“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Known as the Great Commission, this is the final commandment given to us by Christ. Few in the history of the world have heeded this call as Bishop Themistocles of Nicopolis has.In his youth, as a proud atheist and Marxist, he started Australia's first long-haired Rock-and-Roll band known as “The Flies”, and it grew to such popularity that they toured with “The Rolling Stones”. Having experienced a mystical vision, Themi turned to Christ. He gave all he had to the poor and was tonsured a monk. He would spend the next thirty years in theological academia studying at Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Holy Cross G.O. School of Theology, and St. Andrew's Universities. He acquired multiple doctorates and graduate degrees, becoming a world-class biblical scholar and professor. Although an accomplished theologian, he felt he was not fulfilling the Great Commission.Desiring to help the poorest of the poor, he was ordained a priest and joined the mission in Kenya. Still not satisfied he sought permission to go to the most impoverished country in the world, Sierra Leone.In 2007 permission was granted by Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa. What Themi has done since, is nothing short of miraculous. With the support of Paradise 4 Kids, a global charity that was established to help his Mission, thousands of the poorest people in West Africa have been assisted. Several churches, schools, a teacher’s college, orphanages, medical clinics, housing communities, and so much more. Bishop Themi baptized hundreds into the Orthodox Church, and untold thousands have been helped through the Mission.In 2022, by unanimous vote of the Holy Synod of Africa, Themi was elevated to the Episcopacy and given the title Bishop of Nicopolis. He now oversees the Archdiocesan District of Sierra Leone, comprised of seven nations in West Africa. Saint John Chrysostom wrote that it is a greater deed to feed the hungry than it is to raise the dead. As Orthodox Christians, we understand that the Great Commission was not just given to the Apostles, but it is Christ’s direct call to action for each of us. Not all of us are able to leave our lives and go to the ends of the earth for the sake of poor in the name of Christ. Yet we can fulfill the commandment in other ways and help the needy. Please pray for His Grace Bishop Themi and for his Holy Mission, that the Lord may grant him many more years to serve His Church! For more information on Bishop Themi and his Mission thourgh Paradise 4 Kids, please visit: www.paradise4kids.org
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Catherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria
Saint Catherine, who was from Alexandria, was the daughter of Constas (or Cestus). She was an exceedingly beautiful maiden, most chaste, and illustrious in wealth, lineage, and learning. By her steadfast understanding, she utterly vanquished the passionate and unbridled soul of Maximinus, the tyrant of Alexandria; and by her eloquence, she stopped the mouths of the so-called philosophers who had been gathered to dispute with her. She was crowned with the crown of martyrdom in the year 305. Her holy relics were taken by Angels to the holy mountain of Sinai, where they were discovered many years later; the famous monastery of Saint Catherine was originally dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord and the Burning Bush, but later was dedicated to Saint Catherine. According to the ancient usage, Saints Catherine and Mercurius were celebrated on the 24th of this month, whereas the holy Hieromartyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria were celebrated on the 25th. The dates of the feasts of these Saints were interchanged at the request of the Church and Monastery of Mount Sinai, so that the festival of Saint Catherine, their patron, might be celebrated more festively together with the Apodosis of the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos. The Slavic Churches, however, commemorate these Saints on their original dates.
