In loving memory of His Eminence Metropolitan Antonious Markos THEIR SOUND HAS GONE OUT TO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD. (Romans 10:18) In the hope of the resurrection, we farewell our beloved father, His Eminence Metropolitan Antonious Markos of South Africa (1936-2025), commending his pure soul to the embrace of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A shepherd, evangelist, and missionary, His Eminence shaped the Church’s outreach mission for over 50 years and was a defining figure in many dioceses and parishes throughout the diaspora. Born 4 September 1936, he was brought up in a God-fearing family, which also produced two revered priests. As a young man, he served first in Sunday School, then in a small rural village outside Cairo, where his heart was turned towards spreading the word of God. After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine in 1959, he was drawn to preach in Africa, and at the direction of His Holiness Pope Kyrillos VI of blessed memory, he departed for Addis Ababa in 1966 to serve as a lay preacher, joining Saint Paul as a “tentmaker missionary,” using his medical career to support his missionary work. He remained in Ethiopia until he returned to Egypt in 1975 to take his vows as a monk in the Monastery of the Virgin Mary “El-Baramous,” taking the name Fr Antonious. On the Feast of Pentecost the following year, 13 June 1976, he was ordained Bishop of African Affairs at the hand of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of blessed memory. In his new role, he established churches and monasteries in Kenya, Zambia, Zaire, Namibia, and South Africa among many other countries. He mastered many African languages, and personally translated the liturgical texts of the Church into local languages. As an active leader of the Church in Africa, His Eminence served as Vice President of the All Africa Conference of Churches. He took on pastoral duties in the Diaspora during Pope Shenouda’s period of house arrest between September 1981 and January 1985, including establishing the first theological college outside Egypt in Sydney in 1982, as well as advocating strongly for His Holiness’ release and organising an International Day of Prayer for the cause. His Eminence established the Church’s curriculum in Missiology, lecturing and teaching courses on the subject at various theological colleges in Egypt and abroad. In addition, he devoted himself regularly to leading youth conferences in the United States, Canada, and Australia, inspiring many youth to embark on missionary service under his personal mentorship. His warmth and paternal spirit contributed extensively to the pastoral ministry of the Church in Sydney and Melbourne in the 1980s and 1990s. He was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan by the hand of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II in June 2019. Throughout his life, His Eminence laboured, toiled, and served with sincerity, dedication, and commitment, bringing the light of Christ and joy of the Gospel to many thousands of souls. After fervently running the race set before him, shepherding the flock of Christ faithfully for many years, His Eminence reposed in the Lord on Saturday, 25 October 2025. A great loss to the church militant, now celebrated in the church triumphant, may we forever be the beneficiaries of His Eminence’s prayers on our behalf at the Lord’s heavenly banquet table. (fb)

The Feast of St. Matthew the Evangelist (22 October) St. Matthew the Evangelist has been represented as the figure of a man (Ezekial 1:10; Revelation 4:7) because his Gospel begins with the genealogy of Christ. His icon is often to be found in one of the four circles connected to the arches of the dome of the Church. St. Matthew’s Gospel vividly asserts that Jesus Christ is the real Messiah, foretold by the prophets. The Evangelist presents the Saviour’s life, teachings and deeds using three divisions, which represent the three aspects of the Messiah’s service: as Prophet and Law-Giver (Matthew 5-7), as Lord over the world both, visible and invisible (Matthew 8-25) and finally, as High Priest, offered as a Sacrifice for the sins of all mankind (Matthew 26-27). There is a distinct correlation between Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, and the Gospel of St. Matthew, the first book of the New Testament. Genesis opens with the outline of the heavens, earth and man, while Matthew opens with the genealogy of the Incarnate God, through Whom there will be new heavens and a new earth. Sin appears at the outset in Genesis, and its course is traced onward. Salvation is presented at the outset in Matthew, and its marvels are recounted. While in Genesis, a nation is founded, in Matthew, the foundations for a Church are laid. His Gospel is the bridge between Judaism and Christianity, whereby, he presents Christ as the Mediator of the New Covenant. In the icon, the likeness of a man, one of the symbolic creatures mentioned in Ezekiel 1:10, a symbol, according to St. Ireneus, of our Saviour’s Incarnation, is portrayed next to St. Matthew. A blessed feast of St Matthew !!!! (fb)