A Calling Shaped by Grace and Service

By Fr. Constantinos Eliud

More than fifteen years have passed, yet one moment remains engraved in my heart as though it happened yesterday. I was a young seminarian at the Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus Seminary, full of dreams and burning with the desire to serve God as a priest. During his visit, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, walked through our dormitories.As he passed, he paused, looked at me, and blessed me.

A simple gesture, yet it planted a seed that would shape the rest of my life.At that time, I believed my path was clear: to become a priest and preach the Gospel in parishes and communities. What I did not know then was that God had prepared a different, humbler, and more demanding mission for me to spread His word through the daily care of vulnerable children, through the love and generosity of people like you.Today, as I look at the many children who have passed through St. Irene Orthodox Mission Centre & Orphanage, I see futures filled with hope. I see God’s grace at work.

A Renewed Inspiration from the Shepherds of Africa

Recently, during the visit of His Beatitude Theodoros II to Kenya together with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Kenya and Exarch of East Africa, and His Eminence Metropolitan Neofitos Kong’ai my heart was deeply moved.

Watching them walk among vulnerable communities, blessing the poor, comforting the suffering, and offering support with humility and love reminded me why we do what we do at St. Irene. Their presence was not just ceremonial; it was pastoral, compassionate, and profoundly spiritual.Their example strengthens us, especially on days when the work feels heavy, when resources are limited, and when challenges seem overwhelming. Their witness reminds us that service is not a burden it is a calling.“You Are the Light of the World.”These words of Christ are not a compliment. They are a responsibility.To be the light of the world means to illuminate the darkness of poverty, loneliness, hunger, and despair. It means welcoming the broken, the wounded, the forgotten, and the stranger with patience and love. It means choosing humility over pride, mercy over judgment, and service over comfort.

At St. Irene Orthodox Mission Centre & Orphanage, this calling is lived out daily in the meals we prepare, the children we educate, the prayers we offer, and the hope we nurture.It is not easy.

But with God’s help, and with the support of people like you, we push on.

A Mission Shared With You

Every blessing we witness here every child who smiles again, every life restored, every future rebuilt is a testimony to your love and generosity. You are part of this mission. You are part of this light.May God bless you for walking with us.