By A FELICITY DARVILLE

Alexander Maillis was born into the Greek Orthodox Church in The Bahamas. He was baptised in the church sanctuary on West Street, Nassau. He and his family members went through all the rights of passage there. The Maillis family, descended from Greece, found comfort in a church steeped in spiritual and cultural connection to their family roots. But little did he know when he was playing in the courtyard where little children still frolic after church today, that he would be the catalyst for a history making event. On Sunday, February 25, 2024, he was officially ordained as a Deacon - the very first ordination of a Bahamian at this parish.

The event was so significant that His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America travelled from New York to Nassau with a delegation to lead the Holy Sacrament of Ordination. The Maillis family attended in full force to support Deacon Alexander, including distinguished attorney Pericles Maillis, his father and family patriarch. Parish Priest for the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Nassau, Rev Fr Irenaeus Cox; Rev Fr Elias Villis, Chancellor of the Archdiocesan District; Rev Fr Demetrios Kazakis; and Rev Archdeacon Dionysios Papiris were among the celebrants carrying out the service.

Pericles Maillis, beaming with pride, said that he felt even their family ancestors were smiling down on them on this historic occasion.

“It's a hugely moving experience,” Alexander shared.

“The Bible teaches us that at all times, we are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses. I hope that among those witnesses are our ancestors, and that they are smiling today and joining us in prayer for this auspicious event.”

The Maillis family has a rich legacy. Alexander’s grandfather, Senator Alexander P Maillis, contributed much to The Bahamas and to its Parliament. His contributions were celebrated in a heartfelt tribute by former Prime Minister Perry Christie, who was serving at the time of his funeral. Senator Maillis and his wife were not only nationally responsible and community minded; they were deeply family oriented - a virtue that the Maillis’ hold dear to this day.

Senator Maillis and his brothers all served in World War II. He was born on Augusta Street in 1916. He was one of five brothers, and they were all sponge merchants during the height of a booming sponge industry in The Bahamas. Their father, Alexander’s great-grandfather, was also a sponge merchant. In his day, Greeks were known as some of the best spongers in the world. He travelled from his homeland in Greece to Tarpon Springs, Florida, to engage in the sponging industry there. After a sponge plague hit the Gulf of Mexico, he was forced to look for new, fertile ground. Some migrated to Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula. He chose The Bahamas.

Back then, there was no Greek Orthodox Church in The Bahamas. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1937. Before Greeks in The Bahamas had a church of their own, permission was granted by the Archdiocese in America for families here to be baptized and attend churches that were of a trinitarian faith - namely Catholic and Anglican churches.

Once the Greek Orthodox Church was built, the Maillis family found a home that they continue to pour their passion and commitment into to this day. Alexander’s aunt, Alexandra Maillis-Lynch, is currently serving as the Parish President for the church. Other Greek families, such as the Halkitis and Galanos clans, mainly stayed at the churches they were already committed to. But many Greek families did flock to the church, including the Zervos, Mosko, Klonaris, and so on.

But the Greek Orthodox Church in Nassau is really a melting pot of cultures, where people of the Indian Orthodox faith, Egyptian, Russians, Ukrainians, Serbs, Ethiopians, and other cultures have flocked to participate in Orthodox liturgies.

With the new title of Deacon, Alexander will balance his spiritual life with commitment to his own wife and children, and a desire to see even more Bahamian families come into the fold. His wife, who is now Diakonissa Panayiota (Patricia), played a significant role in the journey that led him to the clergy.

Patricia is a first-generation Greek American. She and Alex met at a Greek church conference (the 1998 Young Adult League Conference in Orlando, Florida) where they fell in love. Eventually, he would ask for her hand in marriage, and invite her to move to the beautiful islands of The Bahamas. Her heart was willing, but she did want to know if there was a stronghold for her here.

“She made it clear from the earliest conversations that while she would be open to moving wherever her husband was, the one condition was that there would always be a vibrant Orthodox Church there,” he fondly recalls.

