A member of the administrative committee of St Paraskevi in St Albans, Melbourne, has resigned according to Neos Kosmos sources. The resignation leaves six  members remaining on the current committee and this means that an election for a new committee will have to be called within 28 days.

Last week, Neos Kosmos reported that Archbishop Makarios of Australia had stopped talks aimed at uniting St Paraskevi with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia until a new committee was elected. Archbishop Makarios had said that the current board had acted illegally and not in accordance with the community’s constitution.

Meanwhile on Sunday, 16 January, Archbishop Makarios was at the Greek Orthodox Church of Sts Constantine and Helen to ordain into the Archdiocese of Australia Deacon Irinaios Koikas who had previously served at St Paraskevi and Panteleimon Laskaris. Also present were  Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis, Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta, Archimandrite Chistoforos Krikelis as well as priests from the city.

READ MORE: Archbishop Makarios stops St Albans talks, calls for new board

In his address before ordination, Fr Irinaios sought forgiveness from Archbishop Makarios for “previous irregular behaviour”.

“As long as I have been in the community, my main purpose and concern, especially after your election to the leadership of our Church, has been to end the schism that has caused so much suffering in our parish and in our Church,” said Fr Irinaios.

He said the presence of leading members of the St Albans community at his ordination indicated that the community would soon be joining with Archdiocese of Australia.

Speaking before his ordination, Fr Panteleimon thanked those who had supported him in his life and who supported him to the priesthood as well his wife, Silouani, for the support she had given and their two children.

He will serve the parish of Sts Constantine and Helen.

READ MORE: St Albans’ entry to the fold of the Archdiocese of Australia is a ‘one-way street’, says Fr Irinaios