A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 21 - Tuesday, May 25th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Archdiocese Fires Church President
BOSTON - The Archdiocese of America dismissed the president of the parish council of the Transfiguration Church in Corona, New York, in an effort to put an end to the many years of friction that exist between the parish priest, Archimandrite Cleopas Strogylis and some members of the parish council and congregation. Chancellor of the Archdiocese Bishop Savas of Troas, acting “at the direction of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America,” in a letter dated May 12, 2004, dismissed Vasilios Livanos from his duties as president of the parish council, prohibiting him to run for election or assume any position at the parish until January 2006: “You are relieved of your position as president of the parish council and of membership on the parish council, effective immediately,” Bishop Savas states in his letter, and continues with the imposition of the following sanctions: “You may not run in any parish election, serve on any parish or school committee or in any administrative volunteer position, or other position or any and all committees or organizations of the parish before January 2006.” Chancellor Savas explains in his letter that “these actions are taken with great reluctance and heaviness of heart because of your continued violation of the Oath of Office, which you took orally and to which you signed. He cites actions taken by Mr. Livanos, including the firing of the church secretary without parish council approval and the priest’s consent; the hiring of a church secretary without parish council approval and the priest’s consent; the holding of irregular parish council meetings and the making of decisions to encumber the parish financially without a quorum; and the withholding of the priest’s remuneration in spite of directives from the Archdiocese that he had no authority to do so. Bishop Savas wrote that “these dictions are final” and “that we have come to this point is particularly painful to us, especially in light of the generous services you have rendered to the faithful people of Corona in times past. Your love for your parish and its many ministries is not in question; it is your disregard for proper administrative process…that can no longer be tolerated.” Bishop Savas instructs Mr. Livanos to reflect on his conduct: “I pray that you will see this action by our Holy Church as an opportunity to reflect on your conduct, and that you will learn to conform in all that you do to the spirit of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In a separate letter, Bishop Savas informed Fr. Strogylis of Mr. Livanos’ dismissal and wrote that any decisions made by the parish council without a proper quorum are null and void. Bishop Savas also named George Georgiades as new president and ordered that all doors and locks on church property be changed. Bishop Savas also warns in his letter that “Anyone who refuses to abide by any of these decisions is to be immediately removed from the parish council.”
Mr. Livanos does
not accept the decision. “We will go through the
legal process until the Attorney General’s Office
completes its investigation. The Archdiocese did
not have the right to intervene this way.” Fr.
Strogylis would not comment. Mr. Georgiades said
he accepts the appointment by the Archdiocese. “We
will go ahead with the financial audit and the
justice system will determine who is at fault.”
The District Attorney’s office is conducting an
investigation into allegations of financial and
administrative misconduct by Fr. Strogylis.
Sources close to the Herald say the Archdiocese
knew about the problems for many months, if not
years, but did not take any action until May 12,
with the dismissal of Mr. Livanos. The parish has
been divided and its Day School is already feeling
the turbulence. “The situation at this moment is
terrible,” said Dimitris Spanos, whose child is a
student at the Corona School. Enrollment has
dropped from 258 to 132 students. |
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