“So I began my foray into Orthodoxy and Parish life in a more than passive way. The desire to ensure a strong and vibrant church led me to involve myself in Parish Council, serving first as Secretary then as President, then as Vice-President and lay member, where I did my best to ensure the liturgical continuity of the Church in The Bahamas through very challenging transitional times. I have been privileged to serve on the Archdiocesan Council for many years, where I directed my time and energy to the marriage and family committee – a subject that is very near and dear to me. In serving the church, I grew in knowledge and experience of her, and through her, of our Lord Jesus Christ and the faith that is the Orthodox. It is this growth experience which ultimately set me on the course to pursue the Diaconate programme and offer myself for service.”

Because of his family responsibilities, Alexander has opted to serve as a permanent Deacon. There is no automatic elevation to the priesthood. This will allow him to continue to focus on his career as an attorney and provide for his family, while taking up greater responsibility within the church.

He was born in The Bahamas on July 30, 1975, to Pericles Alexander Maillis and Christina Constantakis Maillis. Both of his parents are of Greek ancestry. He is a third-generation Bahamian of Greek descent, and he is the eldest of three sons born to his parents.

The Maillis farm in western New Providence was the base for a wonderful childhood, enjoying the produce of the farm, the lake, and the sea. Several homes exist on the property, and Maillis family members continue to enjoy the land from generation to generation.

“This was my grandfather’s vision for his descendants as he observed war-torn Europe as a young soldier. I grew up on the land - hunting, fishing, farming, and adventuring were very much a part of life for me, and as a young man, my brothers and I would make our pocket allowance selling produce – fruit and seafood.”

He attended Queen’s College from grade 1 straight to grade 11, which, at the time, would be the time of graduation. He earned his General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examinations and was accepted into the University of Wales, College of Cardiff. There, he earned a Bachelor of Laws and Letters Degree (Honours) before going to London for a year to do his Bar Finals and complete his professional qualifications through the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn.

Alexander was called to the Bahamas Bar in September of 1997, and he did his pupillage under the careful eyes of his father. He was practising in the disciplines of both criminal and civil litigation, family law, contracts, conveyancing, company, and estate planning/probate matters. He has been in practice now for 26 years. He presently assists the Bahamas Bar Association as a Disciplinary Tribunal member, hearing and deciding allegations of misconduct against Bar members. Today, the firm of Maillis and Maillis consists of him, his father, Pericles, and my younger brother Peter, with the prospect of younger members coming and joining the family profession.

During this past Sunday’s historical service, a lovely memento given to attendees included a scripture taken from Galatians 3: 28-29: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.

This encapsulates the sentiments with which Deacon Alexander accepts his new role as a man of the cloth. He wants people to see beyond borders and difference and come together as one in the Christian faith. The Greek Orthodox Church has always played an integral part of the country’s spiritual fabric. During the 1973 Independence celebrations, the parish priest, the late Rev Father Theophanis Kolyvas, led the invocation, cementing the church’s place of significance in national history. After Sunday’s ordination service, Archbishop Elpidophoros and the clergy gathered at Rev Theophanis’ tomb to conduct a blessing. At this time, a white dove took off from the rooftop and swooped down over the crowd gathered at the tomb - a moment that for many, would signify the presence of the Holy Spirit during this blessed occasion.

Archbishop Elpidophoros, Deacon Alexander, current parish priest Rev Fr Irenaeus Cox and their delegation paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Philip E. Davis during this trip. The archbishop presented PM Davis with a commemorative book from the Diocese’s 100th anniversary celebrations. He received a Bahamas 50th anniversary pendant and other gifts from The Bahamas. He and his delegation were also showered with gifts during the banquet held after the service, including those from the children of the Sunday School of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Deacon Alexander thanked his spiritual father and mentor, Rev Fr Nicholas Triantafilou; the late Fathers Andrew Karamitos and Mark Leondis; Presbytera Alexandra Cox, the faculty of the Hellenic College Holy Cross Diaconate Programme; the Parish Council of the Greek Orthodox Church of The Bahamas; and all who supported his journey, especially his family and friends, and those who travelled to Nassau to witness this historic occasion.