The Holy Metropolis of Sweden and All Scandinavia has announced to the faithful of the Mother Church in Scandinavia the addition of two new volunteer clergy members to its ranks, to support and strengthen its missionary and pastoral work.
This voluntary offering stands as a shining example of ecclesiastical ethos and of genuine love in action toward one’s fellow human beings.
In a world facing numerous challenges, selfless ministry and a spirit of service emerge as invaluable pillars of the Church’s mission.
Specifically, the first is the Ukrainian-born Presbyter Fr. Andrii Pinchuk, parish priest of the Ukrainian-speaking Parish of Saint Olaf in Telemark, Norway. He will serve the liturgical and spiritual needs of our Ukrainian-speaking brethren in distress throughout the Kingdom of Norway. He is the second volunteer clergyman to serve in Norway, following Protopresbyter Dr. Maxime Lessage, and the third clergyman overall serving there, including the resident parish priest and rector of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Oslo, Fr. Georgios Kanakaris.
The second volunteer clergyman is Protopresbyter Dr. Christian Krister Tano, from Luleå, Sweden, a physician and theologian. On Lazarus Saturday, he received the first degree of the priesthood at the Cathedral of Saint George in Stockholm from Bishop Bartholomew of Elaia. The following day, Palm Sunday, he was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Cleopas and was granted the offikion of Protopresbyter. On the morning of Great Saturday, he received the ministry of spiritual fatherhood.
This clergyman will serve the needs of the newly established parish dedicated to the recently canonized Saint Tikhon the Athonite, in the city of Luleå, where an Orthodox presence will be established for the first time. The inauguration of the parish and the presentation of its new parish priest will be presided over, with the blessing and encouragement of Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, by Bishop Bartholomew of Elaia on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Volunteer clergy do not merely offer their services; they offer their hearts and their faith, contributing substantially to the spiritual strengthening of the faithful and to the spread of the message of love and hope.
Their presence strengthens the work of the Missionary Metropolis of the Ecumenical Throne and underscores the importance of cooperation and unity within the body of the Church.
The Holy Metropolis of Sweden expresses its heartfelt gratitude to its new collaborators and to all volunteers who, with self-sacrifice and zeal, support its work daily.
Volunteerism is an irreplaceable force of life and service, inspiring and strengthening the ministry of the Church.
“We pray that God may bless and guide their steps, so that their spiritual offering may bear fruit, for the benefit of humanity and the glory of His Holy Name, and that it may serve as an example, encouraging more laborers to be found for the Lord’s vineyard in the abundant harvest of our local Church,” the Metropolis of Sweden states.
