Bishop Maximos, né Ioannis Mastichis, was born on September 30, 1935, in Stylis, Greece. In 1958, he successfully graduated with a Master's degree in Theology from the Theological School of Halki in Turkey. On September 7, 1958, he was ordained deacon by Metropolitan Maximos of Stavroupolis, who gave him his name. The same metropolitan ordained him a priest on September 8, 1958. From 1958 to 1977, he served in the Netherlands.