Axios! Deacon Anastasios

Yesterday we went to the ordination to the diaconate of Sean Noel-Barham by the Archbishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria. The ordination took place in the chapel of Saheti School in Senderwood, east of Johannesburg.

At the beginning of the service he was brought before the bishop by two deacons to be  ordained as a subdeacon

After being ordained as a subdeacon he stands for most of the service in front of the ikon of Christ, holding a pitcher and a basin of water, and is ordained as deacon just before communion.

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The newly-ordained deacon Anastasios is vested as a deacon while the bishop proclaims “Axios!” “He is worthy!”

It was just 21 years ago, at Easter 1992, that he was baptised at the Church of St Nicholas of Japan in Brixton, Johannesburg — pictures here. So it was perhaps appropriate that he was ordained on February 3, the feast day of St Nicholas himself.