|
|
Published by the
Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America,
March 22, 2005
Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco to
be Enthroned April 2 in Ascension Cathedral,
Oakland
|
 |
 |
San Francisco, CA - His Eminence Archbishop
Demetrios of America, Primate of the Greek
Orthodox Church in America, will preside at the
enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan
Gerasimos of San Francisco on Saturday, April 2 in
the Ascension Cathedral, 4700 Lincoln Ave.,
Oakland, beginning at 10:30 a.m. A luncheon will
follow in honor of Metropolitan Gerasimos hosted
by the Ascension Cathedral. Metropolitan Gerasimos
will celebrate his first Hierarchal Liturgy,
Sunday morning, April 3 in the Annunciation
Cathedral, 245 Valencia St., San Francisco
beginning at 10:30 a.m. Clergy of the Metropolis
of San Francisco will assist him.
The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople elected the new
Metropolitan of San Francisco on February 22, 2005
to succeed Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco
who fell asleep in the Lord on December 25, 2004.
In his first Pastoral Address to the Clergy and
Faithful at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix,
AZ, March 13, His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos
said: “……The Fathers of the Church went to the
desert, not as teachers, but as pupils and
pilgrims. They went to the desert in order to
learn the lessons the desert itself had to offer.
……I come to this Metropolis, to this unique place,
not in order to impose upon it some preconceived
notions taken from another place or time; that
would be as foolish as attempting to transplant
and grow wetland plants in the desert, I have come
rather seeking to learn the lessons that this
place has to teach, to plant myself in the unique
soil of this region, and to preserve and build up
the parish communities that thrive here, like
indigenous plants. And as I prepare for the day of
my enthronement in the Metropolis of San
Francisco, I have constantly before me the
accomplishments, visions and expectations of my
predecessor, the late Metropolitan Anthony, who
also had the experience of the desert.”
The entire Enthronement Ceremony will be Broadcast
Live on the INTERNET Saturday, April 2 beginning
at 10:30 a.m. (PST).
www.goarch.org/en/special/metgerasimos
The doors of Ascension Cathedral will open at 9
a.m. on Saturday for early arrival. Shuttle
service will be provided at additional parking
sites available at the Mormon Temple and Cerebral
Palsy Center. For more information, call
415.753.3075 or visit www.goarch.org/en/special/metgerasimos.
Biography of Metropolitan Gerasimos of San
Francisco
Metropolitan Gerasimos was born in Kalamata,
Greece to Nicholas and Anastasia Michaleas. Upon
successful completion of his elementary and
secondary school education in Greece, he
immigrated to the United States. In 1970, he
enrolled at Hellenic College in Brookline,
Massachusetts, where he received his B.A. with
High Honors in 1973. That same year, he was
admitted to Holy Cross School of Theology, where
he completed his M.Div. Degree in 1976 with High
Honors.
In 1977 he joined the administration of Hellenic
College/Holy Cross, serving as Registrar until
1979. During his tenure in this post, he organized
and updated the Registrar’s Office, creating the
Office of Admissions and Records for the school.
He was ordained to the diaconate in 1979 and was
called to serve as Archdeacon to His Eminence
Archbishop Iakovos, a position he held until 1996.
Concurrently, he was appointed Dean of Students at
Hellenic College/Holy Cross from 1980 until 1999.
As Dean, he created the “Orthodox Actionline,” the
first Archdiocesan telephone ministry directed
towards those who do not have substantive ties to
the Church. Eventually, this ministry became an
official part of the Office of Field Education at
Holy Cross.
Also during his tenure as Dean of Students at
Hellenic College/Holy Cross, he became centrally
involved in the success of various programs
benefiting future priests of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America and their families.
Specifically, he organized and monitored programs
that evaluate and assist individuals at Hellenic
College/Holy Cross with development in both their
emotional and spiritual growth. These programs
have been modified to suit the needs of the
institution’s current student population.
In 1984 he enrolled in the Master’s Degree Program
in Counseling and School Psychology at Boston
College. After receiving his degree in 1986, he
entered the doctoral program. He received his
Doctorate in Counseling and School Psychology in
1993. His doctoral dissertation is titled,
“Intellectual Deficiencies in a Substance Abuse
Population.”
While maintaining his position as Archdeacon and
Dean of Students, he was appointed a member of the
staff of the Outpatient Clinic of the V.A. Medical
Center in Boston, a post he held until 1996.
In 1998, he became Director of Admissions and
Records at Hellenic College/Holy Cross. In 2000,
he became Administrative Assistant to the Rev.
Nicholas Triantafilou, President of Hellenic
College/Holy Cross, a post he held until he was
elected Bishop of Krateia by the Holy and Sacred
Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in December
of 2001. He was appointed by His Eminence
Archbishop Demetrios as Chief Secretary of the
Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America. As Chief Secretary, he
assisted the Synod in the promulgation and
realization of its decisions.
In the area of academic achievements, he taught
courses in Psychology at Hellenic College, as well
as courses on Teleturgics at Holy Cross. Since
1985, he has been Senior Lecturer in the field of
Personality and Psychology at Northeastern
University, University College. The University
Press of America published his dissertation in
1994. He is the author of a number of articles
published in periodicals in the area of
psychology, and is a member of the APA (American
Psychological Association) and the ACA (American
Counseling Association).
Contact:
Frosene Phillips - 925.368.3098
frosene@comcast.net
Nikki Stephanopoulos - 212.570.3530
nikki@goarch.org
|
