graces Bishops Apostolos of Medeia and Athenagoras of Nazianzos V. Rev. Grand Ecclesiarch Aetius and V. Rev. Grand Syngellus Iakovos travelled from the Ecumenical Patriarchate for this special occasion.

Though Fr. Giavris’s ordination to the diaconate had taken place at his home parish of Saint Demetrios in Chicago several years earlier, the loving community of Kimisis, he said, is his home. Between 2011 and 2017, he served there as a cantor and grew “more intimately cultivated in the sacred wellspring of the Psaltic Art’s precious riches and immeasurable treasures.” Head cantor Dr. Demetrios Kehagias was “one person I cannot thank enough,” and Fr. Giavris also thanked his former parish priest Fr. Andrew Georgianas, who travelled from Chicago for the ordination. Fr. Michael also expressed his gratitude to his parents, Alexandros and Maria, and grandmother Kondylia, whose “example is one of an aspiring saintliness and righteousness that all Christians are called to practice — and one that I am presently still learning.”

Meanwhile, Frs. Damaskinos Ganas (Brooklyn’s Kimisis tis Theotokou) and Anargyros Stavropoulos (Astoria’s St. Demetrios Cathedral) served as pastoral models for Fr. Giavris— Fr. Damaskinos for his “strong and silent leadership, always leading by example, and peeling away the layers to expose an even firmer resolve and deeper priestly resiliency in times of difficulty and hardship”; and Fr. Anargyros, from whom Fr. Giavris has “time and again reaped the fruits of his pastoral efforts, priestly wisdom and fatherly guidance.”

“What I would like to make known publicly now for the first time is the very special nature of this day,” said Fr. Giavris, growing emotional. “While you may all know that I was given the name Michael by His All-Holiness our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew back in February of 2020 at my ordination to the diaconate, what you do not know is that this was an intimate and private desire of mine for many years. Since my youth, I prayed to the Lord with the heartfelt entreaty that my name could one day somehow become Michael instead of George — unbeknownst to me, of course, that I would later follow the path of a celibate clergyman. And, as you can imagine, to my surprise, this very name was given to me at the age of 34.

“Of course, I share this with all of you in an expression of gratitude to His All-Holiness, who, despite my silence on this matter — so as to ensure that it was something known only to God Himself, and to His heavenly Chief Commander, the Archangel Michael — His All-Holiness carried out this revelation of the Almighty’s divine will through his loving and paternal Patriarchal gesture. Therefore, the nature of this day is brightened even more by the feast of my patron angelic host — a feast that is celebrated today by all Orthodox Christians throughout the entire oikoumene.” (Full Address)

Addressing Archbishop Elpidophoros, Giavris also said, "I thank Your Eminence for opening this door to the heavenly beauties and splendor of the priesthood, as well as for continuing to oversee and contribute toward my overall priestly development, personal growth and spiritual formation." His Eminence, in turn, began his exhortation with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy: “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (Timothy 4:12)

“You are young, but you are experienced,” His Eminence continued. “You are young, but you are accomplished. You are young, but you are eloquent. You are young, but you have a wisdom that exceeds your years. Therefore, the words of the Apostle ring all the more true. Because it will be by the example of your life that the People of God will recognize your leadership, and not by the gray hairs of old age, but by the way in which you speak, the manner by which you act, and by whether or not these external manifestations of your heart, soul, and mind are done in love, are done in faith, and are done in purity.” (Full Address by Archbishop Elpidophoros)